Illinois State Senate District 20 issued the following announcement on March 23.
Governor JB Pritzker issued a Stay at Home Order for the people of Illinois that will remain in place through at least April 7. The text of the order is available here. A FAQ that should answer most questions is available here.
For many of you, this order does not mean any new, significant changes. If you were already working from home (or performing an essential function) and following the recommendations to stay in except for essential needs, nothing should have changed.
Rest assured that vital services will remain open. Medical facilities, grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, and banks and credit unions will not close.
You will still be able to go out for vital supplies, take care of elderly and infirm friends and relatives, walk your dog, and seek medical attention. If your heater goes out, you can still call a repair service. You can still go to the laundromat.
Here’s what the order means:
Unless you work for an essential business, your employer can’t allow you to come to work.
They can still require you to work from home, and they can still require a skeleton crew of staff to come in to secure inventory and other assets and to enable others to work from home.
If you do have to go in, your employer should institute social distancing and other protocols to protect your health, if they haven’t already.
You can only travel for essential needs. This includes medical visits for health emergencies, getting vital supplies for yourself, and getting vital supplies for friends and loved ones who cannot or should not go out on their own.
Do not go out for supplies if you’re sick. Get a friend, loved one, delivery service, or neighbor to get supplies for you, and minimize contact when they drop them off.
When you are healthy, you can still go for walks and go outside to get other exercise, but practice social distancing. Stay at least 6 feet away from people outside your immediate household at all times.
I know this order is difficult. Many people are afraid and suffering, but we are taking these steps to help protect the most vulnerable among us and to ensure that our heroic health care providers don’t get overwhelmed. If we work together, we can get through this.
As your state senator, I promise to do all I can to support you through this difficult time and to provide you with as much information as possible. My district office is closed, but please don’t hesitate to call my staff at 773-278-2020 or send me an email here if you have any questions or I can help in any way.
Original source can be found here.
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