The executive order requires that all individuals stay at home unless they work for essential businesses and operations.

On March 20, 2020, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker issued Executive Order 2020-10 in response to COVID-19. Beginning at 5:00 p.m. on March 21, 2020, and continuing through April 7, 2020, at a minimum, the executive order requires that all individuals stay at home unless they work for essential businesses and operations.

The executive order broadly defines “essential businesses and operations” to include, among others businesses, the following:

• Healthcare and public health operations such as hospitals, clinics, dental offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, medical device and equipment companies, biotechnology companies, and manufacturers and distributors of medical equipment and supplies (Executive Order Section 1, part 7)
• Essential infrastructure such as food production, food distribution, food sale, construction, building management and maintenance, distribution centers, oil and biofuel refining, cybersecurity operations and telecommunication systems (part 9)
• Stores that sell groceries and medicines (part 12(a))
• Food and beverage manufacturing, production and processing (part 12(b))
• Financial institutions such as banks, currency exchanges, consumer lenders, including but not limited to consumer installment lenders and sales finance lenders, financial markets, trading and future exchanges, affiliates of financial institutions, entities that issue bonds and institutions selling financial products (part 12(f))
• Businesses that sell, manufacture or supply products needed for people to work from home (part 12(m))
• Businesses that sell, manufacture or supply other essential businesses and operations with the support or materials necessary to operate including computers, audio and video electronics, IT and telecommunications equipment, hardware, electrical material, plumbing material, heating material and sanitary equipment (part 12(n))
• Manufacturing companies, distributors and supply chain companies producing and supplying essential products and services in and for industries such as pharmaceutical, technology, biotechnology, healthcare, chemicals and sanitation, food and beverage, transportation, energy, steel and steel products, petroleum and fuel, mining, construction, national defense, communications as well as products used by other essential businesses and operations (part 12(t))

Essential businesses and operations must take proactive measures to ensure compliance with social distancing requirements including, where possible:

• Designating 6-foot distances with signage, tape or other means for employees and customers in line to maintain appropriate distances;
• Having hand sanitizer and sanitizing products readily available for employees and customers;
• Implementing separate hours for elderly and vulnerable customers; and
• Posting online whether a facility is open and how to best reach that facility. (Executive Order Section 1, part 15)

About Duane Morris

Duane Morris has created a COVID-19 Strategy Team to help organizations plan, respond to and address this fast-moving situation. Contact your Duane Morris attorney for more information. Prior Alerts on the topic are available on the team’s webpage.

For More Information

If you have any questions about this Alert, please contact Richard P. Darke, Nicole Mirjanich, any of the attorneys in our Chicago office, any member of the COVID-19 Strategy Team or the attorney at the firm with whom you are in regular contact.

Disclaimer: This Alert has been prepared and published for informational purposes only and is not offered, nor should be construed, as legal advice. For more information, please see the firm's full disclaimer.