LEE COUNTY - Lee County Sheriff John Simonton has advised the public that “essential travel” does not include driving back and forth to campgrounds.
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LEE COUNTY - Lee County Sheriff John Simonton has advised the public that “essential travel” does not include driving back and forth to campgrounds. “As we continue to battle COVID-19, as sheriff I must stress the importance of complying with the governor’s executive orders,” Simonton said in an April 4 press release.
Simonton explained that the executive orders provide guidance for public safety, while reducing or mitigating the chance of exposure to citizens in Lee County, which is his primary concern. “Social distancing and avoiding large groups of less than 10, are two of the most important ways we can avoid transmitting and coming into contact with COVID-19,” he said. “In Lee County, I am sad to say, we received a grade of ‘D’ when surveying our social distancing efforts. We must do better to avoid exposure and bend this curve in the right direction.”
Additionally, everyone must also avoid non-essential travel. “This has been a great topic of discussion among our Lee County citizens, business owners, municipal/county officials and my office, as it pertains to campgrounds in Lee County,” he added. “I have worked tirelessly with the Lee County State’s Attorney’s Office, Lee County Health Department, Emergency Management Director, local mayors, Woodhaven Lakes Association, and State Representatives Tom Demmer and Dan Swanson, to further define ‘non-essential travel’ as it relates to our area campgrounds.”
Those discussions eventually led them to the governor’s office and his legal staff, as well as the Director of the Illinois State Police and Executive Director of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association. “Yesterday [April 3], we were able to work with all the above groups, in conjunction with DCEO and the Attorney General’s Office to further define non-essential travel,” Simonton said.
The question was posed: “Can I alternate my ‘staying at home’ between my primary home and my vacation property?”
The answer: “No. Traveling back and forth to a vacation property is NOT considered “Essential Travel.”
Simonton emphasized that he is asking citizens to abide by this order and “stay at their primary home” to continue to help everyone mitigate the exposure and transmittal of this deadly virus.
