* The governor had a couple of announcements today…
As of today, nearly 140,000 more student loan borrowers in Illinois will now get relief. IDFPR has worked tirelessly to secure loan relief options with 20 student loan servicers, allowing borrowers to request a 90 day forbearance, waived late fees, no negative credit reporting, the pause of debt collection lawsuits for 90 days and enrollment in other borrower assistance programs.
* And…
I’m so proud today to share another critical update from another of our agencies and that’s the Department of Human Services. Illinois requested an expansion of benefits to help put additional food on the table for all Illinois SNAP households with school aged children, more than 300,000 in all, and that expansion has now been approved, delivering an additional $112 million in food assistance to children across the state. … This increased assistance will be automatically added to family link cards.
As always, please pardon transcription errors.
* Dr. Ezike…
As of last night, 4776 individuals in Illinois were hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 1226 patients are in the ICU and 781 patients were on ventilators. 30% of hospital ICU beds across the state are open and available. Should anyone need intensive care of the ICU beds that are currently in use, 55% of all of them are being used by patients with COVID-19.
It’s also important to note that 60% of all the ventilators in the state are available for use, just over half of the ventilators that are currently being used are being used by patients with COVID-19. […]
As we continue to survey individuals with COVID-19, we have found that 54% of the cases reported to public health less than two weeks ago,report no longer having symptoms and being recovered. For those who reported a positive test four weeks ago, 77% of those reported being recovered.
This is encouraging news and I hope it will strengthen our resolve to continue the very tough sacrifices that we continue to make.
* On to questions for the governor. He was asked about the new modeling showing that the peak may occur in mid-May. He said he will be explaining that in more details in the next couple of days. “So say we don’t hit that peak until mid May… Do we have to be in a, in your belief, do we have to be in a stay at home order until we hit that peak? [Because he’d lift it earlier than the peak? I don’t get it.]…
Well, again, we will be making some changes to the stay at home order as it is. But it is true that it is working. And so to pull it off, he stay at home order, it seems to me you know to remove it, as I see some other governors may want to do, to remove it entirely is to simply open everything back up to infection. We heard Dr. Ezike saying in the last couple of days that the R0, the number of people that are getting infected by a single person who is infected has gone down significantly since we put the stay at home order in place. That will go right back up again if you remove all the restrictions.
* He was asked about the cost of keeping up the McCormick Place facility and said much would be handled by the federal government…
The consequence of being underprepared would be the loss of life and the consequence of being over prepared would be that we built out more than we may have needed and nobody can know exactly where we’ll end up until much after we’ve hit the peak and moved off of it.
* The New York Times has a front page story today reporting could take years before New York City completely recovers from the pandemic, in particular theater, restaurants, tourism related industry. Are we going to see that in Chicago as well?…
Well I don’t know and I don’t think anybody really knows, but I certainly have said to you that I think if we can get a treatment and a vaccine, ultimately that the damage that is suggested by an article like that wouldn’t be visited as dangerously or as difficult on the economies of our state. So I can’t really answer it and we can see what’s happened to the economy already. In this short period of time I’m hoping that we’ll be able to recover, much more quickly.
* We have a number of concerts that were set to take place in the month of May. Is it safe to say that they’re canceled?…
I think I just did read actually that a number of them were canceled in Chicago. So I think that probably answers the question.
* Even as you begin to reopen businesses on May 1, are there enough hand sanitizers, cleansers for a lot of these businesses especially small mom and pop places? You know, large companies can get their hands on enough hand sanitizers and cleanser. Is there enough of that type of material to be able to help businesses reopen?…
Yeah, so I want to caution that there isn’t, I don’t think there’s going to be some mass opening of lots and lots and lots of businesses on May 1.
But to the point, do we have enough hand sanitizer or dispensers? I don’t think anybody has been fully prepared for this and even each industry, and I’ve asked industry CEOs to look at how would you reopen, how would it work.
There’s no doubt that hand sanitizer and the use of PPE is going to be an important part of that. Will businesses provide PPE? That’s a question, will hand sanitizer be available to everybody that walks in the door, you know, should it be required. I agree that right now I don’t think anybody would say that there’s enough of that going on. We’re also going to have to develop some norms that people just understand that as you’re walking into a place you know getting hand sanitizer and making sure that you’ve used it, or making sure your mask is on as you enter someplace. I think those are all things that people are going to have to get used to and businesses are going to have to adjust to to make sure that their customers are protected.
