Illinois governor, Democrat J. B. Pritzker, remains adamant that he will not begin to lift the lockdown he has imposed in his state or consider a phased reopening that loosens restrictions in less-affected areas. Several mayors and sheriffs in suburban and rural parts of the state have suggested that will begin easing local regulations and cease enforcing the stay-at-home order, as the number of cases of COVID-19 in their counties are far less severe than in urban areas of Illinois.

But yesterday, Pritzker warned that he will crack down on any business or local area that attempts to stray from his order before he allows it. “Businesses and individual professionals that are licensed by state agencies can be held accountable for defying public health orders,” he said. “Counties that try to reopen in defiance will not be reimbursed by FEMA for damage they cause themselves. Local law enforcement and the Illinois State Police can and will take action.”

Meanwhile, in Waukegan, Ill., less than an hour north of the heart of Chicago, Planned Parenthood has just opened a brand-new abortion clinic, one of about 20 in the state. According to Illinois Right to Life, Planned Parenthood used shell-company names on its license applications so no one would be aware that an abortion clinic was opening in the area until it had been approved.

You Might Like

Despite the strict shutdown in Illinois, Pritzker’s stay-at-home order stipulated that “reproductive health care providers” were essential and should remain open.

“Governor Pritzker reminds us every day in his press conferences that we are being confined to our homes so as to protect human life, yet a brand-new abortion clinic has been allowed to open,” Mary Kate Knorr, executive director of Illinois Right to Life, said in a statement. “Churches, schools, and businesses are closed but the nation’s largest killer of the unborn is expanding.”