Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder announced Thursday the city will enforce Governor J.B. Pritzker's extended stay-at-home order, despite legal disputes for the state to reopen.
After Pritzker extended the stay-at-home order, two state lawmakers and a church have filed lawsuits against the governor, accusing him of overextending his emergency powers.
The stay-at-home order, originally scheduled to end April 30, has been extended until the end of May.
Springfield will follow new rules in the executive order, including the requirement that residents wear masks or face coverings while out in public if they can’t maintain six feet distance from each other.
The city will also allow non-essential retail stores to open for curbside pickup and delivery. Greenhouses, garden centers, and nurseries are among them.
Langfelder said Springfield has been hurt by the lack of sales tax dollars due to the pandemic. “It’s important that we do support local businesses as much as possible,” Langfelder said.
“Not only do they provide great products and great services, but also it helps the city of Springfield to provide the essential services that each and every one of us need to live our lives.”
Langfelder said he doesn’t want to fully reopen the city’s economy prematurely, and have to shut it down again because of the virus.
Many residents are asking about police enforcement, wondering if there will be consequences for those who disobey the order.
Springfield Police Chief Ken Winslow said law enforcement will mostly rely on businesses and residents to enforce mandates on their own.
“It is not our goal to go out there and write a bunch of citations, to our public or to our businesses, and put additional hardship on them when they are already struggling,” Winslow said.
Winslow said if residents and businesses don’t comply, officers will inform them of the executive order. If problems persist, the department will be ready to issue fines, penalties, and a criminal charge if necessary."
And although masks are not required if you’re able to stand six feet apart from other people, stores still maintain the right to refuse service to customers if they’re not wearing a mask.
“This will be the way we live our lives until a vaccine is proven to be reliable,” said Langfelder.
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