East St. Louis imposes nightly business restriction to address COVID-19, gun violence
Businesses in East St. Louis must close to walk-in customers by 10 p.m. nightly as an extra precaution against coronavirus and to help address nighttime gun violence, Mayor Robert Eastern III said this week.
Drive-through business will not be affected, the mayor said.
The city implemented the restriction as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker asked leaders across the metro-east to consider local measures to curb the growing number of coronavirus cases and avoid region-wide restrictions.
The business restriction in East St. Louis started Tuesday night.
“We have to social distance, wear PPE’s and do all of the things we have to do to stay healthy. This virus is very serious,” Eastern said. “We have to try to get these COVID numbers down.”
Speaking of the gun violence, Eastern said, “ It is not okay. We’ve had a rash of gun violence and we are also trying to curtail the violence with the curfew.”
He said the city is open to other suggestions to help curb gun violence and reduce the virus case level.
Also Tuesday, the East St. Louis administrative building resumed its normal operating hours, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. It had been closed since earlier in July due to an outbreak of coronavirus among city employees. Anyone who wants to visit the mayor’s office must have an appointment.
As of Saturday, East St. Louis City Manager Brooke Smith said, she was aware of 12 positive cases for the city’s employees.
Eastern recently said he tested positive for COVID-19.
He said he is glad that he is no longer in quarantine but is not out of the woods yet. Eastern said he is grateful for all the support as he deals with the virus.
“I want to thank everybody for their prayers and words of support while I have been battling this virus. I am not out of the woods yet, so I want everyone to keep praying for me,” Eastern said.
In other matters, Eastern said the city’s cleanup that is set for Aug. 7-14 will go on as planned.
“We will be cleaning up the city from 10th Street to Collinsville Avenue and from Broadway to St. Clair Avenue,” Eastern said.
This story was originally published July 30, 2020 at 2:37 PM.
