McHenry County Council could receive advice from local health officials next week on how to better enforce COVID-19 restrictions statewide and punish businesses that violate them. In recent weeks, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ordered the closure of all indoor restaurants and bars due to a spike in coronavirus cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eating in bars and restaurants is closely linked to the spread of the virus in many communities. Adults who tested positive for the virus were about twice as likely to eat at a restaurant as those who tested negative, according to a CDC study published in September. Experts now believe the coronavirus is in the air and tiny droplets containing the virus can linger indoors for hours in aerosol form, making indoor meals particularly risky as customers have to remove their masks to eat and drink. “I know a lot of people don`t feel comfortable going to restaurants and eating indoors, and I respect that position,” he said in a statement on Facebook. “However, I believe restaurants are scapegoats on this issue, not wanting to sit idly by while we lose our local businesses.” “I`d like to know what you`re suggesting so that you have more teeth to get these things through if other entities aren`t willing to do that,” Franks said at Thursday`s Committee of the Whole meeting.
Implementation strategies could be discussed the next time the county council meets on Tuesday morning. “We have customers who say, `We`re so lucky no one is wearing a mask,` because they don`t believe it anyway,” said Niko Kanakaris, a restaurant owner in Woodstock and Marengo. Kanakaris is also a trustee of the village of Huntley. These new restrictions in Lake and McHenry counties will also go into effect Saturday, including a limit on social gatherings to 25 people. These restaurants remain hopeful and beg customers to eat locally. Now, local health officials are working with the McHenry County District Attorney`s Office to determine how restaurants can be punished against the governor`s order and to handle lawsuits from restaurants looking to stay open. Health departments are tasked with investigating complaints about businesses that remain open, but guidelines for law enforcement and fines by companies are not as clear, local health officials said. Public Health Director Melissa Adamson said local police departments have avoided enforcing Level 1 mitigation rules, according to the Northwest Herald. The mayors and village presidents of McTHenry County`s 25 municipalities and County Council Speaker Jack Franks have formally asked Governor JB Pritzker to remove the county from the Restore Illinois Recreation Area, which includes Chicago and Collar counties. Based on the governor`s announcement, the virtual City Council meeting on May 5 unanimously decided that the Woodstock Water Works Aquatic Centre would remain closed this season. In addition, the City`s playground program cannot be offered at this time due to required distancing and PPE policies outlined in the Governor`s Notice.
The recreation centre, playgrounds and ball fields will remain closed until further notice, and no team sports, leagues or tournaments can be scheduled at this time. Some Department of Recreation programs may be offered virtually, and others may be offered outdoors in small groups if McHenry County is notified by the Illinois Department of Public Health that the district is moving from Phase 2 to Phase 3 of the announced recovery plan. During this period of closure, maintenance work is carried out on various systems. In recent weeks, the mayors of Lake and McHenry counties have publicly announced that they will not implement the Level 1 reductions as restaurants feel the economic setback caused by state-imposed ordinances. However, the complaints weren`t just about restaurants and department stores. Libertyville Mayor Terry Weppler said earlier this month that he was concerned about the spread of COVID-19, but didn`t think the office in restaurants was to blame.