The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 1,465 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 68 additional deaths.
Cook County: 1 male 20s, 1 female 30s, 1 female 50s, 7 males 50s, 3 females 60s, 5 males 60s, 4 females 70s, 10 males 70s, 3 females 80s, 6 males 80s, 4 females 90s, 2 males 90s
DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 3 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
Kane County: 2 males 70s
Kankakee County: 1 male 50s
Lake County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
Rock Island County: 1 female 60s
St. Clair County: 1 male 50s
Will County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
Fulton and Greene counties are now reporting a case. Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 17,887 cases, including 596 deaths, in 83 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years.
* The governor will be speaking on this topic today…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker released a new All In Illinois PSA video featuring a strong message directed at African American communities across Chicago and Illinois, as a reminder that no community is immune to COVID-19.
Current data from Illinois and Chicago public health officials show:
• African Americans make up nearly 30% of the state’s confirmed COVID-19 cases and 42% of deaths.
• In Chicago, 72% of deaths due to COVID-19 were black, despite African Americans making up roughly 30% of the city’s population.
• People with pre-existing health conditions are more likely to have worse outcomes if they get COVID-19. Some of those conditions include: diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease or heart disease — all common for black families.
Governor Pritzker will address the challenges facing African American communities during his daily briefing today at 2:30pm.
This new PSA message, featuring prominent African American celebrities, urges everyone to stay at home to protect those who are most at risk and those on the front lines who must work and cannot stay home. “Staying inside truly saves lives,” said Jackie Joyner-Kersee. The message is simple: if we are “All In” for each other and “All In” for Illinois, we will get through this and flatten the curve together.
The new PSA video features the following celebrities:
• Artist, Chance the Rapper
• Former Chicago Bears player, Charles “Peanut” Tillman
• Chicago artist, Theaster Gates
• Olympian, Jackie Joyner-Kersee
• Actor/comedian, Deon Cole
The data accumulating over the last few weeks has shined a bright light on what seems like a uniquely American problem. Many could have told you what it would highlight, long before the data drew the picture. Generations of systemic disadvantages in healthcare delivery and in healthcare access in communities of color and black communities in particular are now amplified in this crisis. In the city of Chicago, suburban Cook County in greater St Louis in cities and towns all across our state and our nation.
First we need more ubiquitous testing. We’re working hard to expand our state testing capacity and as we do so we’re thinking seriously about where and how these tests are available and to whom. To that end, my team and I have worked to set up a partnership between the downtown Lurie Children’s Hospital in the city of Chicago, and for federally qualified health centers on the city’s south and west sides.
As always, please pardon any transcription errors. Thanks.
* The governor listed several city and suburban sites where tests would be done and then said…
These centers will take specimens for 400 people per day, and send them [out] for testing. And in the Metro East region, we’re launching a similar operation, starting next week three locations of the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation system will be taking 470 specimens per day and sending them to Anderson Hospital in Madison County. […]
I’m also excited to announce that our new state run South Suburban drive thru testing center will open early next week in the Markham Harvey area. We’ll be taking hundreds of specimens per day with test results coming back to patients much faster than the federally contracted labs.
* A bit of news here since federal help was supposed to end this week…
As for our existing two state drive thru sites, we’ve secured an extension of our federal contracts while we work to transition these sites to run entirely through state and local labs for faster test results.
* Hotel rooms…
As part of our early crisis preparations, we required each of our local jurisdictions to come up with an alternate housing plan to help residents quarantine in a safe place. Simultaneously we at the state level began preparing up to 2000 hotel rooms, outside of Chicago, to support suburban and downstate communities.
These hotel rooms are for people who tested positive for the virus, but have low level symptoms and don’t need hospital level care. There are other rooms available for people who were exposed to a COVID-19 positive person. And are there for a person under investigation, who may need to move out of their home as a precautionary measure to make sure that they don’t expose their families, or their roommates. This extends to our first responder communities especially local health departments.
* Community health providers…
This week 45 community health centers across Illinois are receiving more than $51 million through the bipartisan federal CARES act to sustain their response to this virus.
* Abbott Labs…
I also want to provide an update on our Abbott rapid test distribution. As I mentioned on Wednesday, Illinois received 15 rapid test machines, while we’re still working to acquire the necessary materials to scale up their use beyond the 120 federally provided tests, we are deploying these machines in the following manner so that they’re ready to go as soon as the new tests come. Seven of these machines are going to the federally qualified health centers that I mentioned earlier, to Chicago’s south and west sides, and the remaining three to East St. Louis and the surrounding region.
