Masks are mandated at the local level in Wilmington

The issue of wearing masks may have caused some confusion for folks around Wilmington, with various state and local rules now in place causing some to ask what exactly the local mandates are.

On Aug. 18, the Wilmington City Council, in a 5-1 vote with two members absent, passed an ordinance mandating face coverings throughout the city.

The ordinance requires "all persons within the municipal boundary of the City of Wilmington engaging in any activity outside of their residence while other people are present shall wear protective face coverings."

Per the ordinance, examples of when face coverings are required include, but are not limited to:

* Shopping or working at retail businesses, like grocery stores or pharmacies
* Picking up food from a drive thru or curbside pickup
* Visiting a health care provider
* Traveling on public transportation, taxis or rideshare
* Interacting with customers, clients or coworkers at a place of business or worship that is open to the general public
* Performing services for state and local government agencies, where close interactions with other people are unavoidable
* When feeling sick, coughing or sneezing or otherwise ill

Face coverings are not required for children under two years of age, for those with medical issues that would be compromised by wearing a face covering, when engaged in physical activity such as walking or running while maintaining social distancing from others of not less than six feet, when alone or with members of the same household, or while eating or drinking, whether in public or private.

A person who violates the mandate can be fined for an offense against the public peace, a penalty that includes a fine of $25 to $750 for the first offense, $100 to $750 for the second offense, and $250 to $750 for any subsequent offenses.

A business owner or operator may also refuse admission or service to any individual who fails to wear a face covering.

The ordinance, which went into place immediately, will remain in place until it is repealed by the City Council.

Aldermen John Persic, Dennis Vice, Ben Dietz, Kevin Kirwin, and Lisa Butler voted in favor of the mandate. Alderman Jake Tenn was the sole no vote. Aldermen Floyd Combes and Frank Studer were absent.

The city's ordinance follows a ruling by the Joint Committee of Administrative Rules (JCAR) earlier in August, that upheld Gov. JB Pritzker's mask mandate throughout the state.

Those rules require businesses to follow the mask mandate, or face consequences.

The rules provide guidance for graduated enforcement of the mask mandate via a three-step process:

* First, businesses will be given a warning in the form of written notice and encouraged to voluntarily comply with public health guidance.
* Second, businesses that do not voluntarily comply will be given an order to have some or all of their patrons leave the premises as needed to comply with public health guidance and reduce risks.
* Third, if the business continues to refuse to comply, the business can receive a class A misdemeanor and be subject to a fine ranging from $75-$2,500.

The emergency rules also reinforce the authority of IDPH and local health departments to investigate COVID-19 cases and reaffirm that businesses have a responsibility to cooperate with those investigations

The difference between the state mask mandate and the local ordinance is that while the state mandate only addresses violations against businesses, the city ordinance allows for penalties for individuals who refuse to follow the mandate.

Inside the Wilmington city limit, there are currently 52 active cases of COVID-19 reported as of Sept. 1.

In the 60481 zip code, which includes Wilmington, Shadow Lakes, and surrounding unincorporated areas, the total number of cases is 129, also as of Sept. 1.

Last week, mitigation efforts to reduce COVID-19 cases were implemented in Region 7 of the Restore Illinois Plan, which includes Will and Kankakee Counties, after the region reached 8% positivity for three days. Mitigation efforts include a ban on indoor seating at bars and restaurants, and capacity limits at social gatherings, meetings and events at the lesser of 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity.

These mitigations do not currently apply to schools and the measures will remain in effect over a 14-day period after which time more stringent mitigation measures can be implemented if metrics do not improve.

IDPH will track the positivity rate to determine if mitigations can be relaxed, if additional mitigations are required, or if current mitigations should remain in place. If the positivity rate averages less than or equal to 6.5% over a 14-day period, then Region 7 will return to Phase 4 mitigations under the Restore Illinois Plan. If the positivity rate averages between 6.5% and 8%, the new mitigations will remain in place and unchanged. If the positivity rate averages greater than or equal to 8% after 14 days, more stringent mitigations will be applied to further reduce spread of the virus.

A full list of mitigation measures pertaining to some businesses and industries may be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) website at www.dceocovid19resources.com/restore-illinois.