(LaPorte, IN) - Executive Order 1-2020, also known as the Retail Responsibility Act, will expire tomorrow, according to Mayor Tom Dermody.  “With changes expected to be made to the governor’s ‘stay-at-home’ order later this week, I have advised the city council against extending the Retail Responsibility Act,” Dermody said. “Though restrictions will be lifted, I urge retailers and shoppers to continue taking the necessary safety precautions as we continue to navigate this pandemic together.” 

The executive order, which expires at 12:01 a.m. on May 1, limited customers entering a store within the city to one person per family. It also required retailers to limit the number of customers in the store at a given time to 2 per 1,000 square feet.

Dermody said though these constraints will be lifted, he expects many retailers will continue to implement various safety measures on their own. “I’ve had conversations with many of our retailers and they seem to agree that things cannot just go back to normal,” Dermody said. “We are not out of the woods yet with this coronavirus situation, so shoppers will likely see some restrictions continue. I encourage residents to be patient with our retail community as they work to keep the public and their employees safe.”