JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels and Game Stop stores in McHenry were forced to close after Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a stay-at-home order for Illinois on March 20, 2020.
The hobby stores refused to close despite the order, claiming that they provide “essential services.”
The retailers were served cease-and-desist letters after the McHenry Police Department conducted compliance checks, according to the Huffington Post.
“We did a couple of compliance checks after the governor put in his executive order and then we did serve them with cease-and-desists after they failed the compliance checks,” said Patrick Polidori, public affairs officer for the McHenry Police Department.
Across the country, states are issuing stay-at-home orders or complete lockdowns to slow the rapidly spreading novel coronavirus which potentially leads to the deadly COVID-19 illness.
Pritzker's order outlines essential services and stores that are permitted to remain open. Businesses allowed to remain open include stores that sell groceries and medicine; food, beverage and cannabis production and agriculture; charitable organizations; media outlets; financial institutions; hardware and supply stores; building and construction trades; educational institutions; mail, post, shipping, logistics, delivery and pick-up services; laundries; restaurants for off-premises consumption; business supplies and those who work from home; transportation; home care services; residential facilities; day care centers for children of employees exempted by the order; and a few other categories deemed essential.
Craft and video game stores are not on the list. Some of these organizations have given their employees a letter to show police if they are stopped, claiming they are essential because they “sell products that help people work from home.”
JoAnn Fabrics asserts they are essential because their materials are used to create masks and other personal protective equipment. Michaels stores say their customers rely on them for educational supplies and contend that “people are looking to take their minds off of reality right now.”
At GameStop, employees receive a similar letter saying their products help people work from home. As of March 22, however, GameStop had decided to close stores to foot traffic.
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