Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell is asking for compliance with Gov. JB Pritzker's new COVID-19 mitigations on restaurants, bars, and gatherings.
"We're not actively looking for these violations," Asbell said. "The best way I can say how we're going to manage this is no different than we did during the shutdown earlier this year in the spring. These will be managed on a case-by-case basis, and decisions will be made on the totality of the circumstances."
Asbell said his deputies are prioritizing education over penalization, but he's not entirely ruling out heftier measures, including potential referrals to Peoria County State's Attorney Jodi Hoos' office.
"I'm not going to stand here and say we're not enforcing, because there could be an event that we will," he said.
That's different than what is happening in Tazewell and Woodford counties, where local law enforcement officials said they won't enforce the rules. Asbell said every jurisdiction has its own "dynamics."
He also warned the Illinois State Police has the authority to write up a summons or citation for violations within Peoria County. The state also could require the full repayment of Business Interruption Grants from businesses that opt to disregard the governor's order, Asbell said.
But Asbell said his primary concern is helping the community understand the expectations under the governor's orders.
"We don't want harm to these businesses. We want to them to thrive," Asbell said. "However, there's this sense that we want them to be smart, as well."
Asbell said that not only helps those businesses out in the long run, but public safety budgets, as well. His own office cut several positions earlier this year due to lost tax revenues--a bleedover effect of the stay-at-home order aimed at controlling the pandemic.
Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson reiterated a point she made earlier this week: the onus of controlling the local surge in COVID-19 cases falls not just on bars and restaurants, but the community at large.
"We as all individuals need to be taking on responsibility of our actions, and the impact they have," she said. "For us to return to those pre-mitigation levels, it's all of us doing that part."
As of Friday, the Tri-County region of Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford counties reported 9,977 cases and 167 deaths linked to COVID-19. The seven-day positivity rate in the wider 10-county Region 2 was 10.7%. The rate must dip to 6.5% or lower for three consecutive days for mitigations to be lifted.
There's no subscription fee to listen or read our stories. Everyone can access this essential public service thanks to community support. Donate now, and help fund your public media.