Another three will go to the Illinois Department of Human Services facilities, the Ludeman Development Center in park forest. The Shapiro Developmental Center in Kankakee, and the Elgin mental health center. And the final five will go to the Illinois Department of Corrections facilities Stateville, Logan, Graham, Dixon and Menard.
* New guidance…
Today we issued guidance that vulnerable and historically marginalized communities must receive equitable care, so that no person of color, or person with disabilities, suffers a disparate outcome due to a legacy of discrimination. It’s in moments like these that we owe each other even greater expressions of humanity.
* Dr. Ezike…
As the governor mentioned, the state is working on alternative housing in communities of color to address some of these challenges of people who live in close communities, and who may be at risk or who’ve already been found to be positive. At IDPH we’ve also created the COVID-19 equity team. It’s comprised of our director for the Center of Minority Health, and it involves other state agencies as well as many community organizations that will serve as the voice and the informational hub on how to accurately address health disparities.
* Dr. Ezike…
Overall mortality rates among blacks are five times higher than whites. And when you break it down by age groups, the disparities are even higher. For people in their 50s, the mortality rate is 12 times higher for blacks than their white counterparts. For people in their 60s, the rate is eight times higher for blacks than their white counterparts. For people in their 70s, it’s 10 times.
The governor has also invited several African-American community leaders to speak. They all offered praise for the governor and encouraged people to stay home and observe social distancing and see a doctor before they have to go to the emergency rooms.
* On to questions for the governor. You mentioned the need for widespread testing. Is 10,000 the number you’ve been throwing out, is that enough or we’re talking about even greater amounts of testing and should the president invoke defense production act as far as testing is concerned?…
Well I’ve been saying for some time now that the president should be invoking the defense production act for everything that we need to combat this pandemic. This is a war it’s a war against COVID-19. If there’s ever a time when you need to organize our industries in the country to address this with PP with testing supplies with machines. These are all things that we need to accomplish the goals that we need to make, you know, a priority in this
* Just to follow up on your comments yesterday regarding summer gatherings perhaps needing to be looked at and possibly canceled, by that same logic is it inevitable you’re going to have to cancel on site schooling for the rest of the year?…
Yesterday I was trying to address the question of whether people should be thinking about what to do about their festivals over the summer and. And I was merely suggesting that people should contemplate, what if, because we need to follow what the scientists and the doctors tell us. That’s the most important thing that we’ve got to save as many lives as possible. And so that’s going to help dictate what the answers to the questions are, it’s not what I’m saying at the podium. On any given day it’s really about what the best scientists that we’ve got are telling us how we ought to operate going forward, because this is all about saving lives. That is what this is all about.
So I’m going to follow that advice and to your question it follows that the question about schools will be dictated again by where are we as we approach April 30, which is the end of our current stay at home order, and what progress has been made and what are the doctors saying about, could you congregate groups of people together in the sizes that classrooms tend to be in the size of. So again I’m gonna wait, and listen to as we make progress here. and you’ve heard me say yesterday, we’re making progress, so that’s good news. But I don’t want to project what next week or the week after will exactly look like because I don’t exactly know when we’re going to peak, or how fast the downslide will be if we do come down off of that peak, or if peaking means that we’re simply flattening the curve and flattening the curve and staying at the peak for some period of time, and then falling we just don’t know yet.
They keep answering the question even though the answer never changes.
* The President today said that the governors, and he didn’t name any by name, but he said that the governors are more satisfied now … are you satisfied with where things are in terms of PPE and everything right now?…
I won’t be satisfied until we’re past this pandemic, frankly, so you know if you hear me complain now and again if you hear me argue for more for Illinois. It’s because we need it. And it’s because we’re doing everything that we can, and it’s not enough, and therefore we need help from others. And so I’m going to make that plea, wherever I need to. But, you know, we’re doing everything we can, I feel like we are making progress, but I’m going to be on the phone with the governors and with the vice president with the president for as long and as often as I need to be.
* I don’t know if you were made aware earlier in the day but since we’ve been in this room. The Chicago Police Department announced that they’ve lost their second member to COVID-19. So first of all your reaction to that, and part two of that is there are still first responders on the first line both in Chicago Chicago Police Department and other departments who still claim they are being protected not enough is being done to keep them safe with regard to PPE…
Let me address the loss of another member of our law enforcement. This has happened across the state. Our first responders. They’re the ones protecting us they in our health care workers. And so every loss of life is a loss to all of us. But someone who’s out there every day who, you know, as they leave their home and kiss their families goodbye knows that they’re exposing themselves potentially to people who have COVID-19 and doing so to protect all of us. Those people are worthy of some special note. Those are heroes and so I you know I every loss is important to all of us we’re paying attention to every loss. But again, those heroes are special and should be taken note of each time so I’m glad you raised it to my attention. Thank you.
