Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ordered the closures of the state’s 250,000 bars and restaurants for dine-in service. | Facebook
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ordered the closures of the state’s 250,000 bars and restaurants for dine-in service. | Facebook
Chicago Republican Party chairman Chris Cleveland has mixed emotions about actions taken by local government officials seeking to limit the spread of the coronavirus by limiting the rights of citizens across the state.
“This is a tough one,” Cleveland told Chicago City Wire. “We should fear the power of government to cut off people's livelihoods, en masse, with the stroke of a pen. But we should also fear those masses of idiots who packed into crowded bars on Saturday for St Patrick's Day.”
Among the legal changes, the Champaign City Council has moved to enact an ordinance that empowers local lawmakers to do everything from rationing utilities, to seizing private property, and limiting gun sales in the wake of the crisis.In addition to the ordinance, as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state rise to 585, including five deaths, as of March 21, Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a mandate.
Like Cleveland, Chicago-area strategist Chris Robling has kept a close eye on matters, with the two in some cases ending up with similar viewpoints.
“I suspect (the closure of these establishments) came on time,” Robling told Chicago City Wire. “We do not know the sources of the original 93, but we know we do not want the high growth in cases that would swamp our ability to treat.”
As for the actions taken by the Champaign City Council, Robling’s words take on a different tone.
“(It’s) unconstitutional overreach that shows the Left for what it is,” he said.
According to the Center for Disease Control, as of March 21 there were 15,219 known cases of COVID-19 across the U.S. with at least 201 deaths.
There are currently no vaccines or drugs approved to treat or prevent COVID-19.
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