Gov. JB Pritzker passed a law last week that added a penalty for assaulting a worker who provides “public health guidance” – that is, telling company protectors to wear a mask or maintain social distance. In Illinois, wasted battery is usually a crime.
The law went into effect immediately.
“This provision sends the message that it is vital for workers to be both respected and protected when they serve on the front lines,” the governor’s office said in a statement on the new law.
Several states have seen disputes over mask use become violent. In New Jersey earlier this month, another customer attacked a Staples store owner who had asked her to wear a mask over her nose and mouth. This month, police also said a Pennsylvania man shot at a cigarette store employee who had asked him to wear a mask.
And in May, security photos showed a man shopping at a Los Angeles Target breaking the arm of a Target employee in an argument over masks.
Illinois has also recorded a few incidents of workers’ attacks, as Pritzker once demanded that everyone leave the house in May to wear a mask.
The state also debuted some penalties against companies that do not follow the mask mandate: Under the new emergency department of the Illinois Department of Public Health, companies that repeatedly refuse to meet mask requirements could face a fine of anywhere between $ 75 and $ 75. 2500.
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