COVID-19 roundup
Wednesday, Apr 8, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Kade Heather at the SJ-R…
(T)he spring session is set to adjourn May 31. If they decide to hold a June session, bills would require a three-fifths vote to pass rather than a simple majority.
While it’s all up in the air, lawmakers are planning for a possible June session.
“That makes the most sense at this moment,” Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said about a June session.
Lots of rumors, but as I told subscribers this morning, nothing is yet set in stone.
* Daily Herald…
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will self-isolate until the end of the day Friday, after a member of her security detail tested positive for COVID-19, she announced Wednesday morning.
Preckwinkle said she has no signs or symptoms of the coronavirus, and is moving into isolation only out of an abundance of caution.
* Not good…
Illinois Department of Corrections officials said there are five confirmed cases within the Logan Correctional Center.
Those confirmed cases consist of four staff members and one inmate.
* Neil Steinberg with today’s must-read…
Those N95 masks hurt.
To work, they must be worn tight. Within 20 minutes, the straps pinch your ears and the mask starts digging into your nose.
The masks need a tight seal to keep the coronavirus out. Doctors and nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital test their masks by reading aloud while saccharine is sprayed in their faces. If they taste sweetness through the mask, they’re dead — or they might be, if that mist were coronavirus droplets instead. Stubble on men can also throw off a mask’s fit.
Add goggles and gloves and hairnets and protective body coverings, then start treating a patient.
”It gets hot, it gets a little claustrophobic,” said Kimberly Lipetzky, a nurse at Mount Sinai. “I had a couple codes, doing CPR in full gear. Your goggles fog, and you’re trying to navigate this situation while of course performing at peak ability.”
”After an hour it starts getting really uncomfortable,” said nurse Adam Garrison. “It feels like the bridge of your nose is going to disintegrate.”
* Latest Pritzker EO…
Section 1. The provisions of the Township Code, 60 ILCS 1/30-5(a) and 30-5(b), requiring that each township’s annual township meeting for calendar year 2020 be held on either April 14, 2020 or April 21, 2020 are suspended through the duration of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamations.
Section 2: During the duration of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamations, section 10-35 of the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing Code, 225 ILCS 41/10-35, stating that no license of a funeral director and embalmer intern shall be renewed more than twice, is suspended. Licensees must meet all other requirements for renewal as set forth by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
Section 3: During the duration of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamations, sections 1-15 and 1-20 of the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing Code, 225 ILCS 41/1-15 and 225 ILCS 41/1-20, requiring that the transportation of deceased human remains to a cemetery, crematory or other place of final disposition shall be under the immediate direct supervision of a licensee, are suspended as they pertain to licensed funeral director interns. Licensed funeral director interns must meet all other requirements as set forth by the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing Code and its accompanying provisions at Title 68, Part 1250 of the Illinois Administrative Code, 68 IAC 1250.
Section 4: During the duration of and for sixty days following the termination of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamations, the definition of “child” under Section 2.01 of the Child Care Act of 1969, 225 ILCS 10/2.01, is suspended for the limited purpose of ensuring that persons in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services who are 18 years of age or older and are in a placement identified in the Child Care Act of 1969, are permitted to remain in their placement.
Section 5. During the duration of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamations, the requirement in the Health Care Worker Background Check Act, 225 ILCS 46/33(e), and the accompanying regulations, that designated students, applicants, and employees must have their fingerprints collected electronically and transmitted to the Illinois Department of State Police within 10 working days is suspended, provided that the fingerprints are transmitted within 30 working days of enrollment in a CNA training program or the start of employment.
* Headlines from the Tribune’s superb live blog…
The self-employed are still waiting for help from the federal stimulus law
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle self-isolating after security detail member tests positive for coronavirus
Chicago to announce new efforts aimed at preventing spread of coronavirus in neighborhoods
Inmates with ongoing innocence claims sit in prisons threatened by coronavirus as courts shut down
* From the Sun-Times live blog…
On our Coronavirus Data page, you’ll find a collection of graphs, charts and maps tracing the spread of the virus, tracking test results and plotting the impact on individual counties. Check back daily for updated totals.
1 more chief judge’s office employee diagnosed with COVID-19
15th employee contracts COVID-19 at Cook County Circuit Court Clerk’s office
* Roundup…
* Hospitals say feds are seizing masks and other coronavirus supplies without a word
* Testing backlog leads to processing delays at Chicago-area drive-up sites run by U.S. Health and Human Services: State and county health officials confirmed Monday they were aware of delays in the dissemination of results from HHS-contracted labs and said they had been told federal officials and the commercial labs processing the tests were working to rectify the problem.
* Officials confirm first Macon County COVID-19 death was resident of Decatur senior facility
* OSF HealthCare announces plans to furlough some employees amid coronavirus crisis: “Every health system in the country is experiencing the same sorts of downturns in revenue that we are. … We’re all having to take measures to secure our financial stability during this time of crisis,” Allen said in a video posted by OSF.
* Everyone is having groceries delivered during the pandemic, but food stamp recipients still must go out to shop. Illinois is trying to change that.
