* Gov. Pritzker began by going over what I told you late yesterday about the lack of PPE supplies from the federal government. But he also announced that the private sector was coming through. His conclusion…
Illinois is acquiring PPE to compensate for what we haven’t received in our federal requests. But we are doing so while running up against obstacles that should not exist. I have medical professionals and first responders begging for things that they need to keep them safe, but so does Governor Cuomo in New York, so does Governor Dewine in Ohio, so does Governor Inslee in Washington State.
We’re all doing everything that we can to do our jobs, which is to protect our residents and to make sure our health care workers have what they need. We need the federal government to use the defense production act, to help the states get what we need. It’s the federal government’s job to make sure that a nurse being properly equipped in Illinois doesn’t come at the cost of a doctor being ready for work in California.
It’s the federal government’s job to make sure that we have a cohesive, prepared, robust national response. It’s the federal government’s job to make sure that cash-strapped states are not paying more than they should have to for supplies. That we are not watching prices go up by the hour, because we’re competing against one another, yet for the common good.
I’m an Illinoisan and I’m the Governor of Illinois. And I’m going to do everything that I can to protect our residents and get us through this crisis. I said I’d fight like hell for you. And I’m doing that every minute of every hour of every day. One way or another. We need these supplies, and I have a whole team of people whose singular focus right now is working the phones across the world to get as much PPE as possible shipped to Illinois. They’re the force behind the 2.5 million N95 masks, 1 million disposable surgical masks, 11,000 gloves and 10,000 personal protection kits that I just announced.
And again, I’m an Illinoisan, but I’m also an American. And so long as I know that there’s action that the White House can take things like aggressively wielding the defense production Act, or actually buying and distributing the supplies that they say they’re going to buy and distribute. I’ll do everything in my power to make that clear on behalf of the people of this state, and the more than 300 million Americans who don’t call Illinois home. Because that’s the very baseline of what we all deserve.
* Press release…
In another effort to build supply to protect those on the frontlines, battling this pandemic, Gov. Pritzker announced today that the state has executed contracts to purchase 2.5 million N95 masks, 1 million disposable surgical masks, 11,000 gloves and 10,000 personal protection kits.
While medical facilities across the state do have their own stocks of PPE and uses their own vendors to source additional PPE, the administration’s procurement effort aims to supplement their existing supply during this period of heightened need.
* Mark Denzler with the IMA was able to find 171,000 MREs and 350,000 N95 masks…
Thank you Governor Pritzker for your calm and steadfast leadership during this pandemic. I’d also like to thank the brave men and women who are on the front lines every single day, including women and men in manufacturing, Illinois is facing extraordinary times the rival, some of the greatest challenges in our history. Well the headlines are grim and the task is daunting. Illinois manufacturers once again stand ready to answer the call conquer obstacles and lead the way forward.
Over the last few weeks, the Illinois Manufacturers Association has been inundated with offers from companies across Illinois. Some manufacturers are ramping up production of current products, while others are repurposing their facilities to meet the need. Liquor manufacturers are making sanitizer, clothing manufacturers are making masks and grounds plastic injection molding companies are making parts for testing kits. This new essential equipment task force will help these companies collaborate, break down regulatory barriers in Washington DC or Springfield, provide medical standards and testing and help review the validity and safety of these products. Importantly, these products will remain in Illinois, to help our families and our neighbors.
* On to questions. Pritzker was asked about the crush of people trying to file for unemployment insurance and couldn’t get through…
First of all this is just an unprecedented number of people that are seeking Unemployment Claims during this time period. I don’t think we’ve ever seen this before even in periods during the 2008-2009 crisis. Having said that, we found over the weekend and over the last you know couple days of the week that the systems that we had that were supporting the online applications wasn’t robust enough to take all of the applications that were coming in at one time. And so we’re porting that system entirely over to a much more expansive foundational software system and server. So we won’t have any of those problems going forward. So we’ve taken care of, I think the online problem.
The phone line problem is another issue. We had to take non essential staff and push them up to the front lines to answer phones to make sure we answered any questions we would like anybody who needs to apply for unemployment though, to go to the website it really will be. It’s now a, you know, as I say it’s on a new platform, we’ll be able to take many more at the same time, we want to fulfill on people’s need during this crisis and we’re going to.
* How do you balance protecting the public health, while protecting civil liberties…
So to be clear, we’re trying to protect people’s health and safety. That’s our number one job here. There’s no attempt here to limit peoples’ civil liberties. People can go outside, they can do an awful lot of the same things that they were doing before was simply asked that non-essential businesses closed during this time period, and that people make a special effort to stay home.
* He was asked about supplies…
I was on the phone trying to get ventilators. I talked to two CEOs yesterday afternoon, speaking to them about acquiring ventilators from that we need to build up as many ventilators as we can. I should also point out that earlier today, I reached out to the President of the United States, he returned my call a little [later in the] afternoon and I spoke with him directly about our need for N95 masks and for ventilators. And as you know, it’s very important that we acquire as many of these as we can. I have called for him to invoke the national defense production act and actually utilize it because I know he’s invoked it but not utilized it in any industry. And when I call these ventilator manufacturers and I gave this example to them. In one case, they told me I was competing with FEMA to acquire ventilators, so I’m competing against the federal government to get ventilators for the state of Illinois, and the federal government is not distributing ventilators to the state of Illinois so I’m literally working against, you know, a competitor.
