From McHenry County Board Chairman Mike Buehle:

Statement from Chairman Buehler Regarding the End of COVID Restrictions

WOODSTOCK, Ill. – The following is a statement from McHenry County Board Chairman Michael Buehler, R-Crystal Lake, regarding Illinois’ move to Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois plan.

“The people of McHenry County have waited 15 long months for this day. The last of the capacity limits on our businesses, events, and gatherings – as well as social distancing mandates – have been lifted. McHenry County is open for business, our children will be returning to full-time, in-person learning this fall, and we can once again attend our many summer festivals that make McHenry County unique.

“This momentous day – a breath of fresh air after more than a year of lockdowns and restrictions that affected every facet of our lives – could not have been possible without the help of the public in following guidelines, the selfless dedication of our first responders and essential workers, and
the can-do American spirit exemplified in Operation Warp Speed, which resulted in a safe and effective vaccine developed in record time.
Like any major disaster, there is a lot of cleaning up to do, and I believe McHenry County is up to the challenge.

“During the pandemic, McHenry County created its own local programs, doing what we could to augment federal and state resources that were brought to bear. We implemented grant programs and loosened our zoning and permit regulations to help our businesses, and created a program to
help people who have fallen behind on their rent or utility payments because of COVID-related hardship. In the coming months, we will be unveiling our McHenry County Rescue Plan to help our struggling constituents in as thoughtful and impactful a way as we can.

“We got through this pandemic together, and I have no doubt that McHenry County will rebound together – not back to the way things were before the pandemic, but better than ever before.”