* Last question from me. A lot of people have been asking about this and other states are starting to open, obviously other states are in different, you know, phases when it comes to this. Golf courses. People are so anxious just to get out on the green to be outside. Golf courses. Maybe you could do it in a socially distant kind of way. Is there, is there any talk about opening up those type of sectors when we go into that, does that all kind of come into your decision making?…
Yeah, we’re looking at lots of things. We understand summer is different than what we’ve had up to now, which has been colder weather. So we want to consider all of those things. That’s just one of the many, many things that we’ve tried to take into consideration.
But I do want to remind everybody that once again, we have bent the curve, because we have had a stay at home order. And so the fact of a stay at home order in general, being a very positive thing before we ever have enough testing, because there isn’t enough testing and there won’t be for some time to really open everything up. And the fact [is] that we’re going to need a whole lot more.
* We see Senate President Harmon has asked for financial aid from Congress, to what extent are you asking for financial help lobbying Congress members talking on the phone, how many people are assigned to these tasks?…
I don’t think there’s anything that can be more effective than a governor calling… talking to them about reaching out to their delegations. A Governor does have the ear of members of their delegation. And so I’ve made many many calls like that, on behalf of our common interests in all the 50 states to get the federal government to help us with support for our states and for the industries in our states and so on. I do that quite often and a number of members of my staff have also been on the phone with staff members of those various representatives and senators across the nation.
* How much has the state spent on former vibra Hospital in Springfield?…
I can’t do that for you right here at the podium I don’t have it in front of me. But at this moment there’s been no work done on Bibra so at least that part of any expenditure has not been undertaken.
* For Dr. Ezike: How worried are you for a second wave of COVID-19 this fall?…
I think we should be concerned. Obviously, we’re following information and data that’s coming from all around the world. We know that the Fall is already traditionally an established time for flu outbreaks. So, the flu is is our epidemic that we see on a scheduled basis. so if there was supposed to be any resurgence, we could see why that would be at that time and so if you had COVID, as well as flu. It’s very concerning that there could be a significant second wave or a second surge and so that’s why without treatment without a vaccine for COVID, those two overlaid could be very, very problematic.
* If masks are required in cities like Chicago, how will your administration ensure everyone particularly low income people have access to face coverings and can go into public?…
It was pointed out to me yesterday by one of the elected officials I was talking to that I really should stop using the word mask and I should start using the word face covering.
Because the truth is that you don’t need to have an official mask. That’s not what everybody is suggesting, what doctors are saying. You do need to cover your nose and mouth with a, can be a T shirt. I saw a video of how you can prepare a T shirt for yourself as a mask and there are lots of different things fabric masks that you can create for yourself there. […]
And for people who cannot afford them I agree with you that I would like very much to make face coverings more available. I think that would probably be more in the disposable types. And so we’re looking at that and how we would do that, again industry by industry, and then for people who just want to go outside. I’d like to make it more available so we’ll be thinking and talking about that.
* We were told by the Fulton County Board Chair the five correctional officers from the Illinois River Correctional Center in Canton, were promised a 14 day paid quarantine plus a COVID-19 test after volunteering to work at state Correctional Center. Can the governor confirm this and tell us what conversations he’s had with DOC about this matter?…
That is a subject of labor negotiation so that’s, that’s an ongoing conversation.
* Rock River Times: What would you say to people who feel the shutdown is a punishment, driven largely by the COVID situation in Chicago, one that has no chance of affecting them when they are many many miles from the city?…
Punishment. That is awkward to use.
We are in a global pandemic. When this broke out, nobody, nobody knew how fast this would travel. Nobody knew who was most susceptible to it. Nobody knew how to counter its effects. And much of that information, although we’ve discovered, some is still unknown to experts. And so, in, you know, all due caution to protect all of the people of the state of Illinois we put orders in place that would keep people healthy and safe and, and hopefully prevent people from getting COVID-19 who otherwise might.
So, you know, in terms of the different effects in different parts of the state, you’re, you know it’s correct to, to say that in more rural areas there have been fewer cases. The interesting thing to look at and I there are places you can go online to look at this to the, you know what, number of days. the doubling time is for different counties, you can find that online, and you’ll find different areas of the state, even though they have smaller populations have a higher doubling time than some very urban areas of the state.
So there’s no punishment involved. The goal here is to do the right thing for everybody. And it’s true that in some areas of the state there’s been a lower infection rate, and a lower doubling time. And so, that needs to be taken into consideration as we make changes.