I just want to give you the second example if you don’t mind, I called another manufacturer of ventilators, and he pointed out to me that well I would be competing with countries other than the United States, so as I put an order in I better put in as big an order as possible in order to put myself higher on the list of priority to get ventilators from that manufacturer. Now, here I’m competing with my own federal government, I’m competing with countries outside the United States to get things that we need to, to keep our people safe and healthy.
The President was very responsive, frankly. He didn’t so much like the idea of invoking the defense production act, but he did say, you know what do you need. Let me see if I can get that for you and I, you know, gave him some numbers I told him what we had ordered from the government already. And he said let me work on that. And so I really thought it seems like he’s being very responsive to what I asked for and I hope that we’ll be able to receive those items in relatively short order.
* The governor was asked about rumors that the National Guard was armed. He deferred to his Adjutant General…
It’s great to actually get that out in front of the media today, dispel any rumors that the National Guard has any weapons. We’re not doing any police action, we’re not, you know, doing any kind of work at all like that.
What we are doing is supporting testing within the Rosemont area this week where we just stood up a new testing facility. We have 100 personnel that are taking care of testing now these are professional doctors or nurses or medical professionals that are supported by logistics folks. They’re there to manage that line and to help our neighbors, our community, folks in our community to get through and be tested. Today they started out with the first responders, they started testing them early this morning to get them through and make sure that they’re good to go on their test. And then they’re opening more and more up to the public as we go forward. They’re also supporting as the governor talked about PPE that personal protective equipment. They’re also supporting accounting for that distribution, as we get more and more of that coming in as governor talked about the large orders coming in. They will be helping warehouse sad they’ll package that up, they’ll ship that out, along with one way Department of Transportation, in conjunction with Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Illinois State Police will be moving that distributed around the state to different drop areas. We’re also doing hospital assessments, we’re going in with our specialized engineering team that we have out of our civil engineering team out of their national guard. And they’re going around the state assessing hospitals that had been closed down previously that maybe provide additional capacity so they’re actually looking at the heating, the plumbing, electrical throughout those facilities and identifying which ones are easy to quickly turn on if we need that additional capacity and which are not. We’re also providing support with operations planning and management so when the governor talks about the professionalism that’s brought out by the National Guard, these are these are your citizen soldiers your, your soldiers that work for the Army and your Air Force SOC personnel that work for the Air Force, that are trained in many different skill sets. And unlike a flood where a lot of times we’re doing a lot of security and management and supporting flood operations. This time they’re bringing out some really key healing needed specialties such as medical and logistics and transportation. That’s what your National Guard brings, unique capabilities and capacity, when the state runs out of capacity, because we have so many people working. They come forward and they provide that extra lift. So you’ll see trucks around the Chicagoland area, you’ll see when we show up in camouflage we tend to draw a crowd.
But we’re not bringing weapons, we’re not bringing anything like that we’re bringing our professional skills to help out.
* What is the Illinois hospital bed capacity and how close to reaching it are we right now and what is the state’s ICU bed capacity and how close are we to reaching…
We’re going to be talking about that tomorrow. We’re right now we’re in you know decent shape across the state
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 236 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including three deaths in Cook County; two men in their 80s and a man in his 90s.
Monroe is now also reporting a case. Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,285 cases in 31 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to 99 years. Cases by county can be found on the IDPH website, as well as a list of local health departments who will have the most up-to-date information.
* If this virus gets into a prison or a jail, it can spread very fast…
Rikers had 8 confirmed cases Friday, 38 Saturday, now 60.
Emergency is accelerating while NYC officials sit on their hands & De Blasio shrugs off space issue. Only 23 ppl released from Rikers so far. FAR FAR FAR FAR smaller jails around nation have released dozens more. https://t.co/fWE2b5frul
A number of Cook County Jail detainees — including “serial stowaway” Marilyn Hartman — have been quietly ordered released this week to help relieve jail crowding amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The hearings to formally release the detainees began this week, unannounced and separate from the two duty courtrooms that remain open to hear emergency matters during a widespread court shutdown.
* Press release…
Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart continues to address the threat of COVID- 19 by implementing comprehensive precautionary measures across the Sheriff’s Office to ensure the health and safety of staff, detainees and the public.
Sheriff Dart previously activated the office’s 24/7 Critical Incident Command Center, which has been tracking COVID-19 related concerns in the Sheriff’s Office. To date, there have been few concerns, and no known cases of COVID-19 at the Cook County Department of Corrections. Incident Command is also communicating with public health and law enforcement agencies about ways to help prevent the spread of the virus. Through these communications, our staff have also been kept updated on ways to protect themselves.
A correctional officer at the Cook County Jail has tested positive for coronavirus, the sheriff’s office announced Sunday.
