March 29, 2024
Coronavirus | Morris Herald-News


Coronavirus

Morris Mayor: Stay home during shelter in place order

Emergency services not affected by governor's order

As the state of Illinois preps for the shelter in place order, local leaders are reminding the public of the importance of social distancing and staying up to date on information amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Morris, officials said residents should simply heed the order, staying put for as much time as possible. Emergency services will not be affected by the announcement.

"The Morris Police Department will still be operational, as well as the EMA and fire departments and all first responders," Morris Mayor Richard Kopczick said on Friday. "Shelter in place, stay at home. It's pretty simple. If you do have to go someplace, you're able to go and get groceries or whatever, but the biggest thing is to stay at home."

The Morris Police Department posted on Friday to social media, hoping to ease some concerns of the public.

The MPD posted the following information to its Facebook page:

• The Morris police are fully staffed and healthy. Officers are on emergency standby status, so in the event extra staffing is needed, there will still be a full force.

• MPD officers and staff have appropriate protective gear. The public should not be alarmed if officers respond to a call wearing a mask, gloves or goggles. These are simply preventative measures.

• Officers will carry disinfectant, and will be regularly cleaning and disinfecting cars and gear.

The MPD said they were proud of how the area is responding to the pandemic.

"Due to our line of work, we tend to see what goes on...the good and the bad," the post continued. "We love Morris and we couldn't be prouder of the how Morris residents are responding to this unprecedented event."

The Morris Police Station is closed to non-emergency traffic. Residents who need to go to the police station will need to press the call button. Anyone with an emergency should call 911.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced on Friday that 163 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Illinois, including the death of a Cook County woman in her 70s.

The state's total positive cases are now at 585, with five deaths.

Three additional counties are now reporting cases; Adams, Christian, and McLean counties.

Grundy County has not had any cases of as of Friday, however, at least one case was diagnosed at Morris Hospital. That patient has self-identified as a Seneca High School student from LaSalle County.