We are providing PPE to law enforcement all across the state we have state police that are coordinating the provision of PPE to police departments, fire departments other first responders. Remember that the state is really the backup and support, you know we’ll deliver. I mean if a police department doesn’t have what it needs, they simply need to reach out to the state police or to IEMA, the Emergency Management Agency for Illinois, and we will make sure that they get what they need. And we are constantly out in the global market acquiring the PPE that’s necessary we have it today so anybody that says that they don’t have it, or they aren’t being given the PPE, first thing they should do is go to their superiors at their own agency at their police department or fire department and ask them for that PPE, and if they’re not getting it there they can call their local health department which is where we often deliver much of the PPE that we’re sending around the state, or to the state police and we will make sure that PPE is provided to their department.
* Here in Chicago, and our region hospital CEO was worried about nursing and medical staff leaving their posts for other jobs at McCormick Place and other alternative medical care facilities, he says they just can’t compete with the wages that are offered at McCormick and is worried that they’re going to end up with a critical shortage of staff to operate…
So, I want to make clear what’s happening so nationally, there is a shortage of healthcare workers, and they are looking everywhere in New York City and New Jersey and Connecticut and all the states that you’ve heard of that are hotspots, including by the way in Michigan right they’re hiring wherever they can find people, and there is a market for those people. And so they’re being bid up, essentially, so that the competition is coming from all over the country again. This is because there is no organization of, you know, the supply chain even a people here which the President could be helpful with. But, this is where we are. And so, it is true that the the alternate care facilities in Illinois are also in that market, but we are not hiring, we are not hiring or making, we’re not making any effort to reach out to people in the Chicago market within a certain radius of Chicago, because we don’t want to take away from existing facilities in order to have them work at one of our alternate care facilities. That doesn’t mean though that someone who is part time and not assigned to any given hospital, and therefore isn’t on staff doesn’t put themselves in the market for one of these other positions either in another state or in an alternate care facility so we’re trying to be careful to not, you know, try to poach anybody from an existing facility. And we want to make sure that everybody’s fully staffed.
* You’ve made it clear that you don’t necessarily agree with some of the peak projections that are circulating. So in the interest of transparency, can you share your own methods and models for calculations and peak?…
Well we have multiple models i mean i it would be hard for me just to point at one particular thing and here’s the thing, even any model that everybody likes to point at the IHME model. And, and, you know, it’s a fine model, but the range of possibility between you know the low end of the high end, we’re talking about, you know, I think 30,000 beds difference between the low end and the high end of that model. So I you know how do you even build for that range?
So you have to, you know, you have to kind of look at several models look at what their assumptions are talk to our own experts we’ve got some of the best in the, in the world right here in Illinois, that we rely upon to listen to how they look at those models and also their own models, and then you know you’re, you’re basically taking several models and trying to guesstimate where is the right spot to aim for. And then the question that I think everybody should be thinking about which is. It’s not just about the peak that we’re potentially going through over the next several weeks. There’s also the threat of a peak in the fall.
And you know doctors will tell you that if you look back at the Spanish flu and other pandemics, and even if you look in other countries that have opened up after they’ve peaked that you see a resurgence of cases because we don’t have a vaccine yet. And there isn’t a treatment either yet. So, if you really begin to open things up you’re going to have a second wave. And so we need to make sure that we’re fully prepared. We don’t want to have a second wave, and God forbid we do, because other places in the country open up or because you know we make adjustments and they aren’t proper, which I hope we don’t do improper ones that is that we have to be able to address that. So, so all of the acquisition of PPE and and ventilators, and the maintenance of ICU beds and hospitals has that in mind and again we look at multiple models in order to try and guesstimate and that’s really the best you can do what you really need.
* A community health center in Jacksonville laid off staff and closed doors today because it has too few patients coming in. What are those medical staff needed and other hotspots and what is your plan to keep these medical centers open?…
Well there’s certainly no intention to hire them away from an existing health center. But certainly any of the folks who were working at a health center that are no longer working there, because that center is closed, we need them elsewhere, we need them at another facility. […]
And I’m surprised to learn of that closing there is money that’s coming in I think I just announced it moments ago that’s going to help centers, maybe it’s not enough and I would argue that the hospitals and health centers in the country are not getting enough yet from the federal relief packages. So I’m lobbying and arguing for more. But, I am sorry that that a health center anywhere in the state has closed.
