Rockford’s Mayor Pleads With Governor To Allow Indoor Dining

One of the jobs of a mayor is to fight for local businesses and residents and Mayor McNamara is doing just that.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has moved "Region 1" (which includes Rockford) back a step in the COVID pandemic and no one is happy about it. The back step means Winnebago County Health Department has to be the middleman and order bars and restaurants in the county to close indoor dining. This, a short time ahead of the harsh winter we experience in northern Illinois.

Many establishment owners have told me their problem with this "order" is the Governor seemingly punishing them for the increase of COVID-19 cases. Per Pritzker's orders, bars and restaurants are not to be open for indoor dining and must be closed by 11 p.m. Owners of these businesses are pretty much all in agreement that Pritz believes COVID is only rampant inside bars and restaurants while people are standing and even more on an issue after 11 p.m., meanwhile, there are no restrictions on the number of persons in grocery stores and similar environments.

Rockford's mayor, Tom McNamara, and State Representative Maurice West are siding with these businesses and prove it with this letter sent to Pritzker.

Simply put, with the order on October 3 to suspend indoor dining, we may be seeing the end of any locally-owned establishments that simply cannot survive a second prolonged shutdown.

Governor Pritzker, if somehow the article manages to reach your eyes, please reconsider your current mitigation and allow our (and our neighboring cities') establishments to fight for survival during this unprecedented time.

JB Love is ½ of  Q98.5's Lil Zim & JB In The Morning, weekday mornings from 5:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.