Kendall County Times

Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweis (R-Sugar Grove) is pushing for everyone to keep focus on the big picture in the ongoing battle against the coronavirus.

“While we continue to allow the mitigation strategies to work, we should be thinking about ways we can jumpstart the economy once it is opened back up,” Oberweis told the DuPage Policy Journal. “There seems to be some positive signs as the number of hospitalizations are coming down and we are moving towards a point where we should begin to think about reopening the economy.”

Forecast models and monitoring show the virus is not as devastating as it was anticipated though cases and deaths in the state are still climbing. A growing number of Republican lawmakers are starting to call on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to act accordingly when it comes to all the restrictions his stay-at-home order continues to mean for the state.

“Obviously we can’t just turn a key and send everybody back to work,” Oberweis added. “The president is working towards this at the national level and we should be thinking about what’s next at the state level.”

Still, Oberweis suggests caution going forward.

“We need to have some guidelines and protocols in place to make sure we are not putting people in harm’s way,” he said. “The only reason we have been able to get through this crisis so far is because we had a strong economy going into it. Our nation will be stronger and better prepared for future disasters with a strong economy as opposed to a weak one.”