ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Mayor of Arlington Heights said he's leaving it up to businesses and the county, itself, on how they want to handle enforcement and compliance of Cook County’s vaccination mandate.
The issue came up during Monday night's village board meeting. The Daily Herald reported some residents were demanding that the village push back against Cook County's proof-of-vaccination mandate for indoor businesses like bars, restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, and other entertainment venues serving food.
Mayor Tom Hayes said the village is “leaving it up to our businesses.”
"What we're doing, like many other communities are doing, is leaving it up to our businesses, because they are the ones who are going to be cited and fined and perhaps shut down if they don't comply," Hayes said. "But I believe in freedom of choice and freedom of businesses operating their businesses as they see fit. They should be the ones to decide whether or not they comply or how they comply and take the risk if they don't comply.
"We're taking a very measured and balanced approach that is consistent with what most other communities are doing in the Chicagoland area."
According to the Daily Herald, eight people spoke during the board's public comment section. One of whom was Casey Deja, who is not comfortable getting vaccinated, because she has a history of blood clots. She said she’s worried about what this is teaching children.
"We can't take our kids to eat. We can't take them to the movies. We can't take them bowling. I had to quit my volleyball league. I can't go to the gym. I can't take my kids to open gym that the coaches are telling them to go do. How do you explain that to a 9- and 10-year old?" Deja said. "To think this is a minor inconvenience for us is fine. I'm more worried about what we're teaching our children -- that the vaccinated are entitled to freedoms but the unvaccinated are not?"
The mayor said, essentially, the village’s hands are tied.
He said the county has the authority to go into a business and fine them, or even shut them down if they're not complying. Additionally, he said, health department officers are going to respond to any complaints received about businesses not in compliance.
"We do have an obligation as a municipality with its own health department to make sure our people are safe. We do have an obligation to investigate, and that's all we're doing," Hayes said. "We don't consider that an enforcement action. We consider that an investigation action."
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