SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker took an unprecedented step Sunday to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic by ordering bars and restaurants in the state closed to the public starting on Tuesday, March 17, which is both St. Patrick’s Day and Illinois’ Primary Election Day.

Establishments will remain open to drive-through and delivery service, but in-store dining will be closed through March 30. Restaurants and bars must close at the end of their business day Monday.

Schools will continue to provide meals to children, although classes in both public and private K-12 schools have been cancelled during that same period.

“I know how difficult this will be on small businesses around the state,” Pritzker said during his daily news briefing Sunday in Chicago. “This is another hard step. But we must do everything that we can to safeguard the health and safety of the citizens of the state of Illinois. And that requires urgent action.”

Sunday’s actions were just the latest in a series of measures Pritzker has taken that, together, amount to what may be the broadest-scale shutdown of social activity in modern memory in Illinois, even surpassing the security measures taken in the immediate wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

But the actions also are in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health officials who say “social distancing” is one of the most effective ways of controlling the spread of the virus, for which there is not yet an effective vaccine.

The actions also came as the state reported 29 new cases of novel coronavirus, COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 93 cases in 13 counties in the state. Five additional counties are now reporting cases – Champaign, Clinton, Sangamon, Whiteside, and Winnebago.  Other locations with cases include Chicago and Cook, Cumberland, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, St. Clair, and Woodford counties.   

In addition to ordering bars and restaurants to close to the public, Pritzker also directed state agencies to scale down operations while maintaining core functions and essential services. That means select employees will continue to report to work while others will either work remotely or remain at home, on call. All state employees will continue to be paid during the work stoppage, the administration said.

Sunday’s briefing capped a weekend in which Pritzker engaged in a high-profile battle with the White House over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, a battle that began when hundreds of international travelers returning to the United States were bottlenecked Saturday night at the Customs and Border Control checkpoint at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.

In a tweet directed specifically at the Trump administration, Pritzker lashed out.

“The crowds & lines O’Hare are unacceptable & need to be addressed immediately,” he tweeted. “@realDonaldTrump @VP since this is the only communication medium you pay attention to — you need to do something NOW. These crowds are waiting to get through customs which is under federal jurisdiction.”

Speaking Sunday morning on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Pritzker accused the federal government of falling down on the job and leaving states to their own devices in responding to the pandemic.

“We are the ones who’ve had to provide the leadership because the federal government just has fallen down on this,” he said. “So, they didn’t advise us to shut down major events, sporting events, parades; we made those decisions on our own. They are not the ones that advised us to close schools; we made those decisions on our own. So, we are on our own out here. I wish we had leadership from Washington, we are not getting it.”

Illinois’ U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats, also sounded off Sunday about the situation at O’Hare and other major airports in a letter to Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

“Not only do these extensive wait times cause issues for the airport and its travelers, but given the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, it increases the risk for the City of Chicago and all who pass through it, as it contradicts current public health guidelines for masses of people to be in such close proximity to one another at this time,” Durbin and Duckworth wrote. “We request that you expedite the process of providing guidelines and the necessary resources, including staff and any required screening apparatus and processes, to these 13 airports to ensure their operations are not disrupted and that public health is preserved.”

By Sunday afternoon, Pritzker began downplaying his tensions with the White House, saying he had been assured personally by Vice President Mike Pence that Customs and Border Patrol would double its staff at O’Hare.

“I don’t usually get heated on Twitter, and I always try to work through official channels when possible,” Pritzker said during the briefing. “But when I saw hundreds of people crammed together for many hours at O’Hare, in exactly the conditions I have been warning about for days, I was furious.”

State historic sites, recreational areas closed indefinitely

Illinois State Museum, affiliated sites also shut down amid social distancing effort

JERRY NOWICKI
Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD — All state parks, fish and wildlife areas, recreational areas and historic sites are closed until further notice in the latest social distancing measures taken by Illinois officials to combat the spread of coronavirus disease, COVID-19.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced the closure of the facilities in a news release Monday, noting all events scheduled at any of the sites are canceled as well.

The department will “work tirelessly with the governor’s office and the Illinois Department of Public Health to provide information as to the schedule for safely reopening our facilities,” according to a news release. 

The Illinois State Museum and its affiliated branches will be closed as well.

“What our patrons love most about our facilities — the opportunity to interact (with) exhibits, patrons and staff — also is of greatest concern at this time,” Illinois State Museum Director Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko said in a news release. “We know this decision is the best course of action to ensure the safety of patrons who visit our facilities as well as our dedicated staff.”

The museum and its Research and Collections Center, both located in Springfield, will be closed along with the Dickson Mounds Museum in Lewistown and the Lockport Gallery in Lockport. All affiliated locations will close until further notice as well, according to a news release.

The museum will work with IDNR, IDPH and Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration to “assess the optimal time to reopen facilities,” according to the release.

Last week, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield separately announced the closure of its facility to the public. All public events planned at the ALPLM through April 10 are canceled, and additional events may be canceled as circumstances warrant, according to the museum’s Facebook page.

Social distancing efforts are aimed at slowing the spread of the virus by limiting contact among large groups of people. Pritzker has also issued orders to close schools, restaurants and bars with a tentative reopening date set for March 31.

There had been 93 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 13 counties in Illinois as of Sunday, but that number is growing each day and health experts have warned it is artificially low due to lack of national testing kits.

“The time for persuasion and public appeals is over,” Pritzker said at a Sunday news conference on the spread of the virus. "The time for action is here. This is not a joke. No one is immune to this. And you have an obligation to act in the best interests of all the people of this state.”

All Illinoisans impacted by a cancellation or closure at one of the facilities can call the IDNR’s information line Monday through Friday at 217-782-6752.

A complete listing of state sites can be found on the IDNR website at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/Pages/default.aspx or https://www2.illinois.gov/dnrhistoric/Experience/Sites/Pages/Default.aspx.

For more information on COVID-19, visit the IDPH website at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/. You also may contact the IDPH at DPH.SICK@Illinois.gov or call the COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-889-3931.