* The Vice President urged people this morning to keep Easter gatherings to fewer than 10 people. Is that something you would agree with or would you tell people to limit a holiday gathering to just those in their own households?…
Well, I would like people to stay at home. I mean that is the safest best thing that they can do stay home. Celebrate at home, you can do so over telecommunications over video conferencing. Zoom or Skype or some other method and and many, many of the pastor’s that are here will acknowledge, everybody would like to get together for the holidays. But this is just one holiday where, you know, I think the the you know the teachings from the Bible will tell you that you know that it is our obligation to save a life. If we have the opportunity to staying home is saving a life, not just your own somebody else’s.
* The New York Times obtained a homeland security projection showing infections might spike in mid to late summer if stay at home orders are lifted after 30 days. Are you familiar with these projections and when will you decide whether to extend it…
I just read a brief paragraph about it, maybe an hour or two ago.
And then he said what he’s been saying for days and days when these questions are asked. He’ll listen to the scientists before making up his mind.
* The data appears to indicate that the coronavirus case growth rate is slowing and Illinois is bending the curve, but the number of new cases today was higher than yesterday. Can you comment on the prospects for bending the curve down, as well as what’s expected next in terms of next steps needed to bend it down further?…
I said yesterday that I believe when you look at the data, it appears to me that we are bending the curve. As far as bending the curve down that evidence isn’t quite there yet. But bending it downward to show it has a downward slope we aren’t there yet. But remember that we were increasing the number of deaths and increasing the number of cases in an exponential fashion for a little while […]
I think you would see also that the number of cases that are being detected as we have increasing testing, and you saw today that we were again over 6000 I think even over 6500, that we had nevertheless around the level number of cases detected. So again I’m not a doctor, I’m not a statistician but I can read numbers and understand what leveling looks like and, Again, a few days in a row is a good sign and a glimmer of hope.
* More than two thirds of rural counties across the country have a confirmed case and at least one case of a COVID-19 death, and one in 10 are reporting at least one death, what can you do to make sure Illinois rural areas are getting the testing they deserve…
You heard me talk about the fact that in downstate Illinois we in fact are increasing testing. I talked about the Metro East area but you know Carbondale and Edwardsville both we monitor very closely and the health centers that are in the critical access hospitals health centers that are in other communities in downstate Illinois are receiving funding, they’re receiving testing, they have swabs many of them have the ability to send the testing to our state labs, we have a state lab that’s in Carbondale one in Springfield so we have the ability to collect those swabs and test them and in relatively short order. And we want to make sure that everybody has testing available. That is why we must increase testing everywhere. It isn’t just in Chicago.
* When will Westlake hospital be up and running to respond to COVID-19 patients, what about other shuttered hospitals the state has identified for opening again, if they’re not up and running by the time Illinois hits our peak will they only be open as long as money in the cares act can pay for them…
It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact date that they will be open but what I can tell you is that our target date for Westlake hospital Metro south, as well as Sherman hospital is April 24 for completion of construction. Once construction is complete, we will need about two days to train all of the staff and have the facility ready to open and accept patients for vibra Hospital, we have a little bit more of an extended timeline we are targeting may 9 for construction completion at Vibra.
* How has the pandemic changed how your family celebrated Passover this year? Do you have any advice or recommendations for family celebrating Easter this weekend?…
Well I was a part of two different saders on both nights of Passover. And they were both over zoom […]
So there are lots of ways to do it. I will say that it was almost fun. … Because you can connect with people that that might not otherwise be able to get to your home on a typical Passover, or a typical Easter and this is an opportunity for you to experience this all the same together. And it really is like being, I know it doesn’t sound like it, but it really is kind of like being in the same room you can see everybody. If anybody ever saw the old show Hollywood Squares. It’s a little bit like Hollywood Squares, you can see everybody on the same screen and talk to them all and it’s really quite good so my staff are all about half my age are laughing in the background because they don’t know what Hollywood Squares. So anyway, thank you all very much. Happy Easter everyone.
Two people have died and more than 50 have tested positive for the coronavirus at the Elisabeth Ludeman Center, an enormous state-run facility for adults with severe disabilities in Park Forest that’s become a virus “hot spot” in the south suburbs.
The majority of cases are residents who live at the facility, but more than a dozen staff members have been infected, Park Forest Mayor Jonathan Vanderbilt said Friday. […]
Vanderbilt is imploring the public to donate personal protective gear to the facility.
It is most in need of disposable stethoscopes, disposable blood pressure cuffs and disposable gowns. Vanderbilt said he reached out to the Cubs and White Sox asking for the teams’ rain ponchos, which could double as protective gowns for staff at the facility.