* Pulaski County reports 1st COVID-19 case as officials warn they may arrest people violating stay-home order
* GOP Senate Candidate: Catholic Church Has Fallen Short During Outbreak
* Non-essential businesses in Champaign-Urbana violating “stay at home” order: Non-essential businesses from small boutiques to big box stores are still offering curb-side pick up for customers even weeks after the “stay at home” order was issued. Roberts says, “If you’re going to have other people come in to do curbside then that is violating the governor’s executive order.”
* Sangamon County changes COVID-19 reporting method; launching public service campaign: The Christian County sheriff’s office also reported that a part-time worker for Consolidated Correctional Food Service tested positive for the coronavirus and was receiving medical care. The worker had no symptoms when they were last at work more than a week ago. The company is on contract to provide food services for the county jail. The statement said company employees have been limited to no contact with sheriff’s office personnel. Their work was mostly in the basement kitchen and food storage area of the sheriff’s office.
* Springfield needs to better communicate, enforce stay-at-home order, council members say
* Suburban companies contributing to increased manufacture of ventilators
* First Chicago firefighter dies of coronavirus, officials say
* Federal judge holds hearing on lawsuit filed over Cook County Jail coronavirus response
* Robservations: Furloughs, wage cuts hit Cumulus Media Chicago stations: Me-TV FM, the Weigel Broadcasting soft-rock oldies station at WRME 87.7-FM, will provide the soundtrack for Chicago’s weekly mass singalongs during the COVID-19 shutdown. At 7 p.m. this Saturday, listeners are invited to sing along from porches, balconies and backyards to “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers, who died last week at 81.
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Apr 8, 20 @ 11:57 am:
Not written in stone…not even in dope dust..
Can we get Curran and Chopper Jim to campaign together?
Like the sing along sound track idea
- Rudy’s teeth - Wednesday, Apr 8, 20 @ 12:27 pm:
Has Mark Curran lost his mind? Here’s a suggestion…stop committing sins and you won’t have any need for confession.
- lake county democrat - Wednesday, Apr 8, 20 @ 12:40 pm:
One quirk in that Champaign-Urbana story - I don’t get why big box stores are prohibited - Pritzker’s order allows for stores that sell groceries and hardware/electrical/plumbing equipment (and permits travel for getting household goods) - most Targets and Best Buys have a pretty large grocery section. Home Depot sells all the hardware store goods.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Apr 8, 20 @ 12:41 pm:
===I don’t get why big box stores are prohibited ===
Local control.
- the Patriot - Wednesday, Apr 8, 20 @ 12:42 pm:
Per press release from Southern 7 Health Department this morning the Pulaski County case was corrected to another county as the individual no longer resides in Pulaski County.
- Been There - Wednesday, Apr 8, 20 @ 12:43 pm:
===Your goggles fog, and you’re trying to navigate this situation while of course performing at peak ability.”===
I have been wondering how they were coping with this problem. I use the masks with goggles when using some of my tools. I gave away the box I had and only keep an old used one. But I understand what she is saying. Especially when you are using a table saw and all of sudden the goggles fog up. Glad I still have all my fingers.
- Leatherneck - Wednesday, Apr 8, 20 @ 1:01 pm:
I don’t know if this should go on the Comptroller Mendoza story thread. However, CBS2 is reporting a comptroller’s Office PPE deal that went on at the McDonald’s parking lot in Dwight. Also another other N95 exchange at Road Ranger in Minooka:
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/04/07/illinois-comptrollers-office-finds-itself-paying-3-5-million-for-ppe-in-mcdonalds-parking-lot-during-coronavirus-crisis/
- West Side the Best Side - Wednesday, Apr 8, 20 @ 1:09 pm:
Is Curran’s concern about the Catholic church being expressed as a candidate or a Catholic? If it’s as a candidate then with separation of church and state what business does the government have in a particular religion’s ability to fill the pews. If it’s as a Catholic then maybe he should have expressed his reservations to the Cardinal instead of in the press. I just keep thinking that the churches that insist on holding public services must not think too much of the depth of their congregants’ faith. The same would appear to apply to Curran’s view of his co-religionants.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Apr 8, 20 @ 1:23 pm:
will be interesting to see what is missed with Township change.
- lake county democrat - Wednesday, Apr 8, 20 @ 1:41 pm:
Ah - thanks Rich.
- granville - Wednesday, Apr 8, 20 @ 2:18 pm:
There’s a weird class issue when it comes to these stories describe N95 masks like they’re exotic stormtrooper helmets. Everyone who has sanded drywall has likely used one (or can tell you first hand about the ineffectiveness of cheaper alternatives: they get damp, the straps snap off and generally don’t help very much).
- Lynn S. - Thursday, Apr 9, 20 @ 12:49 am:
Read the Mark Curran/Catholic Church story.
Sounds to me like he’s trying to wrap up the conservative Catholic votes.
He also comes across as not very smart. Is he trying to be Illinois’ version of Mike “pray the gay away” Pence?
- Emory - Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 9:32 pm:
hey just thought you should know, I spoke to another company recently and they got masks from a company that still has them in stock.
here’s their link:
http://masks-in-stock.com
hopefully it can help you all. stay safe