The officer most recently worked in the jail’s Residential Treatment Unit, the wing for inmates who need medical or mental health attention, and Cermak Hospital, the on-site medical center, Cook County Sheriff’s spokesman Matt Walberg said. The officer is now in isolation at home.
The sheriff’s office has contacted employees who may have had contact with the officer and advised a “small number of staff” to self-quarantine for 14 days, though none have shown symptoms, the sheriff’s office said.
In an attempt to speed the release of detainees from the Cook County Jail amid coronavirus concerns, more judges will take the bench this week in Chicago’s main criminal courthouse to formally release people who are not believed to pose a safety risk.
Prosecutors, sheriffs and the Public Defender’s office already have been working together to agree on which jail detainees could safely be released, and have brought about 100 of those cases before a judge for review.
Seventeen non-violent, petty offenders have been released over the last few days from the Macon County Jail as corrections staff attempt to limit the risk of contagion from the coronavirus.
No cases of the virus have shown up in prisoners so far and Sheriff Tony Brown said he was being careful to strike a balance between public health concerns and public safety. […]
All over the country, sheriffs are taking a look at their jail populations and assessing risks. Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell hasn’t gone as far as any prisoner releases yet but, quoted in the State Journal-Register on Sunday, he said 20 non-violent offenders had already been identified as candidates for potential early release.
Sangamon’s inmate population was the same as Macon County’s — 262 — but trending down from a recent high of 330.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration is still considering releasing Illinois prisoners and youth at juvenile detention centers as the Coronavirus continues to spread throughout Illinois. […]
Groups like the John Howard Association, the Uptown People’s Law Center and the Children and Family Justice Center at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law are pushing for some incarcerated adults and youth to be sent home to prevent the rapid spread of Covid-19 should it enter either an adult or youth prison facility. […]
The Department of Juvenile Justice has seen a decrease in population over the last several years, but currently houses approximately 225 youth in five facilities statewide. The largest of those facilities — in Harrisburg and St. Charles — house approximately 80 incarcerated youth.
A coalition of nearly 30 organizations on Friday published an open letter to Pritzker asking for the careful release of some incarcerated youth from the Department of Juvenile Justice, pointing out that the facilities “do not and cannot maintain standards similar to congregate healthcare facilities.”
*** UPDATE *** It’s happening…
Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced that two detainees have tested positive for COVID-19.
The detainees tested positive on Monday, March 23, and are currently being held in isolation cells at Cermak Health Services, where they have been housed since exhibiting flu-like symptoms on March 20.
One of the detainees, age 42, has been in custody since late December 2019 after he was ordered held in lieu of $250,000 D-bond on charges of Aggravated DUI. He was housed in the Residential Treatment Unit at the time he became symptomatic.
The second detainee, age 18, has been in custody since mid-February 2020 after he was ordered held without bail on charges of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm. He was housed in Division VI at the time he became symptomatic.
…Adding… Press release…
Following a hearing before Cook County Judge Leroy K. Martin earlier today, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx released the following statement regarding the urgent situation at the Cook County Jail and emergency bail hearings to expedite release of detainees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In the interest of both public health and safety during the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) has been working around the clock with the Cook County Sheriff and Public Defender to ensure any individuals who are not a threat to public safety are released from Cook County Jail. This weekend alone, prosecutors reviewed more than 1,200 cases. We will continue this process and agree to appropriate releases for the duration of this pandemic, to limit the number of people in our jail and reduce the number of people needlessly coming to court while recognizing there are both public health and safety risks that some detainees may pose. The only way to carry this out responsibly is to address these risks on an individual, case-by-case basis and per the Court’s order this morning, we will do so with increased capacity and continued urgency,” said Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.
In light of COVID-19, last week the CCSAO stopped prosecuting low level, non-violent narcotics offenses to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by limiting the number of people coming to court. In addition, the Illinois State Police will not be providing chemical testing during the pandemic.
* It just boggles my mind that United States Senators were still having large lunch meetings as late as Friday and that the Senate’s pool was still open yesterday…
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus, his office announced Sunday afternoon, bringing the pandemic into Congress’s upper chamber for the first time. […]
Reports from congressional insiders indicate a fair amount of worry among Paul’s colleagues about their possible exposure. Paul was at the Senate Republican lunch meeting on Friday and he was reportedly swimming in the Senate gym’s pool on Sunday morning.
1) Act like you’re a carrier;
2) Remember, you’re the virus’ food;
3) Practice social distancing;
4) Don’t be a Covidiot.
Gov. JB PRITZKER has gotten generally good marks for updating people about the COVID-19 crisis.
Now think of one person whose deep thoughts on crisis management you wouldn’t give a plugged nickel to hear? Let’s stipulate a person not currently holding elected office.
If you thought former Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH, congratulations. We think alike.
Blagojevich offered his opinion on how to handle the coronavirus crisis in a letter in the Chicago Tribune. Now as multiple people have reminded us, testimony at his trial showed Blago hid in a bathroom to avoid dealing with complex issues, so maybe his insights are a bit clouded.
