Champaign

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Champaign County authorities have outlined procedures for reporting non-essential businesses that fail to close in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Gov. JB Pritzker issued an executive order on March 20 calling for essential businesses and operations to stay open if they follow social distancing requirements. Non-essential businesses and operations are required to stop all activity that isn't minimum basic operations. 

The county is encouraging businesses and organizations to cooperate and voluntarily comply. Failure to do so, however, can mean consequences. 

The following process is now in place: 

1. Someone can call the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District hotline at (217)239-7877 or email coronavirus@c-uphd.org to report a business or organization that is not following the executive order. 

2. CUPHD will verify complaints and ask the business to voluntarily comply. The department will then issue a cease and desist order to the business if it refuses. 

3. Health department officials and law enforcement will verify compliance. Cases in which a company still doesn't comply will then be sent to the state's attorney's office for consideration of prosecution. 

Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said the county must come together in order to accomplish the goal of slowing down COVID-19.

Mattress Firm in Champaign was issued a cease and desist order for failing to close, The News-Gazette reports. The company was told it could only have one associate in for online orders.

Mattress Firm CEO John Eck told the newspaper he believes Illinois stores should be allowed to stay open because the governor named businesses that sell household consumer products as essential. 

"Even before the first positive COVID-19 test in our county, we were setting the framework for collaboration and coordination between multiple agencies and community organizations in Champaign County, including Champaign County, the City of Urbana, City of Champaign, University of Illinois, Village of Rantoul, C-U Public Health District, Carle Hospital, OSF Hospital, the school districts, MTD and United Way, just to name a few," Heuerman said. "We have activated the Emergency Operations Center so that the coordinated effort can continue and can be managed by those who can help mitigate the effects of the virus, including your elected and appointed community leaders.

When this is all over we will look back and realize why we are proud to live in Champaign County and blessed to have community leaders who have the best interests of their communities at heart."