Coronavirus Chicago: Obey Stay-At-Home Order Or Else: Mayor

CHICAGO — The "educational phase" of enforcing the statewide stay-at-home order to stem the spread of the new coronoavirus is over in Chicago.

“Beginning today, one warning,” interim police Superintendent Charlie Beck said Wednesday. “After that, you will be cited.”

That means stay-at-home order scofflaws could get $500 tickets or arrested on misdemeanor charges.

"If people do not heed the warning ... to not congregate and stay at home, we are going to start issuing citations," Beck said. "Not because we want to, but because we must."

Mayor Lori Lightfoot threatened to shut down city parks and the entire lakefront if people don't start "abiding by these very clear but necessary stay-at-home orders."

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The city's daily news conferences are an effort to educate people into compliance, Lightfoot said. On Wednesday, the mayor said people who don't understand the stay-at-home order by now will face consequences.

"If there are people out there, and unfortunately there are, who are determined to do whatever they want despite orders. These aren't recommendations. This isn't guidance. This is an order that's enforceable by law. We're going to give you an admonition, and if you don't ... go home, we're going to give you a citation. And, if worse, we will take you into custody," Lightfoot said. "I hope that it doesn't come to that. I hope that I don't have to shut down the lakefront. Or shut down all the parks. But I will if we cannot get compliance. So today's the day to change your mindset."

Lightfoot said she has noticed too many people congregating on lakefront paths and parks on the North Side.

"When we have masses of people out there, as I just saw before we came to this press conference, it’s a problem. We know what happens if we don’t social distance. We know what happens if we don’t stay inside. The illness rate goes through the roof. The strain on the hospitals is enormous, and the death rate starts to escalate. We don't have to guess that that’s what is going to happen —we know it as a certainty," she said. "You must stay at home. Period."

Chicago Park District Superintendent Michael Kelly said all park field houses and 580 playgrounds are off-limits.

"While the green space is open and available, let's not all rush out at the same time to the same spots," he said. "We cannot stress enough the importance of maintaining social distance. If you're walking or running or walking along the lakefront path or in your neighborhood path, keep your distance — 6 feet or more. If someone is passing by, step to the side. …. This is not a time for contact sports. No soccer. No basketball games. If you have to play basketball, play by yourself with your own ball."