The Tribune is losing its mind.
* WIND radio host…
Elmhurst Cigar House will be this center of resistance against home confinement & We do have a unique way Of "Social distancing", if you say something pro socialist or stupid you get thrown out on your ear. We do not accept link cards but when you get Gov cheese check come over
Kane County sheriff’s deputies spent Monday morning at Northwest Baptist Academy in Elgin, planning to ask parents to keep their children home from what was believed to be the last open school in the state, but school officials decided to move to e-learning before the start of the school day.
Undersheriff Patrick Gengler said his office had been in talks “all weekend starting Friday” with the school, which is part of the larger Northwest Bible Baptist Church community.
A man has been charged with aggravated battery to a police officer after yelling “corona” and coughing in a Chicago cop’s face, according to police.
Chicago police officers responding to a car accident in the Rogers Park neighborhood on Sunday saw Anthony Ponzi, 21, of Wilmette in a “highly agitated” state, slurring his speech and foaming at the mouth, according to an arrest report.
When an officer tried to check Ponzi’s eyes for signs of impairment, Ponzi yelled “Corona, OK” and coughed directly on the officer’s face —so close that the officer “immediately felt particles of saliva/breath,” according to the arrest report.
Chicago Police were called to a River West bar after neighbors say it was flouting the state’s mandatory shutdown of in-person service at bars as coronavirus continued to spread.
At about 9 p.m. Tuesday, officers were called to Richard’s Bar, 491 N. Milwaukee Ave., for a report of an ordinance violation, according to a law enforcement source. That was less than 24 hours after the Gov. JB Pritzker ordered all bars and restaurants closed for at least two weeks beginning Monday night.
Chicago police broke up at least two house parties Saturday night as dozens of people there defied orders to stay at home and keep away from large groups during the coronavirus pandemic.
* But this goesway beyond all that. Way. From the ADL…
As the coronavirus continues to spread globally, ADL’s Center on Extremism is tracking extremists’ use of the virus to advance their racist, conspiratorial agendas.
Such bigoted beliefs and conspiracies include ideas such as:
Jews are using coronavirus to profit and expand global influence
Chinese eating habits are responsible for the spread of coronavirus
American diversity and immigration are contributing to the spread of coronavirus
Humans made coronavirus as a bioweapon or to make money selling vaccines
Governments are using coronavirus to implement martial law and confiscate guns
Some online extremists are even calling on those with symptoms to “weaponize” the virus and target “nonwhite” communities.
We are also following media reports of racist incidents targeting the Asian American and Jewish communities, in part based on these hateful beliefs.
Given this new reality, former presidential candidate Andrew Yang and ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt wrote a joint USA Today op-ed on the need to confront rising hate during this crisis.
The federal Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to Gov. Brian Kemp this week urging Georgia to allow a controversial sterilization plant in Cobb County to reopen amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Sterigenics, near Smyrna, has been shuttered since summer. It is one of a handful of facilities permitted to use the carcinogenic gas ethylene oxide to sterilize single-use medical devices.
The letter, which was obtained and published by the Cook County Record in Illinois, cites the current shortage of “personal protective equipment” (PPE) such as gowns, respirators, masks, and gloves as a compelling reason to allow the plant to resume operations.
“Due to the recent challenges with the closure of some commercial sterilizers, such as the Sterigenics facility located in Cobb County, the supply of critical PPE during the COVID-19 outbreak has been further limited,” it reads. “FDA is asking for your assistance in helping to increase the supply of PPE to help protect against COVID-19 by working with Sterigenics to allow for the appropriate sterilization of PPE.”
Amid a sustained threat of continued legal and regulatory action from the state, activists and trial lawyers, Sterigenics opted not to attempt to reopen the Willowbrook facility, despite reaching a deal with the Illinois Attorney General’s office that should have allowed it to do so, subject to emissions controls and other requirements even more strict than those set in Illinois’ new EtO law.
At the same time, a sterilization facility operated by medical device maker Medline in suburban Waukegan also remained offline, after Medline voluntarily pulled the plug on the sterilization facility late last year to meet new EtO emissions standards set by a new Illinois state law in 2019, in response to concerns over Sterigenics’ alleged actions.
In a statement, the FDA declined to answer whether it had sent a similar request to the state of Illinois concerning its shuttered EtO plants.
However, the agency said: “In the face of this rapidly evolving National Public Health Emergency, there is increased need for certain essential medical devices that require sterilization. We understand that sterile PPE are rapidly falling in short supply. Therefore, the FDA is seeking assistance from state and local governments as well as from facilities to increase the supply of PPE needed for healthcare personnel to protect against COVID-19.”
I asked the governor’s office if the FDA has made a similar request of Illinois and was told it has not heard from the agency about this.
* I was told by spokesperson Eleni Demertzis that this statement from Leader Durkin “is directed at anyone making partisan attacks during this crisis”…
Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) released the following statement on recent partisan attacks regarding the coronavirus pandemic:
“Fighting for our state through this pandemic is neither a Republican nor Democrat issue. We share a common enemy and share the same goal of working together to eradicate Covid-19. As in all emergencies, time spent on blame or fault provides little or no merit nor solutions. Despite the challenges, the time is now and we must be vigilant and united to defeat this virus.”