* How do you respond to concerns from nursing home groups that their facilities were not prioritized soon enough by the administration including testing and PPE? They argue that this has led to even worse shortages of PPE and more positive cases and facilities as many cases went undiagnosed for limited access to testing…
Who is it that made the, not the question, but made the statement about PPE not being real? I think it’s an association. So I would just say this, that we have been from very early on and I spoke about this yesterday I hope you’ll go back and look at it because I’m not sure I can repeat it all for you right now but we’re from very early on I mean we started talking about and dealing with the problem in nursing homes in early March. This is before we ever had a disaster proclamation in the state, and long before we ever had a stay at home order. We shut down visitation at nursing homes and begin to do wellness checks of the personnel there. And then, as you know, more was known about how outbreaks in nursing homes occur. We made sure that everybody understood not just that there’s PPE available and by the way your local county Department of Public Health is provided with all of the PPE that they asked for from the state. That’s why we’ve been out acquiring PPE, they provide it to the local nursing home, and then we’ve been training nursing home personnel about how to put on that PPE, where that PPE properly and making sure that you know all precautions are taken to separate out people who are COVID positive from those who are not, and doing testing, and we’re doing even more testing now so there’s quite a lot being done. I don’t think it would be fair to say that we have not provided PPE to nursing homes or to the counties to provide to their nursing homes. But we certainly want to know when there are nursing homes where you believe there is not PPE being made available every day to the people in those nursing homes where there are COVID positive patients, you should let our IDPH know. Dr. Ezike and her staff are all over this and they want to make sure that every one of our seniors is protected.
We’ll have more on this soon.
* Have antibody test been made available to medical practitioners? What are healthcare workers advise to do if they test positive for COVID-19, or if the COVID-19 antibodies is it safe for them to continue practicing medicine?…
So a couple things I want to make sure you understand. The antibody tests are as yet a bit unproven, or at least some are and some are more effective, some are less. It is not widely used by states, or really anywhere, there is a body of researchers who are using antibody tests right now to determine whether people who have the antibodies in fact are immune. So it’s that is not even a proven fact yet. So that’s why we’re not providing antibody tests widely, we don’t provide that right now.
What we want to know is, where are there outbreaks? Where are people getting COVID-19? And then we want to make sure to contact trace all the people that are associated with all those who are tested positive, so that we can keep this from spreading and get that number of people who get infected by a single infected person down.
* Governors in Georgia, Tennessee South Carolina will let most businesses reopen May 1, even as COVID case loads and deaths rise. Have you ruled that out here and would you consider limiting travel to Illinois from the States?…
I have ruled out what they’re doing in Georgia and I’m not sure about all the other states but if they’re all doing the same thing which is essentially opening everything up. Yes, I have ruled that out for the time being. Because, as I have said time and time again, in order for us to truly open things up we need tracing, we need testing we need a treatment available and we need a widespread availability of PPE. And we don’t have those things available to us today. And the treatment of course is something that’s not in our control.
We are working on all the other three of those things to make sure that we are ready. But remember, Illinois is not even close to its peak, I mean we’re weeks away now. And you won’t really know you hit your peak until you’re on the other side of it, and are going down.
* Can you comment on how Illinois is going to close this projected budget deficits, what tools are you considering such as bonds for pension payments, do you expect service cuts or layoffs to state employees…
Well some of that I hope will get answered by the federal government. The Congress is considering a package, as I understand, that would provide more aid to the states and local governments and that will have a big impact on our decision making with regard to our budget.
But of course everything is on the table for consideration in the sense that I’m discussing with members of the House and the Senate how they want to proceed and what ideas we have and they have. This is an all hands on deck challenge, the state of our budget for the state of Illinois and so we’re looking at everything.
* Center Square: How long do you feel comfortable governing by executive order without checks on your authority from the legislature, or any potential legal action in the judicial branch?…
I don’t feel comfortable at all. … We’re in a worldwide pandemic we’re in an emergency situation we’re under disaster proclamation because people are dying and people are getting sick. And so as soon as we can get on the other side of this challenge.
Listen, I want regular order. There’s so many things that you’ve heard me talk about, the things that I want to accomplish for the people of the state of Illinois and those can’t be accomplished in the context of a pandemic.
