* We’ve already talked about how Sen. Dave Syverson and Rep. John Cabello, both Winnebago County Republicans, are upset at Gov. Pritzker’s order to shut down bars and restaurants.
They’ve been harshly criticized by other local leaders, but they’re sticking to their opposition. Here’s Richard Bodee at WREX…
We asked both Sen. Syverson and Rep. Cabello about their thoughts on social distancing, the preferred method the CDC recommends people use.
“It’s not for me to question the medical experts who say that,” Sen. Syverson says. “Do the [right] things, wash your hands, social distance.”
“If the people who want to open their business, keep it open, we should let them do that,” Rep. Cabello says.
We tried to ask Cabello if he stood by that, even if it meant hurting people who are immunocompromised.
“I’m not a doctor,” Cabello says.
OK, you’re not doctors. How about listening to some doctors?
…Adding… Some advice from actual doctors…
* Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) initially questioned the need for parade cancellations and the restaurant/tavern shutdowns and implied that the virus was a Chicago problem so the measures shouldn’t be applied to the entire state and also wondered if the governor actually had the power to take his actions. Well, the Eastern Bloc member has completely changed his tone. From a March 16 press release…
State Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) continues to monitor the on-going situation with the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation in Illinois. At the daily press briefing by Governor JB Pritzker, 105 cases have been confirmed in Illinois including those who have recovered, and two more counties have identified people who tested positive for the COVID-19, Peoria and Will.
“We need to continue to use common sense with personal hygiene and limiting the size of groups we are congregating around,” commented Rep. Bailey. “According to the Illinois Department of Public Health director, the most vulnerable people for experiencing the harshest reactions to the virus are the elderly, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 12 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) across Illinois, on Monday, bringing the total to 105 in Illinois. No cases have been announced in the 109th District, as testing progresses, this is likely to change. We should expect this and it is not a reason for panic.
*** UPDATE *** WMAY…
The new Republican nominee for U.S. Senate questions whether the state and national response to the coronavirus pandemic has gone too far.
Appearing live on WMAY, former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, Jr. said if he were in the Senate, he would be asking whether it’s really necessary to shut down large numbers of businesses and make people stay at home… or whether those efforts should have been focused on just those who are most vulnerable to the virus. Curran admits he doesn’t have all the answers… but says there should have been more discussion about the measures being taken.
Everyone is vulnerable to this virus. Saying stuff like that is the exact sort of thing which encourages young people to crowd beaches.
- low level - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:27 am:
Neither am I a legislator, but I play one in Springfield- Cabello
- Annonin' - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:29 am:
Many days Cabello’s renews proof that he can be part of the EasternBlocHead group. This was one.
BlockHead–ana must be proud to have someone going to Congress. Who will tell what color sox match when she is in DC?
- Roman - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:30 am:
A lot of the GOP coronavirus refuseniks, like Bailey, immediately changed their tone at precisely the same time their Dear Leader, Premier Trump, did.
- Moe Berg - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:30 am:
Cabello was Trump’s IL campaign chairman, so his ignorance and downplaying is consistent with the president’s profound lack of judgment and incompetence.
Not sure what Syverson’s malfunction is, but based on the casino stories suspect he’s got a wide variety of other local “business interests” and doesn’t want to see the cash flow slow or stop. Narrow self-interest, camouflaged as concern about the economy.
- estubborn - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:30 am:
Cabello’s Facebook account shows he was drinking at a bar Monday night. He went on to say he would visit “many places” before the night was over.
- Annonin' - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:34 am:
Since this is the collection point for dopey comments…
HANNITY, March 9: “This scaring the living hell out of people — I see it, again, as like, let’s bludgeon Trump with this new hoax.”
HANNITY, March 18: “By the way, this program has always taken the coronavirus seriously. We’ve never called the virus a hoax.”
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:35 am:
Hey, Annonin’ thanks again for delivering the coffee maker yesterday (exclamation point).
- Nick Name - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:43 am:
Republicans seem to be the only ones still not taking this seriously, but please tell me again how both parties are the same.
- Habeas Corpus - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:45 am:
Politicians like this around the US and what doctors know about the virus how are we not headed towards a national lockdown?
Did anyone hear what the Alaska sole representative said? Omg.
- Cosgrove - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:46 am:
This is just an extension of Syverson’s & Cabello’s obsession with playing doctor when it comes to women’s health care decisions.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:48 am:
The leadership not being shown by these Raunerite Trumpkins is going to cause more confusion when the message of safety, for yourself and the most vulnerable, should be paramount.
