State Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) said Gov. J.B. Pritzker's "Restore Illinois" plan doesn't work for cities like his.
Spain said it doesn't make sense to lump Peoria with far-flung cities like Moline and Rockford when making reopening decisions.
"These arbitrary designations really create problems for communities that are trying to move forward at a truly regional level, based on hospital utilization patterns, and it gives further incentive to communities to just go it alone," he said.
Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis said Tuesday he was concerned grouping Peoria with a COVID-19 "hotspot" like Rockford may delay reopening steps in other parts of the designated "north-central" health region that are ready to move forward, based on positivity rates and hospital capacity numbers.
Spain said the Peoria area has met the medical criteria defined by the governor to begin reopening offices, hair salons, and other businesses in phase 3 for a month now. But the earliest any region can move to the next phase in the "Restore Illinois" phased plan is May 29. Phase 2, which eased restrictions for golf courses, some state parks, and some retail establishments, began statewide on May 1.
"It's not because I disagree with the plan or because it's not exactly because I'd like to see, but the plan itself is really not workable for the type of efforts that we've been undergoing as a community," Spain said.
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