* Why release convicted killers?…
I think some of you may know and understand that, because I’ve said it many times from this podium, that I want to keep the risk to people across the state of Illinois as low as possible. The risk of catching COVID-19, and the risk that might occur from somebody who has done something wrong in their past.
And so every time I consider a situation of somebody who’s asking for a pardon or commutation of their sentence, I’m taking into account how to make sure that we’re keeping the risk extraordinarily low.
For example, I have granted commutations to people who have been diagnosed with stage four cancer and are likely to die in three months. Hence, and they’re there. They’re confined to a bed. They can’t move around very much. And in the last three months of their life. It seemed to me that it would not be inappropriate for me to let them be with their family.
Again, you know they’re they’re suffering. And it’s also an alleviation of burden upon our prison system. So, you know, I think this is, it’s the right and the constitutional privilege granted to a governor to consider pardons and commutations. And in the context of a pandemic, in the context of what we’re going through now with COVID-19, trying to make sure that we keep our prison officials our officers who are working in the prisons and the people who are in prison who, some of them, are non violent criminals who were going to be led out in the next year anyway. To make sure that we’re making space in those prisons and keeping everybody safe as possible. Those are all some considerations that I give to pardons and commutations in this moment.
-30-
- Hard D - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 3:16 pm:
So Mayor Lightfoot says she anticipates the stay at home order to go into June. So is she the defacto Governor because she’s the Mayor of the largest city in the state? And we all know Chicago/ Cook County is a lot more of a hot spot then other parts of Illinois. So how does JB ( who I think is doing a excellent job ) handle that issue
- Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 3:22 pm:
==What would you say to people who feel the shutdown as a punishment, driven largely by the COVID situation in Chicago, one that has no chance of affecting them when they are many many miles from the city?==
Wow. As a person who lives downstate, I would say we are fortunate that the stay at home order came early enough that the virus does not appear to have spread very far. Should the order be lifted so we can experience the level of infection that cities have had?
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 3:25 pm:
==one that has no chance of affecting them when they are many many miles from the city?==
I probably would have pointed out that the disease is in 96 of the 102 counties. So I don’t think they are “many many miles” from the disease.
- Huh? - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 3:41 pm:
“What would you say to people who feel the shutdown as a punishment,”
As someone who is being held captive by 2 yowling cats during this crisis, it does feel like punishment. The cats just don’t believe me when I tell them that the Governor’s stay at home order applies to them. So they complain loudly and have gone as far as join the MAGA movement and want to be “liberated”. I’m glad they don’t have opposable thumbs because then they would start making protest signs.
- Huh? - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 3:44 pm:
I wonder what changed in the models to move the peak from April to May. Also are the models predicting a higher number of illnesses and deaths?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 3:48 pm:
===I wonder what changed in the models to move the peak from April===
That IHME model turned out to be… not good.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 3:49 pm:
“How long do you feel comfortable governing by executive order without checks on your authority from the legislature“
Given what’s happened in Washington in the last three and a half years, how is this even asked with a straight face?
Pritzker gave very appropriate answers to such questions. We’re in a global pandemic.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 3:49 pm:
=I probably would have pointed out that the disease is in 96 of the 102 counties=
This disease also crossed an ocean and then the country. I think we can safely say that it’s well traveled.
- data - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 3:49 pm:
The state, and my county, have not had a down day to start a “14 day downward trajectory.” If tomorrow is the first day with a drop, 14 days is May 6.
http://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19/covid19-statistics
scroll down and toggle the bar chart between tested/cases/deaths.
- Homeschool Prom King - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 3:55 pm:
Nothing’s official until it’s announced, but if I were a gambler I’d feel pretty comfortable betting that the stay-at-home order will be extended through May.
If the state’s models are showing a peak in mid-May and the federal guidelines call for a minimum of 2 weeks of declining case growth, it’s hard for me to imagine Pritzker lifting it (although it sounds like he’s considering some alterations based on his comments today).
- Techie - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 3:59 pm:
I’m concerned about whether or not the governor will be extending the stay at home order beyond May 1st. I think he should, and we all need to know if he will sooner rather than later.
- Donnie Elgin - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:01 pm:
The treatment part baffles me - there are no proven treatments and may not be any for the foreseeable future. I have not seen other state using a Coronavirus treatment as part of the big three or four factors in the re-opening decision. Hospital capacity I get as that is achievable as you get supplies and get past peak - but getting to a treatment is a bit much
“ we need a treatment available and we need a widespread availability of PPE. And we don’t have those things available to us today. And the treatment of course is something that’s not in our control.”
