Bob Daiber, Democratic candidate for Madison County Board Chair, issued the following statement after passage of current Chairman Kurt Prenzler’s resolution to re-open Madison County, and outlined three important areas of focus to safely re-open:

“I support the safe and responsible return to normal business operations in Madison County,” said Bob Daiber. “This is a public health issue, not a political issue. I will never use a natural disaster as a stage for political theater or grandstanding, but will instead always rely on the advice of experts.”

“If Kurt Prenzler is going to pursue re-opening Madison County through this resolution, he must do so with a strict focus on the safety of the workers, businesses, and residents of Madison County, and not on his personal need to generate headlines that divert attention away from the rampant corruption within his administration,” said Daiber. “Given the Senate testimony yesterday of Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), warning of the potential dangers of another spike in COVID-19 cases without proper preparation, it is imperative that Madison County’s re-opening be driven only by the best available medical and scientific data.”

“This pandemic has been devastating not only in the loss life, but also to the many small businesses that are suffering as a result of being unable to operate,” continued Daiber. “The safety and security of those businesses and their customers is paramount as Madison County attempts to re-open. Our focus should be on three areas – protection for workers, business liability education, and increased funding for the Madison County Health Department.”

“First, workers in businesses that re-open must be provided with masks and any other equipment needed to protect their health as they return to work,” said Daiber. “Workers should not be forced to perform their jobs in unsafe conditions, and they should not lose their unemployment benefits if they refuse to work in such conditions.”

“Second, there should be resources made available to business owners and managers about the liability they may incur by re-opening,” continued Daiber. “Businesses should also be educated about the best practices, such as social distancing and sanitation guidelines, that have been implemented by essential businesses already operating.”

“Third, the Prenzler Administration should move immediately to increase funding to the Madison County Health Department so that it can better perform contact tracing associated with positive COVID-19 cases, as well as educate businesses and residents about the best practices for avoiding infection,” stated Daiber.

“Further, the Prenzler Administration must perform due diligence to ensure that Madison County does not jeopardize future state and federal funding by implementing this resolution,” said Daiber. “All precautions must be taken to protect Madison County from any legal or financial liabilities associated with re-opening.”

“Finally, I join the various Metro East legislators in urging the Governor to speed up the timeline for moving through the various stages of his ‘Restore Illinois’ plan so that we can safely re-open our economy and help local small businesses who are being devastated by this pandemic,” concluded Daiber.

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