Illinois business owner plans his own reopening as governor releases guidelines for businesses

With less than a week before Illinois enters the next phase of the governor's reopening plan, Gov. J.B. Pritzker put out new guidance documents outlining how he wants businesses to operate to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

But at least one business owner has already opened, saying no one has proven his business poses a risk.

Sectors of Illinois’ economy have been partially, if not entirely, shut down since March 16 in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Industries across the state are taking heed of new reopening guidelines published Sunday for Phase 3 of the governor’s COVID-reopening plan. As part of Pritzker's five-phase plan, businesses that can open with restrictions starting Friday include offices, certain retailers, restaurants that offer outdoor dining, service counters and certain health and fitness centers, all with specific regulations from the state.

“That means covering your face and maintaining some distance,” Pritzker said. “It’s really that simple.”

He was joined in Sunday’s announcement of the new guidelines by Illinois Retail Merchants Association's Rob Karr.

“The real test I think will come in the application by local health departments and their willingness to apply these new guidelines uniformly, consistently and with common sense,” Karr said.

“I know how important it is to go about reopening deliberately and safely,” Conn’s Hospitality Group’s Karen Conn said. The group has operations in Springfield and Peoria.

She also stood with the governor on Sunday.

“While I want to ensure the continued success of Conn’s hospitality group it will not come at the risk of my employees or the communities that support us,” Conn said.

Some businesses have opened already.

Chris Schmulbach, with FitBodies in Springfield, said he opened last week with restrictions focused on social distancing. He said he did it to help his business survive and to serve his clients.

“And also to hopefully set a precedent for small businesses to stand up for themselves and open,” Schmulbach said. “We’re getting to a point where a lot of businesses are not going to recover.”

He said he was closed for two months during the pandemic, but opened with many of the cleaning protocols he already had in place. He modified a few things, such as reducing class sizes and getting people to socially distance ten feet apart.

Schmulbach said he had a message for the governor.

“You haven’t proven that FitBodies isn’t safe to anyone,” Schmulbach said. “You haven’t come in here and inspected my place. You haven't given me any guidelines besides what’s on the internet. Nobody has come in here and deemed me unsafe or that my clients are going to be subjected to COVID.”

Schmulbach demanded the state prove its case as to why his individual business must be shut down. He’s represented by Attorney Thomas DeVore, who represents other individuals and businesses across the state suing the governor over his stay-at-home orders.