- Give Us Barabbas - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:01 pm:
I had to explain this to someone the other day, that this is not “just a Chicago disease” and that living in a rural area is no magic barrier:
“One truck driver or car driver has it, stops at your local gas station, say, leaves some virus on the pump handle, and the next ten people that use that pump, they touch their face or rub their eyes or nose afterwards, before washing… boom, they’ve got it, and they travel with it to wherever else they were going… and because they don’t know they’ve got it for a good week, they’re spreading it to everyone in their home the entire time.
By the time you are seeing symptoms from those folks your entire town is coming down with it all about the same time, and just how many ICU beds does your closest hospital have? Do think it will be enough? Do you want to be in charge of choosing who gets treated and who smothers in their own mucus?”
There is significant risk even in making a simple bread-eggs-milk run to the grocery. The virus can live on surfaces for a disturbingly long time.
We’re all going to get it at some point. The entire ballgame is to not all get it *at once*, to overload the hospitals. Which are not all that plentiful in rural areas to begin with. Don’t wonder how far away the virus is now. Ask yourself; “how far away is that hospital and how many beds Does it have?”
When it is tornado season and a funnel is reported west of my town in the county next door, I don’t just shrug and ignore that. We’re on the same track as them.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:07 pm:
I’ll start here;
=== phases when it comes to this golf courses, people are so anxious just to get out on the screen to be outside golf courses, maybe you could do it in a socially distant kind of way, is there is there any talk about opening up those type of sectors when we go into that does that all kind of come into your decision making?…===
Golf courses.
The selfish think only of themselves.
If I knew it were safe to golf, I’d be first, playing 27 holes while in limbo for things.
That “workplace“… it’s not essential.
Like “beaches” and other “there’s so much space” activity thoughts… not so much.
I did get a text from someone “South” where golf is open, and they said we (the person and I) could play together because their game, we’d probably only see each other on greens and tees. That gave me a chuckle. I wished them well.
- Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:08 pm:
I know you say pardon the typos, but this is my favorite one to date…
“
Who is it that made the not the question or but but the made the, the statement about pee pee not being real.”
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:09 pm:
=== I don’t think there’s anything that can be more effective than a governor calling…===
“President Harmon, we’ll take it from here”
Notice the Governor said “call” not “write”… prolly not an accident to the Scribe also known as the Illinois Senate President.
(Hashtag) Stay In Your Lane (Hashtag) Gov Is Not Wrong
- SSL - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:12 pm:
So do the stay at home requirements need to be more restrictive? If Illinois was one of the first states to issue a stay at home, and the peak us still three weeks out, was it a matter of non compliance or not restrictive enough?
When out on my daily walks I will say that there has been an increasing amount of auto traffic. I don’t know what JB plans to modify, but he can’t get much less restrictive if the peak is 3 weeks out or more.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:22 pm:
=== it’ll be interesting to see what is revealed once more and more injunctions are filed with the court.===
“Your Honor, our argument is… we feel a compelling need to risk our lives, and risk the lives of others, needlessly, because freedom.”
“No, we feel, Your Honor, that it’s not saving us from our own ignorance, we stipulate, we’re ignorant, we feel this need to prove science right”
To the Governor clarifying, if the model(s) were bad are wrong, just say so now, don’t wait for a Friday News Dump kinda “revelation”. Spill it as soon as you can.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:28 pm:
=I think he should, and we all need to know if he will sooner rather than later.=
I believe these orders are time bound so if the current order expires on April 30th expect the announcement of the extension to come on or around that day.
The data says it has to go beyond April 30th given the need for a 14 day decline (which we haven’t seen yet).
- Huh? - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:36 pm:
“This disease also crossed an ocean and then the country. I think we can safely say that it’s well traveled.”
Anyone know what visa the tramp administration issued? Or did the coronavirus swim across the Rio Grande river illegally? It certainly has exceeded a tourist visa. Time to start deportation proceedings. /s
- City Zen - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:40 pm:
==Given what’s happened in Washington in the last three and a half years==
Only going back three and a half years?
- Huh? - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:42 pm:
Working out deals for student loan forbearance, working to increase SNAP benefits. This is what a leader does to reduce the impact to the residents of his State.
Not being comfortable governing by executive order. This is leadership.
Thank you JB. I’ll remember this when it comes to your reelection.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:46 pm:
OW I thought you had a standing tee time with Tom Cross at Medinah? Do you get a refund or credit?
