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Restaurants and bars have been reopened for indoor seating for a little over two weeks since Illinois moved into Phase 4 of Governor Pritzker’s reopening plan. Some areas are seeing increases in cases of COVID-19 connected to those openings. It is a trend that’s been happening nationally with states like California already making moves to shut down indoor dining. Leaders around the Capital City are looking into ways to stop that from happening here.

Public health leaders are asking people in Springfield to stay vigilant as they go out to eat.

“It really seems to be people’s behaviors that are putting them at risk,” said Sangamon County Department of Public Health Director Gail O’Neill.

Ya think?

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:09 am

Comments

This is what happens when people think they have a constitutional right to eat in a Chick-Fil-A.

Comment by efudd Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:15 am
There is something in the water in Springfield. Had to go to Walmart and found at least half not wearing mask. However, was at Hyvee yesterday and saw 1 person without a mask during my 20 mins in the store.

Menards seems to enforcing mask wearing where Lowes is less worried about mask.

Comment by Give Me A Break Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:25 am
This’s is what is called personal responsibility. If you don’t want to get sick, abide by the advisements. But ultimately no one is responsible for you otherhan you. In addition no one is blameworthy but you yourself Put yourself at risk or don’t. You don’t need to take an opinion poll to make your own decisions

Comment by Ano Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:29 am
This is entirely in the hands of the patrons and the owners of these establishments. If we revert back to Phase 3 or version thereof we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves. Get it together people.

Comment by Pundent Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:29 am
I picked up Chick-Fil-A the other day and the dining room was closed. They had and online pick up spot in the parking lot and the line in the drive thru was out into the street. The staff was taking orders in advance throughout the line and maintained all safety and social distance protocols. The whole ordeal took about 10 minutes but the food was phenomenal as always.

Comment by Phenomynous Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:30 am
Walmart announces a mandatory, nation-wide mask requirement.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/07/15/walmart-masks-required-shoppers-sams-club-covid-19/5442415002/

Comment by OutHereInTheMiddle Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:30 am
That’s interesting about Menards and Lowes. My partner was at the one in Burlington, IA a couple weeks ago (before the new quarantine requirement) and found that mask wearing was scarce in the Menards but about 2/3 of the folks in Lowes were wearing them. I literally did not go anywhere while we were there other than the vacation house and its yard and for car rides. Partner wore a mask every time he went in somewhere. Said he at least didn’t feel awkward doing it since there would always be some. He said the store employees seemed to appreciate it, too.

Comment by cermak_rd Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:31 am
Just saw Walmart is now going to mandatory mask wearing in their stores. And yesterday Best Buy moved to the same policy.

The My Rights Don’t Trend On Me gang may be about to meltdown.

Comment by Give Me A Break Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:32 am
That was the other interesting thing about Iowa. Just about all of the restaurants that were corporate (e.g. KFC, McD, Hardees) still had their dining rooms closed and were carryout/drive thru. Only local or small chains (e.g. Taco Johns) had their lobby’s open and they did not seem to be doing great inside trade.

Comment by cermak_rd Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:33 am
The people who are demanding that we “go back to normal” are the very people keeping us from getting back to a semblance of normal. The whole corona virus experience has made me a lot more pessimistic about the human race and what our future is. Wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash your hands. I don’t feel like I am asking a whole lot.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:37 am
Too many people at my local Lowe’s without masks, so much so that I left only having bought mulch, which I loaded outside. In a store, if there are more than one or two people without a mask, I simply leave. Glad to hear about Menards. I’ll try them for the rest of what I need. I have an extremely low opinion of those who refuse to wear masks.

Comment by RIJ Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:40 am
==called personal responsibility==

The problem is that when there are no consequences for the ones not following the advisements, the deadly contagious virus spreads, and the advisements get more intense and strict. When people use their free choice to spread a deadly contagious virus, it narrows dramatically the range of “responsible” choices the rest of us can make. I’m doing barely any economic activity for going on 4 months now.

Comment by Bob Loblaw Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:40 am
Paraphrasing: It may be that our actions have consequences.

Does this really need to be said?

Put another way, is she that slow-witted, or does she think her audience might be? Certainly there are some who just can’t get from point A to point B, even with a dotted line between them.

Comment by Socially DIstant Watcher Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:41 am
Walmart can post that mask mandate till they’re blue in the face.

When I see it enforced at Anna’s location, customers and staff, then I will believe they’re serious.

Comment by efudd Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:41 am
We need mandatory mask. We also need to accept that bars indoor dining and schools and Universities and big office buildings are the biggest source . Israel found that out with schools and they were about where We are now.
The last 3 need online and limited the first 2 closed. And Masks We can only save our economy if we stop it.

