Pritzker Orders All Illinois Bars, Restaurants Closed

CHICAGO, IL — Hours after saying he was "seriously looking at" closing the state's bars and restaurants amid the coronavirus outbreak, Gov. J.B. Pritzker did just that Sunday afternoon.

Three days after expressing frustration at long lines outside bars as revelers continued to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in public, Pritzker said all bars and restaurants are ordered to close to dine-in customers as of close of business Monday, March 16. They will remain shuttered until at least March 30.

Drive-thru orders and curbside pickup will still be allowed.

"We are working with restaurant owners and food delivery services across the state to ensure restaurants can safely keep their kitchens open to continue food delivery to people in their homes," Ptritzker said on Twitter.

"Every choice that we face — every choice now — is hard and it comes with real consequences for our residents," Pritzker said. "I cannot let the gravity of these choices prevent us from taking the actions that the science and the experts" say is best.

"None of these decisions I come to lightly, and I work hard to consider the benefits and the consequences of each decision," Pritzker said, calling himself an "irrepressible optimist" when it comes to Illinois.

"Our people are the bravest, kindest, most hard-working individuals in the nation. I believe in you. I’m going to fight like hell for you," the governor added.

Hours earlier, Pritzker appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," telling host Chuck Todd he was "looking hard" at making the decision to shut down bars and restaurants, similar to what France has recently done.

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"We've been on the trajectory now and planning for each of these steps because it's not easy," he said. "We obviously saw what happened in Europe. Nowhere in the United States really has there been a lockdown on bars and restaurants, but it's something what we're seriously looking at."

Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said public safety is the group's No. 1 concern.

"Close to 400 people died last night in Italy," Toia said. "We were informed by the governor this afternoon that this was necessary to mitigate" the spread of coronavirus.

"We will remain diligent to help employers," Toia said. "We will advocate on behalf of economic relief for employees and small businesses."

Pritzker also said the federal government has "fallen down," leaving governors "on our own" to deal with the coronavirus epidemic. "They didn't advise us to shut down major events," he said. "We made those decisions on our own."

Pritzker stressed that even the young and healthy — who are likely to have only mild symptoms if they do catch coronavirus — need to stay home, since refusing to do so puts others at risk, especially the elderly and those with health conditions like heart disease, lung disease, diabetes and immune diseases.

"Staying home will save lives," he tweeted.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who also appeared on "Meet the Press," ordered his state's restaurants closed as well. "Everything we're doing is to save lives," DeWine said.

Chicago bar restrictions now moot

Earlier Sunday, Chicago city officials announced new restrictions for businesses that sell liquor, requiring them to limit their capacity to less than half. Any establishments that sell liquor were to have a max capacity of 100 people.

"This is a time of making very tough decisions, all of which are challenging," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. "I came to this city for the first time for St. Patrick’s Day as a college freshman. I get it."

But with bars and restaurants closed to the usual St. Patrick's Day revelry, "This year must be different. I do not want to see hordes of people in the street. The bars will be shut. So please, stay home and be safe."

Customs, border patrol staff to double at O'Hare

Pritzker, who has repeatedly criticized the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic, also said a White House staffer "yelled at me about (my) tweet" after he lashed out angrily about the long lines at customs at O'Hare. Passengers are now expected to voluntarily self-quarantine at home for 14 days.

Late Saturday, thousands of international travelers were forced into close quarters for as long as six hours to wait for health checks at U.S. Customs. Pritzker responded angrily, saying, "The federal government needs to get its s@#t together. NOW."

He also tweeted at President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, saying, "The crowds & lines O'Hare are unacceptable & need to be addressed immediately," adding, "since (Twitter) is the only communication medium you pay attention to — you need to do something NOW. These crowds are waiting to get through customs which is under federal jurisdiction."

Pritzker said he spoke to Vice President Mike Pence and the secretary of homeland security on Sunday morning, who acknowledged that "mistakes were made." He said they assured him that customs and border patrol staff will be doubled at O'Hare.

Meanwhile, Illinois' number of coronavirus patients jumped by 27 since Saturday, with a total of 99 patients statewide who have tested positive.

More from Patch:

Coronavirus Crisis: Chicago O'Hare Airport Customs Overwhelmed

Coronavirus Spreads To IL Long-Term Care Facility; Now 66 Cases

All Illinois Schools Closed Due To Coronavirus Outbreak

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.