- Southern - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:53 pm:
They can’t move around very much. And in the last three months of their life. It seemed to me that it would not be inappropriate for me to let them be with their family
I’m sure some of the murder victim’s families would love to have had more time with their families as well.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 4:53 pm:
===I thought you had a standing tee time with Tom Cross at Medinah? Do you get a refund or credit?===
“Thank you for the question”
As it’s known in lore, Tom and I were playing in the same group, and after a tough hole he accidentally threw my whole golf bag, clubs and all in a pond.
Since then our golf has been limited to zero rounds. I’ve tried, numerous times, unsuccessfully, to play 9 holes to let bygones be bygones. It almost got me banned at Fox Bend trying to get in his standing tee time there.
You could say Tom Cross took a refund on our close friendship, or rinsing my clubs left me all wet, but once this pandemic is over, I’ll wait at the gates of Medinah, one more time, to reconcile with Oswego’s own, Tom Cross.
Also?
Don’t golf in a pandemic. Thanks.
- hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 5:09 pm:
I wish the governor would just extend the stay-at-home order if that is the plan. It is stressing me out that the order has not been extended yet.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 5:13 pm:
===if opening before a 14-day downward trajectory===
You think that’s gonna happen, eh? Hasn’t happened anywhere else. It plateaus.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 5:21 pm:
=== It’s very concerning that there could be a significant second wave or a second surge and so that’s why without treatment without a vaccine for COVID, those two overlaid could be very, very problematic.===
This grabbed my attention the most.
My side fear is that while both may going simultaneously, any easing or thinking that this virus is the flu to some with milder symptoms, it could be as challenging as asymptomatic people spreading without realizing how damaging it can be.
We’ll have to hope in the meanwhile all precautions can limit a second wave.
- Not a Superstar - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 5:26 pm:
“ For goodness sake - and the sake of the state and its people - reopen Illinois ASAP.”
Translation: please kill thousands of fellow Illinoisans so I can golf, shop, drink and dine as if nothing ever happened. And never mind that the small number of whackdoodles like me aren’t enough to keep more than a few TGI Fridays in business.
- anon - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 5:39 pm:
Maybe stop making fun of reporters who ask questions on the minds of their viewers/readers. Maybe stop making fun of people who ask questions, period. Democracy doesn’t function without daylight.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 5:43 pm:
=== Maybe stop making fun of reporters who ask questions on the minds of their viewers/readers. Maybe stop making fun of people who ask questions, period. Democracy doesn’t function without daylight.===
Granted, I’m in favor of education over ignorance, but asking ignorant questions that have first been asked and answered and reported on, it’s a waste of a question where actual serious and informative questions are not asked.
It’s not daylight, it’s hiding the sunshine of actual informative questions and answers we get to miss.
- Washingtonian - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 5:50 pm:
The fastest vaccine development to use was 4 years. Mumps in the 50s.
- Bruce( no not him) - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 6:10 pm:
“People are smart and responsible…..”
No offense, but Hahahahaha /s
- Pundent - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 6:43 pm:
Testing, tracing and PPE will create a bridge to treatment which will in turn be the bridge to a vaccine. The end state is likely a few years away and we have to go through a series of steps. Hopefully along the way the virus becomes more and more contained. But anyone that says we need to get off that path at this point in time is literally whistling past the graveyard.
- Donnie Elgin - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 6:48 pm:
“ create a bridge to treatment”
Yeah I agree ,but Governor Pritzker’s own words today changed the narrative and he now included treatment as part of his re-opening process - not a bridge but actual treatment. Certainly gives him cover for a very extended Stay at Home order.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 6:52 pm:
Testing, Tracing, Treatment
Isn’t that the … Three T’s?
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 6:53 pm:
Golf, fishing, hunting. IMO, should be opened. Less interaction than at the local MoroMart around the coffee pot. Let’s use some common sense here.
- DownSouth - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 6:53 pm:
==one that has no chance of affecting them when they are many many miles from the city?==
Randolph County, roughly 300 miles away…probably about number five in county cases per capita; but hey I should not be concerned because there’s no chance of it affecting me down here many, many, miles away from the city right?
