"These Retailers Refused To Close During The Pandemic, So An Illinois City Shut Them Down"

"All kinds of companies have been claiming they provide an 'essential' service to the public during the coronavirus pandemic, so they can stay open despite a mounting number of stay-home orders from state and local governments. They include arts-and-crafts chains JoAnn Fabrics and Michaels and the video game seller GameStop.

The refusal of those retail chains to close their doors for the sake of public health has enraged employees and customers who believe their services are anything but essential. One small city in Northern Illinois actually did something about it.

A spokesperson for the McHenry, Illinois, police department confirmed to HuffPost on Wednesday that in recent days it has served cease-and-desist orders against JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels and GameStop, telling the retailers they were violating the stay-home order issued by Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D).

'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.

A call to the JoAnn store in McHenry went to a voicemail that said, 'Following local government and health officials, our store is currently closed.' A call to the local GameStop went unanswered. A worker who answered the phone at the Michaels location said it was now closed."