Arguably the most ignorant takes you’re gonna read from Illinois electeds.
I feel sad that ignorance is so embraced, I worry that these four truly believe this nonsense.
- May soon be required - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:49 am:
Sounds like Curran is just echoing the Great Britain approach
- Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:50 am:
Mark Curran should know that there have been more discussions about the measures being taken. And he should understand that, as a private citizen, he just wasn’t invited to participate.
- Striketoo - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 10:59 am:
Illinois should have been in mandatory lockdown a week ago. Many will die because of the delay in instituting this now obvious measure.
- Jack Sprat - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 11:02 am:
I think the measuring being taken are measured and appropriate. The idea of putting the state on mandatory lockdown weeks ago would have brought on chaos.
- NorthWoods - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 11:06 am:
Somewhat of a truly irresponsible comment on Mr. Currans part.
- Captain Obvious - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 11:17 am:
I think what Mr Curran was pointing out that while no one is immune to the virus, some are more vulnerable than others, just as they are with any virus, you know, like the flu. And His opinion is that concentrating on protecting them in a way that does not drive the entire economy off a cliff might be possible and therefore worthy of discussion before draconian measures are taken. I doubt anyone is ignorant enough to read that as encouragement to “crowd beaches.”
- truthteller - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 11:21 am:
if republican lawmakers could only infect republican voters, I am good with that, but all know that can’t happen. Goes back to basic indifference of republicans for others
- Annonin' - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 11:26 am:
Capt Fax you are welcome and was especially glad to see the USC that made this heroic act (not really) possible. It is a good example of the little things we can all do. Toss a few extra bucks toss the drive thru window workers, buy stuff in your local area and say a little prayer that we don’t lose our minds in the weeks ahead.
- Laura - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 11:28 am:
As the parent of a child with a primary immunodeficiency, I am grateful for those who are taking this seriously and complying with IDPH’s recommendations to stay home as much as possible. People with this diagnosis rely upon a medication that provides them with the antibodies they cannot make themselves. The problem we now face is that the drug does not contain the antibodies for COVID-19. The more of us that observe the measures of social isolation, the greater the likelihood that we can starve the virus of hosts and hopefully, reduce the spread.
- Nick Name - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 11:35 am:
===former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, Jr. said if he were in the Senate, he would be asking whether it’s really necessary to shut down large numbers of businesses and make people stay at home===
So what are your plans after the election, Mark?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 11:46 am:
===Sounds like Curran is just echoing the Great Britain approach===
That approach was abandoned because it would’ve killed 250,000 people. Wrong thing to echo.
- Flapdoodle - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 11:49 am:
Building on Moe B’s 10:30 comment, perhaps it is a law of nature that (a) the degree of whining and yelping about “excessive” state action is (b) proportional to the sum of (c) the degree to which said action is personally inconvenient, (d) the threat of personal economic loss, and (e) sense of personal entitlement.
And before anyone waxes indignant about (d), no, I’m not downplaying it at all, at least not for most folks. It’s the other stuff that’s getting irksome.
- Professor - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 11:58 am:
What ever happened to the Republican Party of the 1960s and 1970s? Comments like these from Republicans are a disgrace.These people are really off the reservation, and you hope some Republican leader will step forward with a measured response. The Republican Party needs a “Reformation.”
- Steve Rogers - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 12:03 pm:
When one political party rejects science and has derogatorily labeled science professionals as “elites” and “intellectuals,” is anyone really surprised at their reactions to COVID-19?
- James Dean - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 12:19 pm:
Maybe someone should tell Ambassador McCarter…
https://twitter.com/USAmbKenya/status/1240635030252261382
…Still no reason to fear Corona BUT WASH YOUR HANDS…
- Buford - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 12:25 pm:
“…implied that the virus was a Chicago problem so the measures shouldn’t be applied to the entire state…” A restaurant cook in Savanna made a comment to me that the Gov should just shut down “Chicago” and leave everyone else alone. It’s not possible to understand the pervasive small town ignorant attitude until you experience it for yourself. Think Alabama in 1962 and you just barely begin to get a handle on it.
Karen Nelson is the chairman of the Health & Social Services committee on the Whiteside county board. One of here favorite expressions at board meetings (which are not videotaped, because they are not forced to) are snotty comments about “Chicago.” Last year the geniuses on Nelson’s committee placed the Whiteside Health Dept. inside the count highway building. Oops! I hope county highway engineer Russ Renner is cross-trained as a nurse. At least taxpayers would get some sort of work from him.
