COVID-19 roundup
Friday, Apr 10, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The US DOT recently allowed states to do this. I’ve asked the Pritzker administration if Illinois will join, but haven’t yet heard an answer…
The Indiana Department of Transportation is now allowing food trucks at 38 highway rest stops. The state is requiring food truck operators to apply for temporary permits. They can operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Food truck owners are excited, with some saying they had already thought about the idea, especially when they heard what some truck drivers were dealing with.
* NBC 5…
Expiration dates of Illinois driver’s licenses, identification cards, vehicle registrations and more will be extended even further due to the coronavirus pandemic, Secretary of State Jesse White announced Friday.
White said in a statement that his office had filed emergency rules extending the expiration dates for the various documents for at least 90 days after Driver Services facilities reopen. He had previously extended the deadline for 30 days.
* ISRA…
After a few weeks of conversations with the Illinois State Police, new emergency rules have been issued regarding FOID card renewals, according to Richard Pearson, Executive Director of the Illinois State Rifle Association.
“The upshot is FOID card holders will be able to keep their FOID cards current during the coronavirus crisis and for one year after termination of the disaster,” Pearson said. “These emergency rules help ensure that honest gun owners will not be blocked from making firearm purchases. It has taken some time to get to this point, but we are pleased with the end result.”
Specifically, the emergency rules for Firearm Owner Identification and Concealed Carry Licenses during the COVID-19 epidemic are as follows:
· FOID card holders, who submit their renewal application will remain valid during the duration of the state’s disaster proclamation and for a period of 12 months following the termination of the disaster, even if their renewal application is/was not submitted prior to expiration.
· CCL licensees, who submit their renewal application, will remain valid during the duration of the state’s disaster proclamation and for a period of 12 months following its termination, even if their CCL renewal application was not submitted prior to expiration.
· CCL licensees will not be required to immediately submit proof of three-hour training with their CCL renewal application.
· CCL licensees will need to submit proof of their three-hour renewal training within 12 months following the termination of the state’s disaster proclamation in order to maintain the validity of their CCL license.
* Greg Hinz interviewed the governor and got personal…
He catches an episode or two of “Tiger King,” the somehow seemingly appropriate Netflix series about people who happen to keep tigers around as pets—if you can call a 500-pound ball of teeth and claws a pet.
“It’s worth it,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker chuckles as we speak over the phone. “It’s got a lot of crazy people.”
Indeed.
Also…
Pritzker says he has no regrets over attacking Trump’s performance, especially on what the governor says is a long record of broken promises to deliver ventilators, top-quality masks, test kits and the like.
Those bumps have been his biggest disappointment, he says—”The unfilled promises.” But parts of the federal government, particularly the Army Corps of Engineers, which helped convert McCormick Place into a temporary hospital have been “hugely helpful, he says. And letting Trump have it right between the eyes actually may have helped get stuff, he adds. “I think we’ve received more by speaking out. They (in the Trump White House) are very reactive.”
* The governor’s press secretary announced this yesterday before reading questions from reporters working remotely…
A lawmaker on Twitter said they would like me to say who the question is coming from, so I’m going to try and do that.
From that legislator…
Hey, Rep. Wilhour finally accomplished something. /s
* One more…
* OK, on to headlines from the Tribune’s live blog…
Want a pound of salami with that sandwich? As consumers stay home, some restaurants are selling groceries along with meals.
Hospitals that take federal aid must ban ‘surprise’ medical bills for COVID-19 patients, White House says
Family of first Cook County Jail inmate to die of COVID-19 files lawsuit
Second inmate at Cook County Jail dies after testing positive for coronavirus — same day as judge rejects request to release some detainees
Amid coronavirus uncertainty, Pritzker and other top Dems back increased mail-in voting in November. But it’s not that simple
* Sun-Times live blog headlines…
Attorney general’s office fields more than 1,200 price-gouging complaints
UIC medical students to graduate early amid COVID-19 pandemic
Near North Side retiree sews face masks for other seniors as her part in the ‘pandemic war’
* More news…
* Still hitting the links — by driving across state lines: In neighboring Indiana, where courses fall under “outdoor recreation” and are therefore allowed to stay open, Rivercrest Golf Club managing partner JW Potter says there’s been an increase in the number of golfers from Illinois the last couple of weeks.
* SIU faculty join statewide effort to manufacture critical COVID-19 test ingredient
* Empty streets mean idle red-light cameras – and budget holes
* Fighting the coronavirus is no excuse for government to ignore transparency
* We Found the Woman Behind #SpritzersWithPritzker
* MLB considering radical realignment for 2020 season: Grapefruit and Cactus leagues
* Chicago cop’s funeral during coronavirus pandemic: masks, no mayor, officers in cars
- Responsa - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 12:01 pm:
It would be awfully nice to have some baseball some way some how.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 12:05 pm:
===We Found the Woman Behind #SpritzersWithPritzker===
Good on her, it’s been a fun tweeter to check out before the briefing.