Comment by Not a Billionaire Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:42 am
Springfield— schnucks, 100% compliance; Sam’s about 65% compliance; farm home supply 50% compliance. A few glares back-and-forth between those who comply and those Who don’t, but no one said anything.

Chinese carry out had almost an airlock system in the door for exchanging money and take out order.

Comment by Langhorne Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:42 am
We all knew, or should have known, that there would be an uptick in cases in phase 4. Meanwhile, the numbers at Springfield hospitals are low and remaining that way. Total elimination of the virus was never a realistic goal, even with a vaccine.

Comment by Gene Gene Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:44 am
Ano, your take on this is not accurate. If you get exposed, and then become an asymptomatic spreader, YOU are endangering OTHERs. Except for those wearing N95 masks (and wearing them correctly). That is why there needs to be a strong mandate.

Comment by Groundhog Day Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:47 am
I think by late October after schools have been open the whole country will be back on “super” lockdown like we were in March. There is just no way to contain the virus unless everyone everywhere wears a mask anytime they are out.

Comment by October Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:49 am
“Put another way, is she that slow-witted, or does she think her audience might be? ”

I was wondering if you were slow witted? I have no doubt that the interview with the director lasted many minutes, from which the station cut out a quote of about 8 seconds. Quite often, these reporters ask leading questions designed to get these types of pap answers.

My guess is that she’s got a bit more on the ball than most on here when it comes to these issues. But go ahead and anonymously take pot shots at a person on the front line of this whole crisis.

Comment by Witted Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:51 am
@Langhorne - Isn’t it something at Chinese carryout? The first one I went too I was a bit shocked at the set-up then I went to another one that I used to frequent for lunch and same deal. Almost a direct copy. I’ve been meaning to try a third place just to see if there is some sort of blueprint that they are all following.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:53 am
My Chinese place did the air lock system too. They used to have a whole dining area, but they just built an enclosure around the inside front door so when you walk in it’s just a phone booth with a carry out window

Comment by Bob Loblaw Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 10:56 am
I’m not optimistic that any federal mandate will be forthcoming. Like so many issues the President has used this to divide us. Not wearing a mask has become a political expression. And unfortunately having these divisive issues is how he maintains strong support with his base. Essentially 35% or so of the country are holding the rest of us hostage.

Comment by Pundent Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:00 am
Groundhog Day,

I think Ano was discussing the decision to go out to eat.

Comment by Bigtwich Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:03 am
Walmart needs to post a sign for the anti-maskers:

“If you’re wearing a mask, your friends won’t believe it’s you, so relax and enjoy your visit.”

Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:04 am
The way in which our response to this Pandemic has been influenced by the Overton Window is fascinating. The way COVID-19 manifests through community spread really makes it prone to being heavily impacted by the Overton Window as the infection is so effective at creeping by at relatively low transmission levels and then when transmission picks up there’s weeks involved before the situation goes from appearing manageable to requiring urgent attention, but by that point weeks will go by before that urgent attention shows up in the results which may make it difficult for all observes to see a cause and effect relationship and causing a significant portion of our body politic to be unable to appreciate the magnitude of our crisis.

Since so many of our leaders are extensively reactionary, I believe this has caused the impact of the Overton Window to be incredibly broad on our response.

I think this can also be attributed by leadership failures at the national level, but I am struggling to find an example of when the Overton Window has shifted so quickly and so dynamically on a single policy problem/public issue.

Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:05 am
Postive news starting to come out about vaccine effectiveness in tests. We need additional treatment options as well. When these two things happen there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Until then any light is a speeding Covid train.

The nature of illness doesn’t scare a lot of people, particularly young people who like to socialize in close quarters. Not saying that’s right, just saying.

Comment by SSL Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:06 am
I went downstate from Chicago to Jackson County for July 4th and, yeah, it was a different mask culture. I mostly see everyone masked inside stores on the north side of Chicago. Around Makanda, nobody gave me a hard time, everyone was friendly, but I was often the only person in the local supermarket or the gas line covering my face.

The exception interestingly was when we rented kayaks, where you had a campground and people were presumably coming from all quarters of the state. The kayak renters, were masked.

Comment by ZC Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:08 am
We wear masks on entering any restaurant; then we look around and decide to stay or not. We’re pretty much back to outside and takeout.

From what I have observed, straight restaurants seem to be fairly strict on keeping spacing; bars seem to be much looser. There are exceptions with small locally own places; I noticed Ones & Isaac’s has reverted to just outside dining.

