Illinois coronavirus fact check: Can I get arrested for violating the large-group ban?
Leaders in public health, law enforcement and government have been inundated with questions about rumors and myths flying through social media during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Here’s a roundup of the BND’s fact check of coronavirus questions posed by Illinois residents:
Q: Is there a 5 p.m. curfew for people driving to stores?
A: No. There is no curfew, but Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ordered everyone to stay at home unless they are on an essential errand or taking a walk for exercise. The order is in effect until April 7, but Pritzker has said he has considered extending the order.
Q: Can you be randomly pulled over in your car by police and questioned on where you are going or been?
A: No. Illinois State Police said troopers “will not pull you over unless we have probable cause to do so.”
Q: Is the shelter-in-place order optional?
A: No. It is mandatory, according to the Illinois State Police.
Q: Can I take my kids to the playground?
A: No. All playgrounds have been closed but many parks remain open for walking.
Q: Can I get arrested for violating the governor’s order to not form groups of 10 or more people or operate a bar?
A: Yes, however there are at least five steps that law-enforcement officers could take before that could occur.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s order says you cannot form a group of 10 or more people. He also has ordered all bars to close and banned restaurants from serving dine-in customers. Restaurants can still offer curbside or carry-out service.
Here are the enforcement steps as provided by Illinois State Police:
Education about the order
Verbal or written notice to comply
Possible sanction from regulatory authorities that may oversee non-essential activity
Civil liability
Court ordered closure or quarantine
Criminal charges
Q: Can a televangelist sell a cure to COVID-19?
A: No. There is no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 and there are no U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs specifically for the treatment of patients with COVID-19, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On March 10, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a suit alleging televangelist Jim Bakker was selling a product called Silver Solution that would treat coronavirus. The suit was filed after the FDA on March 6 ordered Bakker to stop selling the product.
Q: Can someone go door-to-door to sell coronavirus decontamination services?
A: Steve Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for Southern Illinois, has told residents they need to be wary of such offers.
Q: Did Illinois cancel the 2020-21 hunting and fishing seasons?
A: No. Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police officers said if you have a permit, you can still hunt and fish on Illinois sites that remain open. However, state parks and fish and wildlife areas have been closed to the public.
Q: Did the Illinois National Guard shut down highways?
A: No. “The latest false rumor is that the Illinois National Guard is shutting down highways within or out of the state. This is completely false,” the Guard said in a Facebook post.
“The Illinois National Guard is only supporting COVID-19 medical missions or missions to increase the capacity of the medical community.”
How to contact the BND with tips, concerns
If you have suggestions about something for the BND to cover regarding the coronavirus pandemic or if you see a report that sounds suspicious on social media or anywhere else, please drop us a note at newsroom@bnd.com and include a link. We’ll check it out.
This story was originally published March 27, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
