Emergency COVID orders not on Bloomington’s agenda, says Mayor Renner

Posted on September 2, 2020
Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner. (YouTube/City of Bloomington)

By Heart of Illinois ABC

BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington’s mayor said Tuesday he’s “very pleased” that local businesses are cracking down on capacity limits after he issued a stern warning last week amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayor Tari Renner, who also serves as the city’s liquor commissioner, threatened to revoke licenses or impose hefty fines for businesses not enforcing social distancing.

Renner issued a statement on YouTube reporting many businesses have complied, and unlike the city’s neighbor to the north in Normal, Bloomington does not plan any new restrictions.

“I’m very pleased that our businesses are stepping up to the plate and enforcing many of these regulations to help protect the public health,” said Renner.

However, the mayor said the city will remain vigilant as McLean County has added more than 1,000 COVID-19 cases in two weeks.

“We’re going to continue to deal with these issues as they come up,” the mayor said.

“We’re going to be on top of them,” Renner added.

Renner’s latest comments come after Normal Mayor Chris Koos announced two emergency orders to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus around the Illinois State University campus.

Those orders include limiting gatherings near ISU to 10 people, while businesses in the area are only allowed to serve seated patrons.

The Normal Town Council is scheduled to meet in special session Wednesday at 5 p.m. to consider extending the emergency orders.

Heart of Illinois ABC can be reached at [email protected]. 

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