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:12 am
I agree that asymptomatic people can be the problem and everyone should wear a mask for themselves as well as others. But good luck with the knuckleheads who refuse to think of anyone but themselves. I’m protecting myself

Comment by Ano Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:13 am
The BBC just had a report from Japan People poured out of the Tokyo equivalent of Union Station into the office buildings. Looks normal. The difference is everyone wore a mask. One woman told the reporter this is a serious disease . We must take it seriously and wear a mask.

Comment by Not a Billionaire Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:28 am
>I’m protecting myself

Not so much. Your mask offers a lot of protection to others, but just a little to yourself. That’s why mask enforcement is so important. If you’re an essential worker or just someone who believes that reducing or eliminated viral transmission is the thing that’s going to either save lives or help our economy, you make your choice about entering a business on the amount of exposure to yourself you want to risk. That’s about whether people inside that business are wearing a mask or not, not whether you’re putting yours on. And you think about the risk of passing the virus onto others moreso than the risk to yourself as an individual. America’s at its best when we all pull together.

Comment by Earnest Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:29 am
Good luck with Loews, Menards and Walmart enforcing it in Orland Park. The police are under orders not to enforce it by the Mayors office. I saw the Mayor himself walking around the village without a mask and that same day he went to a fast food restaurant my friend owns and he was the only one without a mask. He then went on to educate people on how it’s all a scam by the Democrats to get rid of Trump.

Comment by Hard D Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:45 am
My best friend’s wife was a labor & delivery nurse for twenty years and now teaches. Recently she made a point which I was then able to use in discussion with some mask-adverse folks. When she went into the surgery unit to assist with a crash c-section, they all wore masks. There weren’t afraid of being infected by the mother or baby, so why did they do that? The question really answers itself.

Comment by Proud Sucker Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:47 am
It appeared to me that more people were wearing a mask before we went to Phase 4. Businesses need to change their sign, “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Mask, No service.”

Comment by pool boy Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:51 am
I don’t see stepping inside to eat anytime. Too many yahoos out there. I have no control over them. COSTCO, Binnys, wholepaycheck, Home Depot all masked all the time when I go in. either way I move fast and am masked. Keep trips to a minimum. No browsing the bins at COSTCO…

Comment by 44th Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 11:55 am
-Give Me A break- My observation exactly ! I can’t understand why N95’s for everyone isn’t the goal. The DPA could’ve been invoke and we would have them now. Its the one solution that works.

Comment by Anotheretiree Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 12:00 pm
While in the Springfield Binny’s I saw and heard a manager require a patron to put on a mask, which the manager provided, without, other than a frown, any negative response. I agree about Menards in Springfield, almost all folks had on face coverings. More than two weeks ago I went into a local bar which had 5 other customers inside plus one bartender with a mask on. Five days later two of the bar’s bartenders tested positive including the one who served me my drinks. I tested negative but still self quarantined for 14 days. Two other patrons tested positive. A real eye opener on drinking inside a bar and eating inside a restaurant. I’m now an “outie” man only.

Comment by nadia Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 12:09 pm
=I can’t understand why N95’s for everyone isn’t the goal.=

It’s not just a question of manufacturing them. N95s need to be individually fitted. Makes, models, sizes, differ. If you have any physical changes (weight gain/loss, new dentures), re-testing is needed. Facial hair can pose a problem. And people need to check the seal every time the mask is worn.

So it’s not as simple as “make a lot of N95s”.

Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 12:47 pm
-Joan_ You’re letting the perfect be the enemy of pretty good. Describing a medical setting.I’m talking about N95’s like you used to see at Lowes. There is no adjustment,just elastic straps. One below the ears,one above,pinch the metal bar around your nose and if you cant breath its good. All those people wearing those surgical masks with giant holes around the nose would be better protected with even a kind of well worn cheap N95. We’re (well the Chinese) are making three layer cloth with filter pockets which aren’t bad. It is just a matter of manufacturing them. Every improvement helps.

Comment by Anotheretiree Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 1:06 pm
@ GeneGene

“Total elimination of the virus was never a realistic goal, even with a vaccine.”

Please explain smallpox.

Comment by Lynn S. Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 2:39 pm
Gassed at Quik and EZ on southwest side of Springfield. 3 minutes pumping gas outside and watching customers. 26 people entered and exited. 3 masks. It bothers me to see businesses struggle but many have themselves to blame. Binnys, Menards, Turasky’s set the tone by policing people as they come it and having masked staff. Set the policy at the door and you will have better luck. Hopefully schools will do the same.

Comment by Stormsw7706 Wednesday, Jul 15, 20 @ 2:54 pm