North Egypt News

Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Bullard spoke to residents about COVID-19 via video posted on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page on April 24, 2020.

Bullard discussed the importance of following the county’s public health order recommendations and of self-isolating for those who may have been exposed or have friends and family members at high risk of contracting the coronavirus. 

“People need to understand for every recommendation they choose not to follow in the public health order, they increase the probability that they could catch COVID-19,” said Bullard.

He urged individuals who know they are infected with the coronavirus, but do not require hospitalization, to self-isolate until fully recovered, and to follow all the advice and recommendations of healthcare providers. He also urged individuals  exposed to people who have tested positive for the coronavirus to self-isolate and follow medical professionals’ advice.

“If you have family or friends who are high risk, limit or stop contact with them until this is over,” said Bullard. “I have had to avoid direct contact with my parents for the past several weeks because my mother is battling cancer and I don’t want them to catch it, just in case I have it and don’t know it.”

He noted the issue of needing a place to safely self-isolate, announcing that a shelter available is available to county residents.

“If you or someone you know needs a place to avoid contact with loved ones, to lower the risk, there’s a shelter that can help. Before you go there, you have to get approval from the Jefferson County Health Department, so seek them out,” Bullard said.

He also addressed concerns about restrictions placed on civil liberties by the governor, as well as his office's enforcement of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order: 

"(The Governor's) orders have not been enforced in this county for one second by my office. We are not locked down. People still have freedom here. We will not be enforcing them today or in the future."

He said that after constitutional problems were discovered in Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, the executive order is not enforceable by policing agencies.

“It is only a public health order. While it is extremely important, it does not supersede the Bill of Rights,” he said. “The stay at home order, the mandatory closing of businesses not deemed essential, the prohibiting of assemblies like at churches – it's not enforceable by police action. The only way it is enforceable is if public health officials decide they want to issue a warning to someone in violation of the order. And if the order is not complied with, they can petition the state’s attorney to seek a court order.  Then and only then, when the court order is granted and the order not complied with, then does law enforcement have the authority to act.”

If public health calls on the Jefferson County Sheriff to help, he said that they will investigate on a case-by-case basis.

“I believe this allows for our constitutionally-protected due process to protect healthy uninfected people from overreaching governmental authority,” he said.

Bullard also mentioned the rights of private property owners and business owners, as well as government employees on properties under the control of the government.

“Private property owners, business owners and property under the control of the government can require people visiting the property to follow the public health order while on the property. If someone chooses not to follow it, those with authority over the property can ask people to leave if they won’t comply. If they will not leave the property, they can ask for law enforcement’s assistance with a legal trespass,” Bullard said.

“Something that seems to be missing in our society these days is but remains ever so important is respecting the opinions of others. If someone believes they should follow the public health order because they believe that’s what’s best for them, whether it’s a private individual or a business owner to keep themselves safe, it should be respected by all. 

"On the flip side, if someone who possess no imminent threat to anyone and they choose to exercise their freedom of choice to follow some or none of the public health order, that’s their choice. Remember, if you harass someone because they don’t share your belief system, that is a crime, and that is something my office will respond to,” Bullard said in conclusion.