The mayor of Bloomington said Saturday evening he plans to issue an executive order expanding police power to ticket those who assemble in large numbers or who fail to abide by social distancing practices ordered by Gov. JB Pritzker to slow the flickering progress of the coronavirus through the population.
Officers have so far used persuasion to break up gatherings that do not follow statewide social distancing guidelines
The statement from Mayor Tari Renner followed an executive order on the same topic signed Saturday afternoon by Normal Mayor Chris Koos which will last through the end of April.
“We cannot let people think this is somehow optional, or if I feel like it when I feel like it I will comply,” said Renner. “The next few weeks are critical for our community, the United States, and the world.”
Renner said he will ask city staff on Monday to draft the order. It does not require passage by the city council. Renner said he personally has fielded dozens of complaints about people not adhering to limits on group size or physical concentration of people in just the last few days.
“We have to impress upon people you cannot just act as you did before, no matter how much you want to. This is not the same world we existed in two months ago,” said Renner. “We have to try to stop this and reduce the impact of this virus as we move forward.”
Renner said Bloomington and Normal are not the only cities that have had difficulty securing compliance with the safety guidelines to slow growth of COVID-19 cases.
“Whether it’s in Illinois or the U.S. Conference of Mayors, I can assure you this is a nationwide problem. Metro mayors from across the country are facing the very same issues,” said Renner.
Koos said earlier in the day he believed the onset of good weather raised the profile of the issue.
Renner said he believes there is not just one reason for the gatherings that flout health and safety rules. It’s a combination of things.
“We’re used to our freedoms and I love our freedoms. But there are times we have to understand some of those have to be given up in the short run so there are not problems in the future. Some of it is that. Some people are in denial. Others are not understanding what’s going on,” said Renner.
Renner said people in government are trying to do the best thing possible for residents and that means doing more to gain compliance with social distancing rules that limit proximity of people in gatherings to beyond six feet and preferably 10 feet and the size of the group to no more than 10 people.
Growth in the number of COVID-19 cases in McLean County and Illinois continued to accelerate over the weekend with a hoped for peak at mid month.
“Please get serious people, now," said Renner. "Not two days from now. Not in the future. Now!”
We’re living in unprecedented times when information changes by the minute. WGLT will continue to be here for you, keeping you up-to-date with the live, local and trusted news you need. Help ensure WGLT can continue with its in-depth and comprehensive COVID-19 coverage as the situation evolves by making a contribution.
