SE Illinois News

State Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) contested the 25 percent audience capacity for extracurricular events requested by a group of bipartisan legislators, stating that it needs to get back to 100 percent.

“I appreciate the efforts of my colleagues and education leaders to request that sporting events allow more spectators, but only 25 percent is not good enough,” Niemerg explained.

“All of the data and science tells us that young people in schools and playing sports are not highly susceptible,” he continued. “They are, according to the data coming out now, ten times more likely to die from suicide than exposure to the COVID-19 virus. This isolation and remote learning is taking a negative toll on our kids and we have to get back to normal with some common sense health and safety guidelines.”

Earlier this week over 40 persons signed a letter sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health asking to relax COVID-19 restrictions at K-12 extracurricular events to allow for 25 percent audience capacity.

The letter was signed by a number of Democratic and Republican legislators, associations of educators and athletic directors.

People flying on airplanes are seated “shoulder to shoulder in cramped spaces for hours at a time,” he argued. “If that’s safe enough, then watching your son or daughter play football, basketball, or volleyball inside a gymnasium cannot be more dangerous.”

“This does not mean personal responsibility should be ignored. It should be your choice, not the government’s.”