In light of the coronavirus crisis shutting down the economy and wreaking havoc on the small business community, the Illinois Opportunity Project stands with the Illinois Business Alliance in calling on Gov. Pritzker and the General Assembly to remove the graduated income tax from the ballot in November.
The country is in uncertain times and experts are still unsure of a timeline when life can go back to normal. Small businesses have been forced to shut down, lay off employees, and fear they won’t be able to survive this downturn. The federal government is doing everything in their power to keep the small business community from collapsing. The last thing they need is higher operating costs come November if the graduated income tax passes.
Gov. Pritzker has stated that we shouldn’t bring politics into these trying times when people’s lives are at risk, but it is important to protect the health of our state and to protect our small businesses and their employees.
Before the outbreak, small business owners gave Illinois an “F” for friendliness. They have been forced to withstand two record breaking income tax hikes since 2011, a minimum wage hike, and are now bracing for another hit come November if the graduated income tax passes.
Illinois Policy projected that the graduated income tax would cost 56,000 jobs and $14 billion in forgone economic activity. Illinois cannot afford more job losses, revenue, or people.
Small businesses employ two thirds of Illinois’ workforce and for too long the political class in Springfield has taken them for granted. The graduated income tax was a bad idea from the start, but due to the current circumstances, the results could be catastrophic. Gov. Pritzker and the legislature must do right by the state’s biggest job creators and remove the graduated income tax from the ballot permanently.
* I asked Quentin Fulks at Vote Yes for Fairness for a response…
The Fair Tax is fundamentally about fairness and ensuring we have a tax system that works for all Illinoisans, which will be especially important as we work to help those who are hurt the most by the coronavirus crisis.
In such an uncertain and challenging time for our state and our country, it’s disappointing that opponents of the Fair Tax are trying to use it to score cheap political points. Like so many Illinoisans, we’re focused on doing everything we can to combat this virus and save lives
The virus that causes COVID-19 remains for several hours to days on surfaces and in aerosols, a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found.
The study suggests that people may acquire the coronavirus through the air and after touching contaminated objects. Scientists discovered the virus is detectable for up to three hours in aerosols, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.
“This virus is quite transmissible through relatively casual contact, making this pathogen very hard to contain,” said James Lloyd-Smith, a co-author of the study and a UCLA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. “If you’re touching items that someone else has recently handled, be aware they could be contaminated and wash your hands.”
The study attempted to mimic the virus being deposited onto everyday surfaces in a household or hospital setting by an infected person through coughing or touching objects, for example. The scientists then investigated how long the virus remained infectious on these surfaces.
* This is good advice…
Remember to disinfect everything before you bring it in the house. If possible, leave non perishables outside for 2-3 days before bringing it indoors. https://t.co/L42XcsWQyd
A friend of mine sprays all packages, etc. with bleach. Or, have packages delivered to your garage. If you don’t have a garage, have them placed in your car trunk and leave them there a while.
The viability of the virus on clothing depends on the type of fabric. For example, germs are easier to wipe clean off leather or vinyl because they aren’t as porous as fabric. Practice routine washing of your clothes on the hot water setting because it will help kill the virus. Use the same process for the dryer. If you’ve been in a crowded area like public transit and could not practice social distancing, it’s a good idea to wash your clothes when you get home or at least put them in a laundry basket until you can wash them.
Roseland Community Hospital has operated at about 90% of capacity each day since nearby MetroSouth Medical Center closed last year.
And that’s before the coronavirus outbreak hit.
So Roseland, a so-called safety net hospital that serves predominantly low-income families on the city’s far South Side, is now bracing for a wave of patients to come through its doors.
“I think even a single hospitalized COVID-19 patient causes an overburden for us because it brings staffing issues and concern of the virus transferring to other people,” said Dr. Terrill Applewhite, chairman of the Roseland’s COVID-19 task force. “Even though we are facing this crisis, we are still dealing with everyday ailments.”
In that sense, Roseland is not alone. And it’s not just bed space about which hospitals are concerned.
Illinois hospitals used to have a lot of excess bed capacity, but that started changing about five years ago as hospitals began closing. Anyway, go read the whole thing.
Those hospitals in small-town America that have survived rely heavily on moneymakers such as elective surgeries, physical therapy and lab tests to make their razor-thin margins work. But, according to the Chicago-based Chartis Center for Rural Health, almost half of them still operate in the red.
So the added financial hit from the coronavirus outbreak could be the final straw for many rural hospitals — exposing the complicated business dynamics at play within the United States’ critical public health infrastructure.
“This virus, and what it is causing for these hospitals, is the perfect storm that will close these hospitals at a time this country critically needs them,” says Robin Rau, CEO of Miller County Hospital in southwestern Georgia. “This is going to be the death blow to them.”
While the virus is mild for the vast majority of people, the concern is so many people in Illinois are getting it that “even the small number of people who have trouble recovering is more than our health care system may be able to handle,” Pritkzer said Saturday.
