NW Illinois News

State Rep. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) wants to rally the state and country together during the threat of the novel coronavirus and believed Northern Illinoisans would step up to the challenge.

Chesney wrote a letter to his constituents on his website, stating that during moments of crisis, people should do good deeds for others and "be the vessel" in which those deeds are completed.

"This means not giving in to fear," Chesney wrote in the letter. "It means not selfishly hoarding groceries (for which there is no need if we all just return to normal shopping habits). It means supporting our small businesses that have supported us without fail. This is the time for Northwest Illinois values to shine."

Chesney believes that healthy individuals should help seniors and vulnerable citizens by asking to drop off groceries or run other errands for them. He also suggests buying gift cards from small businesses to help them now and use when things get back to normal, as well as making sure to thank first responders, medical workers and other essential workers on the front lines of COVID-19.

"We should be smart and listen to what our doctors and health care community are telling us about this virus and how to prevent community transmission," Chesney wrote.

Chesney wrote that while COVID-19 is contagious and has made people fearful, it is due to the fact that it is foreign and Americans have not fought this virus before. He believes that the preparations made over the last month in the state and across the country, as well as across the world, have been done to help curb the infection rate.

"Facing a global threat from the COVID-19 virus, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the concept of fear over the past two weeks," Chesney wrote. "Humans fear for many reasons. Fear is often a preventable disease, in and of itself, though."

Chesney wrote that he believed Northern Illinoisans would step up to the challenge.