Edwardsville mayor declares local COVID-19 emergency, mandates masks in public
Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton has declared a local state of emergency related to the surging number of COVID-19 cases in the metro-east, mandating that residents wear masks in public and imposing occupancy limits on businesses.
At last week’s City Council meeting, he cited “alarming” statistics in Madison County with 633 new coronavirus cases reported in the last 24 hours, including 57 in Edwardsville and 32 in Glen Carbon.
“Basically, we’re asking for everybody to raise their game,” Patton told City Council members who attended the meeting in person or via Zoom, and Edwardsville residents watching on Facebook. “We got through the summer, but I think some complacency occurred, and some larger group gatherings have occurred, and we are now facing a pretty rapid spread and increase.
“So I’d ask for everyone to do their part to get this back under control, to allow our health-care providers to provide adequate care in a setting that is not chaotic and filled with excessive challenges.”
Patton’s emergency order requires that:
- People wear masks or face coverings over their noses and mouths if they’re not at home and they can’t maintain six feet of social distance from others.
- Businesses provide hand-sanitizer at all entrances.
- Grocery stores and pharmacies limit the number of people to 50% of normal occupancy.
- Other businesses, including retail stores, fitness centers, offices and convenience stores, limit the number of people to 25% of normal occupancy.
Exceptions to the mask-wearing rule include children 2 years old or under, people with medical or mental-health conditions that prevent it, people with hearing impairments or those communicating with them and people who are walking or running under social-distanced circumstances or eating and drinking.
Patton reiterated coronavirus-related restrictions already imposed by the state of Illinois, including a ban on indoor dining and the requirement that tents used by restaurants for outdoor dining be open on two sides for ventilation.
Patton said violations of the emergency order could result in tickets by Edwardsville police and/or appearance before the local municipal court.
“As a health-care provider, I can tell you that these masks work,” said Patton, a dentist. “They work not only at protecting those around you but at protecting the individual that’s wearing the mask. This is an airborne virus, and if you can keep this mask on in environments where you can’t have adequate social distancing, it could save your life.”
Madison County is part of Region 4 under the Restore Illinois plan, created last spring to safely restart the economy after a statewide COVID-19 shutdown that lasted more than two months. The region’s other counties are St. Clair, Clinton, Washington, Bond, Randolph and Monroe.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been imposing “resurgence mitigations” (tougher restrictions) on Region 4 since early September, when it first surpassed an 8% threshold on seven-day, rolling average positivity rates on coronavirus tests. That rate now stands at 16.1%, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. This week, Pritzker imposed statewide mitigations.
Several Edwardsville City Council members applauded the mayor’s decision to make an emergency declaration at Tuesday night’s meeting.
“This makes me extremely happy,” said Janet Stack, alderwoman for Ward 3. “I’ve been hearing from constituents, and I personally am very upset that the numbers keep rising, and I have extreme concerns with the safety and well-being of our residents and the future.
“Business won’t do any good if we are all dead or sick. And our hospitals, the health-care system, once it collapses, we’re in deep doo-doo. So thanks so much for your courageous act.”
Edwardsville City Council and mayoral elections are non-partisan. Patton has run for other public offices as a Republican. Some aldermen are Democrats.
Craig Louer, alderman for Ward 6, commended the mayor on Tuesday night, alluding to the debate about wearing face coverings that has arisen along political party lines since the pandemic began in March.
“It shouldn’t be about politics,” Louer said. “It should be about keeping people healthy, and this is a decision that helps us all stay well.”
Ward 5 alderman Will Krause said the emergency order was the “right decision.” Ward 2 alderman Jack Burns called it a “necessary step,” adding that, “It’s going to be very devastating to our businesses, but it has to be done.”
Ward 1 alderman Chris Farrar, a physician, said people need to “hold on tight and rein it in” while waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine to be approved.
While announcing the emergency order, Patton described conversations with Madison County Health Department Director Toni Corona and Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford. He reported “overwhelming” conditions at area hospitals and scenes at local nursing homes that resemble a “horror film.”
“Hospitals are at an all-time high and bed availability is critically low,” the mayor said. “As of noon today, 205 patients with either confirmed or suspected COVID infection are hospitalized in Region 4. Twenty-nine of them are in ICU, and 23 of those are on ventilators. Seven have passed away since yesterday.
“The four hospitals closest to Edwardsville have 59 COVID patients as of this afternoon, and two of those hospitals have no ICU beds available. Nurses are being transferred from surgery and other departments to care for the critically-ill patients. As conditions worsen, the risk to our community grows.”
This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 9:52 AM.
