On Monday, an Illinois mayor revealed that he was “embarrassed” after his wife was caught hanging out at a prohibited social gathering over the weekend that had to be broken up by police since it went against strict stay-at-home orders.
“I was also made aware that my wife was in attendance at this prohibited social gathering,” Alton Mayor Brant Walker wrote in his statement on Facebook. “I instructed the Police Chief to treat her as he would any citizen violating the ‘Stay At Home’ order and to ensure that she received no special treatment.” The incident took place at Hiram’s Tavern early Sunday morning.
The gathering blatantly went against the state-issued stay-at-home order, which bans residents from leaving their homes for any reason but to buy essential items or to perform essential activities in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The statement went on to add, “My wife is an adult capable of making her own decisions, and in this instance, she exhibited a stunning lack of judgment. She now faces the same consequences for her ill-advised decision as the other individuals who chose to violate the ‘Stay At Home’ order during this incident.”
Walker apologized to Alton residents and said he was “embarrassed by this incident.”
As of Tuesday, Illinois had 13,549 confirmed COVID-19 cases, which included 380 deaths, according to the state’s Department of Public Health.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said last week that he would be extending the stay-at-home order through April 30th in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
COVID-19 Weekly UpdateMessage from Mayor Brant WalkerGood morning,I’m Mayor Brant Walker with the City of Alton, with my weekly Coronavirus (COVID-19) update.To date, there are 29 reported cases of coronavirus in Madison County. Where COVID-19 has forced many of our city employees to work remotely, our first responders, Police and Fire does not have that option. I’d like to thank them for their 24/7 availability and assistance and working hard for the community during these trying times. Our police department has increased its presence in the community but unfortunately while patrolling, they have noticed that quite a few of our residents are not adhering to the stay at home order mandated by the Governor, which has now been extended to April 30th. These are very serious times and I’m begging you to please stay at home and parents, please keep your kids at home, doing so is vital to our health.I have directed the police department to use their discretion in issuing citations or making arrests to those refusing to follow the state issued stay at home mandate. We will do whatever it takes to decrease the spread of this deadly virus.Our fire department remains fully staffed and ready to respond to any emergencies. They are following all Center for Disease Control and Illinois Department of Public Health recommendations to protect themselves as well as our residents. The Fire department has had training and experience in infectious disease that will help mitigate this problem.Please continue to practice social distancing if you have to leave your home.Again, stay at home!! The sacrifices you are making are saving lives and remember we are all in this together and we will get through this!Mayor Brant Walker
Posted by City of Alton, Illinois on Friday, April 3, 2020
