Public Dining, No PPE: McHenry Mayor Loosens Lockdown Rules

MCHENRY, IL — Outdoor picnic tables in McHenry's restaurant districts are now open for public dining without the need for protective masks. The relaxed dining rules come at a time when the ongoing stay-at-home orders in place under the "Restore Illinois" plan issued by Gov. J.B. Pritzker have led to mounting tension among business owners, police and local officials.

Under an executive order issued by McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett on Friday, the designated outdoor seating areas, open daily 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., are meant "to be used by families who are looking for public space, while social distancing from others, to sit down and enjoy their takeout food along our streets in all of our downtown districts," Jett wrote in a Facebook post.

On Monday, Jett further clarified that the city would not force customers to wear masks or protective gear.

"We’re not going to be enforcing the PPE," Jett told the Northwest Herald. He went on to claim that the executive order does not clash with Pritzker's executive order because the restaurants do not maintain the outdoor dining areas themselves.

Instead, Jett said, the seating areas are on city-owned property, and therefore "there's nothing that we're doing that is so against" the governor's executive order.

(Patch reached out to a Pritzker spokesperson with questions to confirm whether McHenry's outdoor dining policy abides by the governor's executive order. Our messages were not immediately returned.)

However, neither an expansion of outdoor dining nor the relaxing of PPE requirements are part of Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan, which sets five phases of gradual reopening based on coronavirus infection and health benchmarks. The current phase of the plan, Phase 2 — which is focused on lowering the rate of new infections and hospitalizations — mandates that businesses are restricted to takeout and drive-thru operations, and stipulates,"Face coverings must always be worn when social distancing is not possible."

Even with the new changes, social distancing is still in play in McHenry. In the Facebook post announcing the creation of the outdoor seating, Jett said the tables should not be used as gatherings for friends but instead by "families only in order to follow the guidelines given by our governor."

"Is this going to be long term? YES," Jett's post continued, "as long as no one ruins the experience for everyone else. If the areas become a beer garden or party spot we will remove them. We don’t want to do this. So please abide by our rules."

Each of the public dining areas holds a capacity of 36 people, spread between six tables spaced 6 feet apart. Further restrictions on the seating area include:

• Gatherings are limited to 10 people for a maximum of 60 minutes.
• No open containers of alcohol are permitted outside the designated seating area.
• No smoking in the designated seating area.
• Customers must order food and drinks as takeout and bring it to their tables. Restaurants cannot "deliver" the food to you.
• The tables are reserved for patrons of bars and restaurants. No outside food or drink are permitted.

The seating areas are intended to be used by customers of multiple restaurants. They are located on Green Street, Main Street, Pearl Street and Riverside Street.