Chicago’s mayor issued a warning to residents spending long periods of time outside their homes as the city tries to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Wednesday that Chicagoans need to follow the statewide “stay at home” order issued by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week. She said residents should “only go out for the essentials” and warned that those violating the rules could wind up in trouble.
“Be smart,” Lightfoot said, according to CBS Chicago. “Not only will our police be deployed to shut them down if you are not abiding by these orders, we will be forced to shut down the parks and lakefront. The situation is deadly serious, and we need you to take it deadly seriously.”
She told the city that spending long periods of time outside at parks or on runs is not permitted.
“You cannot go on long bike rides. Playgrounds are shut down,” the mayor said. “You must abide by the order. Outside is for a brief respite, not for 5Ks.”
Interim Police Superintendent Charlie Beck said those who break the rules could be subject to arrest.
“The public health order is not an advisory. It is a mandate,” Beck said. “If you violate it, you are subject to a fine of $500. If you continue to violate it, you will be subject to arrest.”
The United States has had over 75,000 cases of the coronavirus and more than 1,000 deaths, according to the latest reading by the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