- Perrid - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 12:28 pm:
After this is over it will be worth looking back and comparing different responses. What happened with virus spread in places that locked down compared to places that didn’t, or at least not as much. There is a valid question of whether the same or similar outcome could be achieved with less severe measures. Right now, no one has any idea, and so erring on the side of caution seems the prudent thing to do.
- Lynn S. - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 12:29 pm:
$5 says that one of Darin Bailey’s staff members made a chart showing the age distribution in the good representative’s district, and overlaid a chart showing Covid-19 mortality rates over it.
For good measure, they may have calculated the actual number of voters who might have become sick, then compared that number to the number of hospital beds in the good representative’s district.
They might have made another calculation, regarding the number of people who might become deceased.
And then shown the good representative how many voters might no longer be in his district, with the side effect of endangering the good representative’s seat.
And then the good representative might have had a “come to Jesus” moment regarding how serious this is.
Just my speculation about how the Blockhead figured something out.
- LakeCo - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 12:40 pm:
=Take Covid19 seriously and follow CDC guidelines, but keep the perspective that 9000 have died worldwide=
Ben, you and all the folks who keep saying things like that need to familiarize yourself with the grim reality of exponential math, real quickhttps://medium.com/@Jason_Scott_Warner/the-sober-math-everyone-must-understand-about-the-pandemic-2b0145881993
- JoanP - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 12:59 pm:
=Everyone is vulnerable to this virus. =
Cannot be said often enough.
The Washington Post reports that new CDC data shows 38 percent of those sick enough to be hospitalized were younger than 55.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/03/19/younger-adults-are-large-percentage-coronavirus-hospitalizations-united-states-according-new-cdc-data
- foster brooks - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 12:59 pm:
Syverson the guy who praised trump for letting blago out
- Huh? - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 1:06 pm:
There has been some recent research that a particular demographic group is more likely to contract the corona virus. The demographic group identifies as Republican because they don’t believe that the covid19 is a crisis.
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 1:53 pm:
== demographic group is more likely to contract the corona virus. The demographic group identifies as Republican ==
I don’t know if that is accurate. If anything, you would think the group most likely to contract it are young people who are ignoring the advice to social distance and stay home. They probably identify as Bernie supporters, if anything. Since Republicans skew old-to-elderly, it’s probably be more accurate to say they are the group most likely to succumb to the coronavirus
- Pundent - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 2:30 pm:
=That approach was abandoned because it would’ve killed 250,000 people. Wrong thing to echo.=
There seems to be a group that’s completely buried their heads in the sand and another that are just late to coming to reasonable conclusions. There’s little that can be done with the bury their heads in the sand crowd. A lot of them are still on the beaches in FL.
For the rest it’s important to continue to point out that every day that we delay in adopting necessary sense measures only means that the next measures will be more extreme.
It’s good that the President FINALLY realized that we have a major crisis on our hands but he was weeks’ late in doing so. And spinning the reality of that is completely dishonest (and easily dis-proven).
We need to focus on what lies ahead but we also have to hold to account those leaders that were irresponsible and reckless and the organizations that enabled them.
- Frank talks - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 2:46 pm:
Curran was a first responder right? Maybe he should talk to former colleagues and see how serious they’re taking this. Imagine a Sheriff telling his team don’t worry this is all bs.
- Strannik - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 2:54 pm:
== What happened with virus spread in places that locked down compared to places that didn’t, or at least not as much. There is a valid question of whether the same or similar outcome could be achieved with less severe measures. Right now, no one has any idea, and so erring on the side of caution seems the prudent thing to do.===
I mean, we may be comparing apples to oranges, but we do have People’s Republic of China, South Korea and Singapore, which made some progress at flattening their curves, at least for the time being. In ROK’s case, restricting large social gatherings, closing schools and major gathering spots, coupled with rigorous testing, seems to be working. RPC has obviously implemented more draconian quarantine. The analysis in the American context would obviously be useful, but we already have some data on certain practices’ effectiveness out there.
- Elliott Ness - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 5:16 pm:
Good for Bailey, maybe he will reconsider a host of other positions that are ignorant and extreme
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 6:24 pm:
=== Good for Bailey===
My comment.
=== I feel sad that ignorance is so embraced, I worry that these four truly believe this nonsense.===
- Elliott Ness - is right.
I do feel bad for including Rep. Bailey after his change of heart.
That’s on me.
It’s a good sign. My hope is that eyes are opened and learning as growing continues.