The city of Chicago fined five businesses for violating social distancing rules aimed at curbing the coronavirus over the weekend and also shut down the operator of a Lake Michigan party boat.
The measures followed threats Mayor Lori Lightfoot made Friday during a conference call with hundreds of local business owners to shut down bars that violated restrictions.
The Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection issued 10 citations to five businesses “for failing to maintain social distancing over the weekend.”
But a city spokesman said “the majority of businesses heeded the warnings issued last week.”
“I think they got the message,” Lightfoot said Monday during an unrelated news conference.
However, the city also issued “an immediate closure order to Chicago Lakefront Cruises for egregiously violating social distancing requirements,” according to the department.
Lightfoot said the marine unit brought a boat to shore Saturday night after almost 100 people were on the top deck. It was “outrageous,” Lightfoot said.
“That was unbelievably irresponsible, and there’s going to have to be consequences for them,” she said.
Chicago Lakefront Cruises, which according to its website operates the Summer of George party boat, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
A Lightfoot spokesman did not identify the businesses that were cited.
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