Peoria Standard

Several Illinois counties, including Peoria County, introduced an alternative plan to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's five-phase Restore Illinois mandate. 

Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis introduced the plan during an online news conference with Peoria County Board Chairman Andrew Rand and Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson, according to the Register-Mail. 

“To further validate the ongoing sacrifices being made by our region, we must begin to move our economy forward using evidenced-based practices in this Heart of Illinois plan as soon as possible," Rand said in the conference. During the conference, Ardis said the top concern is opening the economy back up, even if Pritzker rejects the plan. 

“The plan is to continue to move forward,” Ardis said at the conference. “If the governor comes out and says no, our plan is to move forward.”

But if some businesses, such as hair salons and bars, open, they could face state consequences, according to the Resister-Mail. Since they are licensed by the state, Illinois could revoke licenses. 

“The regions are too big to be practical,” Rand said of Pritzker's plan at the conference. 

The altenrative plan proposed during the conference calls for 11 counties, instead of splitting the state into five regions. The regions are: Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Fulton, Marshall, Stark, McLean, Livingston, Bureau, Putnam and LaSalle.

“This sub-region was selected based upon commuting data for the communities and historic medical response and hospital coordination,” the plan details. 

The plan, the Heart of Illinois, would allow for a faster reopening for the 11 counties and would respond to any coronavirus cases as swiftly as possible. The plan consists of three phases and all counties in the region would move forward at the same time. The Department of Public Health noted that the plan seemed very strong, according to the Register-Mail. 

“However, if an identifiable location within the sub-region is not following approved guidance and/or showing health system stress indicators, that area may be excluded from moving to the next stage,” the plan states, according to the Register-Mail.

The three stages are: 1) most businesses can open with 50% capacity and all guidelines must be followed; 2) most businesses can open with 75% capacity and 3) businesses can open with 100% capacity and all guidelines must still be followed. 

Those businesses not allowed to reopen will be separately advised by state agencies, according to the Register-Mail. These businesses are schools, long-term elderly care facilities, state parks, and meat-processing plants.