- Pundent - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 7:30 pm:
Treatment is at best months away. That’s why there are phases and stages to how we reopen. We will reopen before treatment it will just be limited. Treatment allows us to ease up on restrictions.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 7:42 pm:
=== Why do most of those who want the shutdown to continue say that those who want to go back to work are endangering them?===
It’s called science. Keep up. I know you can’t pick a name, maybe you can’t comprehend science
=== They can order everything on-line and hide in the basement when the plumber comes over. But quit judging and trying to stop people who aren’t scared and want to go back to work and support their families - including paying for healthcare and exercise to avoid being in that high risk category instead of hiding at home and likely snacking all day.===
LOL.
This is the most pathetic, left handed word salad I’ve read that wasn’t written as a farcical comedy.
This is what someone writes for a SNL sketch more “mouth breather number 4”
=== Open this state up for business.===
Your beef is with the White House, friend.
It’s their plan. The governor is following it.
You do understand that…
- Jibba - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 7:59 pm:
==For goodness sake - and the sake of the state and its people - reopen Illinois ASAP===
Anonymous, I can hear your desperation in this and other messages, but you fail to appreciate the danger you impose on others. Please try to hold on a little while longer as we tamp the peak down. Perhaps in a couple weeks we will see a downward trend, but it has not happened yet. Look at the data yourself. Until then, opening up just wastes the sacrifices that we all have made for a month.
- dbk - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 8:02 pm:
–If Illinois was one of the first states to issue a stay at home, and the peak us still three weeks out, was it a matter of non compliance or not restrictive enough?–
This is an excellent question, and I’ve been puzzling about it for days now - Illinois’ curve is starting to move towards a plateau, but incidence is still high given how early the Gov instituted measures (maybe a week late, but still relatively early).
I’m wondering whether Illinois didn’t suffer an unintended super-spreader event when the Pres announced discontinuation of flights from Europe in mid-March. The pictures of O’Hare that final weekend were pretty hair-raising and it’s impossible to think there weren’t (many)people returning who were asymptomatic / pre-symptomatic.
Because we didn’t have testing facilities or tracing capabilities, we may never know. But something kindled exponential growth in the weeks that followed.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 8:08 pm:
I’ll be even more crystal clear;
=== They can order everything on-line and hide in the basement when the plumber comes over. But quit judging and trying to stop people who aren’t scared and want to go back to work and support their families - including paying for healthcare and exercise to avoid being in that high risk category instead of hiding at home and likely snacking all day.===
Reading that, having sympathy and empathy, which I do, and understanding the needs to business opening up, i get that too.
When I see nurses, who work 12+ hour shifts, and face this virus and the sick, risking their lives so we can all be safe…
… and I read such a self-serving “anger rant“…
My patience wanes… when I worry about patients… and doctors… and nurses.
You want to discuss the other side, degrading those in the majority who look at science … as *you* choose to berate… nope.
- dbk - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 8:12 pm:
–For goodness sake - and the sake of the state and its people - reopen Illinois ASAP.” –
Do you then consider that
a) the virus isn’t a public health threat?
b) you have no obligation to protect your fellow-Illinoisans?
c) your fellow-Illinoisans have no need to protect you from themselves?
In your opinion, should things return to business as usual, come what may - even if a “return to business as usual” ensures a second or third wave, each more severe than the previous one (as occurred with the 1918 influenza pandemic)?
I’m genuinely curious because I just can’t understand what the line of thinking is here.
- Cadillac - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 8:36 pm:
=== We are in a global pandemic. When this broke out, nobody, nobody knew how fast this would travel. Nobody knew who was most susceptible to it. Nobody knew how to counter its effects. And much of that information, although we’ve discovered, some is still unknown to experts. ===
Long winded apology, but I’m sure the Orange Man appreciates it.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 9:22 pm:
=== I am healthy and am willing to risk the 0.0001% chance of dying from it.===
Go work cleaning a hospital.
We’ve fed you enough. The rule of law and science govern, not “survival of the fittest”.
Good luck.
- XDNR - Tuesday, Apr 21, 20 @ 10:31 pm:
== Ignore the job losses and poverty - it’s the only way ur logic works. Rationally compare the consequences caused by the reaction to the virus and the virus itself. Only tunnel vision allows a conclusion to continue the stay at home/shutdown ordered.==
There is no rational comparison to the unmitigated science based response and actions as your misguided logic poses and the consequential effects you cite. Your troll Trumpkin liberate tunnel vision says it all.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 6:28 am:
=== Hindsight will enlighten all and wakefullness will bring many regrets - but then it will be too late to remedy.===
Regrets?
