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Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering Explains Why She's Calling Out Social Distancing Violators

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- We've heard a lot about what Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. JB Pritzker are doing to control the spread of coronavirus – but what about mayors in the suburbs?

A Facebook post by Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering caught our eye.

It reads in part: "I wish I had better news. Highland Park continues to lead Lake County in COVID-19 cases."

It goes on to say, "Hanging out with friends is not essential business," and even calls people out on certain corners.

"Four guys on St. John's - you were seen and photographed. Group of friends on Thackeray - you were reported. Group on Comstock - you were reported. Person who is known to have a positive diagnosis who went to the grocery store - why are you infecting everyone else? Go home," the post says.

"And if you see one of these groups, ask them why the rest of us don't matter," the mayor adds in the post. 'Why our time is less important than theirs."

Mayor Rotering joined CBS 2's Brad Edwards through Skype on Tuesday. She explained what led to the post.

"Frankly, it was a sense of frustration. So many of us have spent the last few weeks really trying to do our best to minimize the risk to others – staying at home, following the rules – and I just continue to get texts, calls, emails, even photos sent to me of people who are flouting the rules. And at the end of the day, it's a matter of life and death," Rotering said.

Last week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot was visibly angry as she announced the closure of the lakefront and adjacent parks, the 606 Trail, and the Riverwalk. Given that, and Rotering's calling out of people on specific streets, Edwards noted that there is an element of public shaming involved with enforcing the state's stay-at-home and social distancing order.

"Unfortunately, you know, I kind of want to say to these kids, remember 'The Scarlet Letter?' Remember 'The Crucible?' I mean, there are reasons why those pieces of literature were written. I think Colorado Governor Jared Polis said it best yesterday, which was, this isn't a competition to see what you can get away with," she said. "This is really an opportunity for all of us to show as a community that we do care, that we do value each other, and we will put up with this really difficult time to make sure that our first responders, our health care workers, those that are more vulnerable among us – the elderly, the immunosuppressed - are taken care of."

The mayor continued: "It's hard. No one is really relishing this time. But if we can just get it together and do what we're supposed to do, hopefully we can flatten the curve."

Rotering said she was especially disappointed that someone who had tested positive for coronavirus was still out and about.

"If you have symptoms, or you think you have symptoms, then follow the rules and self-quarantine, and keep members of your family home with you if you are with other people, and do what you're supposed to do," she said. "To say, 'I matter more than you and I need to go to the grocery store even though I have full-blown COVID-19,' is really unbelievable to me."

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