That’s proven deadly in other locations: Italy’s health care system was overloaded by the sheer volume of cases there and doctors and hospitals haven’t had the resources to care for people who could otherwise be saved. That’s led to a surge of deaths there — 5,476 as of Sunday.
Days after it began to ramp up drive-thru testing for patients who may be infected with the novel coronavirus, the Advocate Aurora Health hospital system announced Friday that it has suspended that program because of a national shortage of test kits and processing materials.
Advocate said in a news release that state health officials and the Illinois Health and Hospital Association were seeking “to conserve tests for those in critical need.”
“It’s an ongoing issue for all our hospitals in Illinois and across the country,” said Danny Chun, spokesman for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association. “There are very limited supplies of testing kits, nasal swabs and reagents — chemicals used to test the specimens — in large part due to the very small rollout of test kits by the federal government.”
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday mandated that all hospitals in the state increase the number of beds in their facilities by at least 50 percent as part of a multipronged effort to ensure that an anticipated surge in COVID-19 cases won’t overwhelm the medical system.
Cuomo, during his daily coronavirus briefing, encouraged hospitals across the state to aim for a 100 percent increase. The governor has repeatedly cited statistics showing that the state currently has about 53,000 beds, but projections show there might be a need for as many as 110,000 within a few weeks.
* I’m loving the Illinois National Guard’s Twitter content…
The latest false rumor is that the Illinois National Guard is shutting down highways within or out of the state. This is completely false. The Illinois National Guard is only supporting COVID-19 medical missions or missions to increase the capacity of the medical community.
“There have been a lot of rumors circulating around that are completely inaccurate,” he said. “Rumors that there’s going to be martial law that’s going to be imposed, that we’ve called out the guard or the military somehow to impose their will upon the state of Illinois. Those are all false. I want people to take a deep breath.”
Pritzker said that while the rumors are largely spread on social media, there’s also “an effort by the Chinese government and the Russian government to feed into that paranoia that people have about what’s going on.”
Rumors that Decatur police are looking to pull drivers over to see if they are making non-essential journeys are just that — rumors, according to the city’s police chief.
Stories have circulated of drivers being pulled over and fined for contravening newly-imposed state-wide measures to limit non-essential travel in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
“No, absolutely not, we’re not doing that,” said Police Chief Jim Getz. “We’re not doing it and we don’t have time to do that anyway.” […]
Getz said his officers are following guidelines laid down by Pritzker’s office and the Illinois State Police. Officers will not be “proactively” stopping drivers at random, he said, but they may question them about the nature of their trip if they’ve been pulled over for something else, like a traffic infraction or if somebody has made a specific complaint about a person’s behavior.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources wants to clarify what the Governor meant by the executive order to stay at home. According to the office of J.B. Pritzker, as long as our sportsmen and women are fishing or hunting at a site which is currently open and they have the appropriate licenses and permits, they may continue to hunt and fish during the stay at home order. They were also made aware of a rumor that the upcoming hunting season is being closed, and wanted to let the public know that is completely false.
While coronavirus developments unfold by the minute and consume the attention of elected officials, legislation is piling up in Springfield with no easy answer on how to address it. Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered Illinois residents to shelter in place starting Saturday, and the legislature’s spring session has been indefinitely sidetracked.
House and Senate leaders canceled a session for the last full week of March and are working to postpone deadlines for bills that normally would be moving through committees. It’s possible lawmakers will work into the summer — eventually — if the pandemic is under control by then. But what about now?
First of all, Pritzker didn’t issue a “shelter in place” order. As I’ve already explained, that’s for things like hurricanes. Do better.
Still unresolved for taxpayers: property tax relief, which Pritzker and other Democrats promised as part of their push for a graduated income tax. One was not supposed to happen without the other. To get votes to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot and move the state from a flat income tax to a graduated one, supporters of a graduated tax promised property tax relief. And they set up a big task force to study the issue. […]
Springfield lawmakers face numerous issues with deadlines approaching and the clock ticking. No one suggests they return to the Capitol until the pandemic has eased. And it’s possible that emergency health-related matters will have to be addressed. But other policy issues, too, demand attention. Relief for property taxpayers is one of them.
* Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-Northbrook) sponsored the task for legislation and cc’d me on his response to the Tribune…
I read the editorial about property taxes in the 3/23/2020 issue of your paper.
Right now, the health and safety of everyone in Illinois is our top priority. Period end of story. There’s nothing else that’s more important.
We are well-aware of the challenges property owners face in Illinois. That’s why several bills have been introduced including my future legislation offering a real comprehensive consolidation package.
However, the best thing we can do is let our Governor focus on keeping the people of Illinois safe and giving our doctors and others on the front-line the opportunity to stay ahead of this pandemic.
All of us in the legislature have an agenda that’s been put on hold during these unprecedented times. Don’t you think we wish things were different? Don’t you think we want to legislate?
When all is said and done, and none of us know how this is going to end, we will pick up the pieces and get back to work.