“The dead know only one thing: it is better to be alive.“
- Full Metal Jacket
You can’t “un-die”
=== The damage will be done. The supposed cure is worse than the disease.===
Death is worst. Death is always worst. Keep up.
===Seek to understand before you seek to be understood.===
Understand death. You don’t.
- Longtime - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 7:27 am:
How long before starving people create social unrest, all knowing blog commenters?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 7:31 am:
=== How long before starving people create social unrest, all knowing blog commenters?===
Welp, 75% of the “65 and older” crowd aren’t in any hurry to lift restrictions… one of the groups vulnerable to hardships.
You should tell those seniors they should die for you.
I’ll wait to see how the minority group of minority group reacts.
- Longtime - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 7:35 am:
You didn’t answer the question Willy. While you sit in your house with your internet connection, food, and plenty of money. I’ll ask you again, how long before starving people riot? Feds better get to approving more payments for people
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 7:41 am:
=== You didn’t answer the question===
I did. You don’t like the answer and being in a minority willing to infect me or others, even if it’s unwittingly.
=== how long before starving people riot?===
Again, keep up, one of the most vulnerable groups, seniors, are overwhelmingly in favor of keeping our safety first.
When the most vulnerable like seniors change their minds, then you could see a shift.
Right now, it’s a minority of a minority, not close to a majority.
Also, as you are using internet or a cell phone to respond and thinking dinging me is smart and winning… and quite ironic… you have no idea my situation, my family’s, my worries, my concerns… but I’m telling you as I grapple with this… dying for someone else isn’t a real option… especially those threatening violence as an alternative.
Nope.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 7:46 am:
=The free and the brave can run the state and country while those who want to quarantine can.=
Seems the free and the brave don’t have the courage to even pick a name so I have my doubts. You’re being asked to change your routines for the next few months and maybe give up going to a baseball game this summer. The horror. And you’re questioning other people’s bravery?
People can criticize the commenters here all they want, but the polls are pretty clear where the American people stand right now.
- Longtime - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 7:50 am:
I bet people who are starving will get together and the first thing they do will be some polling to get an idea where seniors may stand on their actions to try and fed themselves and families. Comical
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 7:59 am:
=== I bet people who are starving will get together and the first thing they do will be some polling to get an idea where seniors may stand on their actions to try and fed themselves and families. Comical===
See, you didn’t like my answer, so you think going after what the majority thinks is a winning snark.
Nope.
- Longtime - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 8:15 am:
I haven’t been expressing all my thoughts. I am not advocating an opening tomorrow of economy. (As you assumed) But it needs to happen sooner than later. I wasn’t attacking you personally as much as I was pointing out we ain’t starving, we have internet our perspective is not one of panic/hunger. But millions upon millions are in big trouble and unless the feds come thru with payments to people again soon. But DC seems to have moved on to corporate topics
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 8:25 am:
- Longtime -
Tensions are high, and even my anxieties are high. Anxiety is real.
The three T’s, the White House requirements to open are put together with science.
Confidence to frequent businesses, that’s as real as the need to open. You can be open, without people willing to shop defeats the purpose. Goes with anything, not just retail, not just services.
When Illinois can get open with phase one, then it should open. That confidence overrides social discourse and anger.
You need people willing to believe they can maneuver safely, as a society, not as a pocket of “patriots”
The biggest fear for me, and testing will alleviate it, the asymptomatics…unwittingly infecting… while even helping society, abd maybe hurting their family and others… with zero intention to be cavalier.
Stay safe. Be well. Wishing for a moving forward only can be a reality by following science and doing what needs to be done to open.
OW
- Longtime - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 8:36 am:
No anxiety here my friend. Just reality of situation. Humans aren’t rational actors. Be well.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 8:39 am:
=== No anxiety here my friend.===
Then you’re the first person I’ve encountered in any way (live, zoom, internet) without anxiety. Bless you.
Indeed.
=== Just reality of situation. Humans aren’t rational actors.===
Protecting people from themselves is the definition of why there is this stay at home order.
Be well, you and yours.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 8:40 am:
Polling I believe shows overwhelming support for stay at home orders. Most people have basic common sense and compassion. Most people don’t have extreme paranoia of government. Most people want to solve this problem in a way as to minimize sickness, suffering and death. Opening up too soon risks exponential transmission and many more cases. Imagine the economy then.
- Longtime - Wednesday, Apr 22, 20 @ 8:43 am:
Sorry forgot my “CYA” modifier. Always*