Central Illinois communities that have not experienced a major health-related impact from the Coronavirus need the option to begin reopening with appropriate precautions in place, State Representative Chris Miller stressed today.
“Most central and southern Illinois communities have not experienced the same health-related impact from the Coronavirus as Chicago and its surrounding counties, yet we are suffering through the same stay at home orders that have shut down our businesses and destroyed our jobs,” said Rep. Miller (R-Robinson).
“We cannot allow ourselves to accept each and every extension of a deadline just because the curve of this virus is not at a magic place on the scale. Is the cure to this virus going to be worse than the virus itself? Can we “shelter in place” until a cure and vaccination is found? The answer to that question is NO!” Oblong Mayor Teresa Fielder said today in a letter sent to officials throughout Crawford County. “I implore you to please stand with me and get our small businesses back to work! I understand it will not be “the way it was” for a long time. Our business owners know that. We will use precautions, we will continue to demand all safety procedures be followed-but we cannot continue waiting for the magical day when an all clear is given. We must fight for our communities and fight for rural Illinois!”
Rep. Miller and other area lawmakers have joined with local officials in our region to form a committee tasked with developing a local regional/county plan to reopen our communities that they will present to the Governor.
“For our communities, the Governor’s announcement that he is shutting us down for another 30 days, even with minor modifications, is disastrous. Illinois is very diverse. We must do better than a one-size-fits-all response,” Rep. Miller said.