I hope all of you are taking the recommended precautions and keeping your families and communities safe.
“We know now, just the fact of community spread says that at least 1%, at the very least 1% of our population is carrying this virus in Ohio today.”
That was Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton speaking on March 12, when Ohio had only five confirmed COVID-19 cases. One percent of Ohio’s population would be about 117,000 cases. “Community spread” means the virus was transmitted by someone from inside the community, not someone who brought it in from outside.
”Whenever you know of two people that have it due to community spread, then you can assume that 1% of your population has it,” explained Acton’s press secretary, who cited a 2017 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, according to the Cleveland ABC TV affiliate.
Illinois has about 12.7 million people, so 1% of that would be 127,000. As of March 20, Illinois was reporting 585 known COVID-19 cases, with five deaths.
”Basically, our people don’t refute their numbers,” said Gov. J. B. Pritzker’s press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh via email.
Whew.
”If the trajectory of cases we’ve seen in Illinois this past week continues,” Abudayyeh said, “a week from now we could see approximately 3,400 more total cases than we have now.” That was on March 19.
”If the assumption is made that 20% of these cases are severe,” Abudayyeh continued, “approximately 650 new cases could need hospitalizations. Again, this assumes the trajectory will continue as it has this past week.”
Gov. Pritzker said last week that his administration had been looking to other states and countries to see what Illinois should emulate and what Illinois should avoid doing. He singled out Italy, saying he’s trying to make sure “we don’t end up in the situation that Italy is in.” Italy’s total number of deaths (3,405) surpassed China’s yesterday. China’s population is just under 1.4 billion. Italy’s is a little over 60 million. So, yeah, don’t do what Italy did.
On March 8, Italy sealed off much of its northern half. The next day, the entire country was put on lockdown. On the 8th, Italy had 7,375 confirmed cases and 366 deaths. By the 9th, when the entire country went into lockdown, the country had 9,172 confirmed cases and 463 deaths.
Italy’s median age is 10 years higher than the Illinois median of 37.4, and that is very likely driving up that country’s death rate since it hits the oldest the hardest. China’s median age is about a year older than Illinois’.
But it’s impossible to compare confirmed Illinois cases and Italy’s because, as of March 20, Illinois had tested just 4,286 people, compared to Italy’s 206,886. Italy’s first confirmed case was on January 31, seven days after Illinois’ first confirmation.
The governor can’t do a whole lot about the testing situation because the federal government has so thoroughly botched its handling of this pandemic. But the state is making some progress. Pritzker told reporters last Thursday that as of Wednesday, Illinois was able to conduct more than 1,000 tests.
“And in just a few days,” he said, the state “will be increasing that to more than 2,000 tests per day.” But even at that rate, it would take 18 more days to catch up to where Italy was at that time, adjusting for population size. (Italy has five times as many people as Illinois.)
The governor is cautiously aggressive. He wasn’t the very first governor to close bars and restaurants and cancel parades, but he was among the first, for instance.
You can almost see Pritzker’s thinking play out if you pay attention to what he says. He telegraphs his actions, which, frankly, is a good thing. He broadly hints that he will do something, which gets everyday people debating the topic among themselves. He does not suddenly announce anything out of the blue. Slamming people with surprises before most are ready could erode confidence. Just look at the mess in D.C.
When it comes right down to it, we have to assume that Ohio is right and this is basically everywhere. We should start behaving like we are already carriers. We shouldn’t have had to wait for a government order to stay at home if we could.
And so, I believe the governor was right to order most Illinoisans to stay home as much as possible for at least 16 days, the third governor to do so.
The only way to defeat this virus is to take away its food; and we’re the food.
* I thought the governor’s tone during a CNN interview yesterday was unfortunate, so I wrote about it…
Stick to indisputable facts, which are mostly on your side. Presenting cold hard facts is more than enough to make your case that the White House continues to fall far short.
He toned it way down during his afternoon press conference and stayed on an even keel during an appearance this morning on The Today Show…
Illinois now has more than 1,000 cases of the coronavirus, and this weekend, the state began enforcing a strict stay-at-home order. Watch @GovPritzker's full interview with @savannahguthrie about that, the federal government's response and more. pic.twitter.com/UwqsLQXnFc
Yesterday the Governor was asked about extending the state’s tax filing deadline. To help Illinois residents/employers struggling, and to protect the public’s health, we are encouraging the governor to extend the state deadline just as the Federal government did.
You know there are challenges for the state of just cash flow, right? I mean obviously we receive a lot of those revenues typically in April and they’re planned for spending related to those revenues that come in in April. So we’re trying to figure out whether there’s federal borrowing or federal help that will come down the pike that will help. I think there are a lot of states will have this kind of cash flow issue. If they extend their deadlines to July, I think is when the federal government did, but we are working on it. We think that’s an important thing for us to evaluate and then do something about
The bottom line is Illinois can’t just print money like the federal government. Without some help from the feds, delaying tax day or cutting sales taxes by 25 percent (as Rep. David McSweeney wants to do) would be fiscally dangerous.