Today I may partake myself with her and others.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 12:11 pm:
Mr. Glennon,
Where are those hospitalS that are 90% empty?
That’s a good question, I’m guessing you won’t answer?
Watching Mr. Glennon and Mr. Wilhour wrestle each other to use one brain cell to seem relevant is sad comedy.
- Donnie Elgin - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 12:24 pm:
Great move on the FOID card expiration extension - legal access to a firearm is more important now more than ever.
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 12:54 pm:
== I’ve asked the Pritzker administration if Illinois will join==
They definitely should, state should be doing all they can for our truckers. Absolutely have to keep those people on the road, and anything that makes their lives easier right now should be approved without hesitation.
- Junior - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 12:56 pm:
OW - downstate hospitals are running at about 60% capacity and are furloughing employees, so there’s that.
- Leatherneck - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 12:59 pm:
“It would be awfully nice to have some baseball some way some how.”
—————-
The big question when, or if baseball resumes if you’re a Cub fan (even though I’m not one): Will Comcast finally get Marquee Network?
Marquee is still nowhere to be found at least on Comcast’s Springfield-area lineup. Meaning if it wasn’t for the pandemic, Cub fans would have missed 2 weeks’ worth of TV broadcasts. (Unless any and all Marquee-Comcast negotiations are suspended until after the pandemic passes).
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 1:00 pm:
=== downstate hospitals are running at about 60% capacity and are furloughing employees===
It’s a crisis, by every measure. A crisis.
- #5 - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 1:07 pm:
” a firearm is more important now more than ever”
Umm, what? Are there violent mobs roaming the streets? Can we shoot the virus? How do we need firearms “more than ever?”
- Leatherneck - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 1:13 pm:
BAck to Arizona-Florida only MLB this season if it resumes: Unless I haven’t seen it, I’m surprised that a Downstate newspaper hasn’t added “A Cubs-Cards World Series?” as the opening line to their possible MLB realignment headline. Unless it’s already a given that the Cubs don’t have a prayer at reaching the Series this year.
- Michelle Flaherty - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 1:13 pm:
The media is really building some influential friends these days.
- Huh? - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 1:43 pm:
I saw the ping pong ball/mouse trap PSA. Pretty cool. Saw it from the side and the explosion was awesome.
- Leatherneck - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 1:52 pm:
The XFL and all of its teams have officially suspended operations, a victim of COVID-19:
- muon - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 2:26 pm:
The pandemic models from IHME were just updated, and their problems with Illinois data continue. A couple of days ago it was noted that they used 308 total deaths for April 7 instead of 380 total deaths, so they had only 1 death that day in their model. They caught up on April 8 and match IDPH with 462 deaths, but that makes puts the daily count at 154 instead of 82. But then they use the same number 462 for April 9 instead of 528, so that gives them 0 deaths in the state for that day instead of 66.
I expect that these errors will have two effects on their Illinois projections. One is that they will underestimate the total deaths by smoothing the big jump of 154 into two days with 1 or 0 deaths. The other is that the range of expected deaths will be much larger going forward since it is dominated by the wide swing in their inputs for the last three days.
- Chicago Cynic - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 3:01 pm:
Hey Mark Glennon, you’re either part of the solution or part of the problem. Your partisan paranoia is not helping anyone right now. You are part of the problem.
- Top of the State - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 3:05 pm:
Speaking of baseball… the the game between the White Sox and Yankees at the Field of Dreams is on hold. “Stayed tuned” is the response from MLB officials. Let’s hope it can happen in some fashion!
- Elmer Keith - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 3:34 pm:
“These emergency rules help ensure that honest gun owners will not be blocked from making firearm purchases.” “Honest gun owners” as opposed to “dishonest gun owners?” What happened to “law abiding gun owners?” Is Richard Pearson slightly altering the tune he has piped for the past twenty years?
Give the ISP some props for getting real on the FOID renewal deadlines. I wish Pearson had been this effective at negotiations with the State Police during Phelps’ carry bill, but changes come slowly in Chatsworth.
- 37B - Friday, Apr 10, 20 @ 4:10 pm:
Re Spritzers w Pritzker:
If there were such a concoction as a “Spritzker,” what would it be made of?
Will some mixologist out there come up with something? I’d be honored to hoist one with the Guv. A shot of honesty, a breath of fresh air, a twist of non-partisanship and a dash of competence.
I’ll drink to that.