DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A Macon County board committee decided Tuesday night to ask the county state's attorney to draft changes that modify the county health department's COVID-19 mitigation enforcement authority.
The Macon County Environmental, Education, Health and Welfare Committee plans to ask Macon County State's Attorney Scott Rueter to change the language of a county food sanitation ordinance. The potential for limited health department authority drew the concern of Macon County Public Health Administrator Brandi Binkley, who said Monday the measure would be "robbing" health officials of the ability to save lives in Macon County and would not give her department any way to enforce state COVID-19 mitigations if Decatur leaders decided to open bars and restaurants.
Also on Monday, the county board chairman said it's time elected officials find a way to move past COVID-19.
Macon County Assistant State's Attorney Michael B. Baggett told WAND News this move from the Macon County board would be similar to what Sangamon County did, when it created its own set of mitigations that allowed bars and restaurants there to operate indoors at 25 percent capacity.