By the way, my “favorite” reporter question yesterday was the one about how the state intends to spend money in the rainy day fund. I literally laughed out loud at that one.
* One result of this crisis is that some government rules are being set aside because it turns out they’re not all that practical or urgent in these trying times. For instance, the FAA stopped prohibiting large hand sanitizer containers in airline carry-on luggage last week.
Along those lines, I’ve never quite understood why the REAL ID program was so all-fired necessary…
Federal law mandates that as of Oct. 1, people who want to fly domestically must have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, which involves a tighter screening process.
But given that all driver’s-license facilities are closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, it appears thousands of people won’t be able to make that deadline. […]
The nation’s governors are on it, seeking an extension of the deadline by a year or more as the infectious respiratory disease disrupts daily life across the U.S. […]
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, a Deerfield Democrat who pushed to extend the tax filing deadline, said postponing REAL ID is a no-brainer.
“I think there will be a lot of deadlines that need to be evaluated and REAL ID is one of them,” Schneider said.
Thoughts on other stuff that should be delayed, modified or abandoned?
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard predicted the U.S. unemployment rate may hit 30% in the second quarter because of shutdowns to combat the coronavirus, with an unprecedented 50% drop in gross domestic product.
Bullard called for a powerful fiscal response to replace the $2.5 trillion in lost income that quarter to ensure a strong eventual U.S. recovery, adding the Fed would be poised to do more to ensure markets function during a period of high volatility.
“Everything is on the table” for the Fed as far as additional lending programs, Bullard said in a telephone interview Sunday from St. Louis. “There is more that we can do if necessary” with existing emergency authority. “There is probably much more in the months ahead depending on where Congress wants to go.”
During a severe viral outbreak, state governments are likely to be squeezed financially from separate directions: increased Medicaid payments, new costs associated with virus containment, and falling state tax revenue. Projecting the budget impact of declining taxes is a straightforward exercise. In 2018, state governments collected about $1 trillion in total taxes.13 The $480 billion in general sales taxes and gross receipt taxes collected by state governments is of particular importance.
Reduced purchases of some goods and services during a severe outbreak (e.g., meals out and hotel stays) would mean lower tax revenue. A 30 percent decline in this revenue source for six months would create a $72 billion budget shortfall. A $72 billion state fiscal support program from the federal government would cover this sales tax shortfall.
In addition to the federal-to-state fiscal support I describe here, there would likely be other reasons related to COVID-19 for the federal government to aid state and local governments, such as medical costs and virus containment. Financing these costs in the form of additional grants to states could be considered in a separate Congressional act.
Nearly all states face balanced budget requirements for ongoing expenses. Failure to support states fiscally would put these governments in the difficult position of either raising taxes or cutting back on expenditures. Burdening citizens with additional taxes during a virus outbreak would be ill-advised. And, generally speaking, if state government expenditures made sense from a cost-benefit perspective before a viral outbreak, that cost-benefit calculation would likely hold during the outbreak. Thus, it might also be ill-advised to cut back on that spending just to satisfy a balanced budget requirement.
That was almost a week ago, so it could be worse now.
* I told you over the weekend that legislators are submitting questions to the governor and his office is responding to them in writing every day. Here’s one from the latest Q&A…
Childcare
Q: A healthcare provider is looking to set up a temporary daycare location for their healthcare workers. Can they get any reimbursement for this from the State?
A: Per the Governor’s Executive Order 10, all child care programs are closed; however, home day care programs can care for up 6 children. Where possible, children should be kept at home. The Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development, in partnership with IDHS and IDCFS, has established a structure and system for child care providers to apply for an “emergency child care license” to provide care for essential workers. Please refer to the following link for additional resources: https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/OECD/Pages/For-Communities.aspx.
Liquor
Q: What will happen to liquor licenses that expire soon?
A: Due to the hardships on liquor license holders as a result of the COVID-19 virus outbreak, all licenses expiring on March 31, 2020, April 30, 2020, and May 31, 2020, are extended until July 31, 2020. […]
Housing
Q: Is there consideration for reimbursing local housing agencies for making arrangements out of current homeless prevention funds? Are there other plans for assisting with homelessness / those seeking shelter in places where shelters are no longer taking new clients?
A: Through local continuums of care, DHS is making $6 million available for isolation housing for those who are experiencing homelessness. Homeless service providers will also receive a 5% increase in funding. Visit the Department of Human Services for more information.
Also in that new guidance is a clarification on auto dealers. I told you yesterday that the governor’s office said auto dealer sales were not deemed an “essential” service. But this is from the new Q&A…
Q: Are car dealerships essential services?
A: Car dealerships may stay open for repair and parts. Car dealerships may also remain open by appointment for individuals who need to purchase a car for essential travel. Showrooms should be closed. For further guidance, please call DCEO’s helpline 1-800-252-2923 or CEO.support@illinois.gov.
* Here are the Q&As I’ve been able to collect thanks to a generous legislator…
…Adding… The Illinois House Republicans have put together a website to answer your questions. Click here. Also, click here for a good Tribune explainer.
