From the beginning, we've used encouragement and education to get businesses to follow our public health guidance. But unfortunately, some business owners refuse or don’t want to follow the rules, thereby putting their patrons, the public and their workers in danger.

That's why @ILStatePolice has ramped up random checks of businesses that are subject to mitigation rules to identify those that aren’t following them, and they’ve begun progressively taking more stringent action to hold scofflaws accountable.

Local officials have a responsibility in this work as well. They are obligated to take action to keep their communities safe and to carry out the laws and regulations on the books.

When national, state & local public health experts all tell them things in their area are getting bad—that more people will get sick & die if they don’t act—their job is to lead, no matter how loudly a minority of people may criticize or how big a personal challenge it may be.

It’s on ALL of us to do the right thing to keep our fellow Illinoisans safe.