CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Mayor Lori Lightfoot is standing firm in the face of threats by some religious leaders to openly defy orders banning large group gatherings this weekend.
The city will do what it has to, the mayor said.
Lightfoot said Friday she has sent letters to houses of worship that have planned services in violation of the rules on social distancing and crowd size. She has also asked other religious leaders to contact the rogue churches.
She said she hopes the conversation and education will keep churches from breaking rules.
"We are hopeful that we will not need to take any enforcement action, but if we have to, we will," Lightfoot said.
Pastor Bernard Jakes of the West Point Baptist Church, who joined Lightfoot on a conference call, said there are other ways to worship.
He said his Sunday services are not only live-streamed online, but also available on a dial-up telephone line for those who don't have Internet service or prefer not to use it.
Dr. Dilara Sayeed, co-founder of the Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition, said finding these new ways to connect people has been "a blessing in disguise."
