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Cook County suburbs push back on vaccine mandate
Starting Jan. 3, proof of vaccination will be required for those going to bars, restaurants, gyms and other entertainment venues.
BURR RIDGE, Ill. - The mayor of suburban Burr Ridge, Gary Grasso, says his village will not be enforcing Cook County’s new COVID-19 vaccine mandate that applies to restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and other places of gathering.
Forty percent of Burr Ridge’s population and the downtown corridor with retail and restaurants are all in Cook County.
Suburban Orland Park is also defying the order.
Starting Jan. 3, proof of vaccination will be required for those going to bars, restaurants, gyms and other entertainment venues.
Mayor Grasso says the move could cause businesses to lose money. He say he’s all for masking up and social distancing, but isn't in support of asking people to show they are vaccinated.
The mayor of Orland Park, Keith Pekau, calls the new mandate unlawful. He says he will continue to do what's best for residents and not play politics.
"If this is such an emergency, why are they waiting until January 3rd to impose these new mandates?" Pekau said in a statement. "I highly question the intentions of the politicians making these decisions when they have yet to provide any data indicating that restaurants, indoor entertainment facilities, or gyms are the source of covid. Why are we, once again, targeting these businesses with mandates and not the many other places where people congregate indoors?"
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Orland Park mayor on why he opposes Cook County's COVID restrictions
Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau voices his frustration with the Cook County mandates that requires proof of vaccination for customers age five and older at indoor settings where food and drink are served.
He continued: "My message in response is clear: Orland Park will continue to do what’s best for our residents rather than playing politics. We have followed the data and taken common sense measures to protect our residents and businesses without interfering with their rights. And it’s worked.
I have a village of nearly 60,000 residents to answer to, I don’t need extreme politicians in Cook County government telling me what is best for Orland Park."