“The staff is desperate for this protective gear,” Vanderbilt said. “Many of the residents have underlying health issues, and the number of infections at the facility is expected to rise, that’s the scary part.”
* In the wake of news about outbreaks in at least three different state facilities which serve developmentally disabled people, Hannah Meisel at the Daily Line asked the governor and the IDPH director yesterday what the state is doing about it. The answers were somewhat unclear, so I reached out to the governor’s office for a better explanation…
IDPH has worked closely with IDHS to ensure our congregate care facilities under the state’s care were prepared for COVID-19.
At the beginning of March, IDPH issued guidance for long-term care facilities. Facilities were instructed to think through plans to identify spaces to separate residents and spread out if they needed and create plans for isolation if they needed.
First, facilities implemented visitor questionnaires and screening and then stopped visitors altogether to try to prevent the virus from entering the facility. Pre-shift assessments were implemented to ensure staff were not working while sick. When residents required healthcare they tried to provide appointments within the facility instead of transferring residents to a hospital. A lot of steps were taken before they had a positive case.
Now that there are cases at these facilities, IDPH is working closely with them in terms of having an infection control preventionist working directly with the facilities. We’re keeping a close eye, and we’ve had deliveries of thousands of PPE materials to these facilities, include a shipment that should have been delivered to Murray today.
It’s obviously not enough if we have a state facility begging baseball teams for rain ponchos.
* And there’s this from IARF President & CEO Josh Evans…
It is with deep sadness and concern that we continue to learn of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in group homes and state centers where individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities reside. With at least 47 known cases in group homes and five deaths – and with news of over a dozen residents of Murray Center - we grieve with families and guardians that are experiencing loss and we hope for a speedy recovery for those going through this horrible illness. […]
Yet for many staff in IARF provider agencies and state-run centers, there isn’t access to critically needed personal protective equipment (PPEs), such as masks, disinfectant, thermometers, and robes. We simply cannot get PPE in the quantity we need it to protect residents and staff.
Evans went on to praise the Department of Human Services and the administration for taking quick action that likely saved lives, but then said this…
Consider this a call to anyone reading this – in government, outside of government, in supply chains, in our healthcare and social services safety net with any sort of surplus or reserve – we need PPE – we need it to protect our friends and loved ones with developmental disabilities, and the staff that support them – with families of their own.
The Illinois Department of Human Services has conducted hundreds of coronavirus tests at its seven facilities for people with developmental disabilities in the past week, yielding positive results for 112 residents and 43 employees.
The confirmed cases include 17 residents and six employees at Warren G. Murray Developmental Center in Centralia, the third-largest facility in the state with 241 residents and 559 employees. […]
At least 69 residents and employees have tested positive for coronavirus at Samuel H. Shapiro Developmental Center in Kankakee, the state’s largest facility for people with developmental disabilities. Elisabeth Ludeman Developmental Center in Park Forest, the second-largest, had 52 confirmed cases and two deaths as of Thursday.
* 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.
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.”
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…
I’ve been asking the same thing. Couldn’t see how they would think that’s appropriate. Have to at least state who the question is from. Right now, she could just make things up to fit the narrative if she chose to. Not saying that’s happening, BTW.
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.
Lindsay Ippel Douglass has worked in emergency rooms and Level 1 trauma centers as a nurse. She’s also worked in the intensive care unit at Decatur Memorial Hospital after she and husband Chris moved back from Chicago several years ago.
When the COVID-19 unit opened at the hospital, she volunteered to work there, too. One evening as she headed to work, her husband and two small children were outdoors, and her husband asked a passerby to help them cheer for her as she left.
“The next night my former basketball coach from Millikin, Lori Kerans, and her family as well as my in-laws who all live nearby joined them,” Douglass said. “Since then it has grown to not only include many neighbors but other family, friends, Millikin teammates and friends and other supporters from my church.”
The support for her and her fellow frontline healthcare workers helps keep their spirits up, she said, as well as donations of food and protective equipment such as masks, safety glasses and headbands.
* This was on Twitter a few days ago. Make sure to turn up the sound…
If the goal is to keep social distancing as a way to bend the virus curve, then the government is sending mixed messages.
On one hand, the government is shutting down small businesses who were following the social distancing rules and had smaller customer bases, while concurrently allowing big box stores to remain open, with the implication that bigger stores must be safer.
Here are a few examples of many mixed messages that do not seem to pass the public commonsense test:
A flower store on Perryville was informed that they could not sell flowers, not even curbside. The reasoning behind the decision; public safety was at risk. Yet on the very same street, Lowes, Home Depot and Meijer’s all have their flower departments fully open.
I think it’s a reasonable question. So I put it to the governor’s office by using the example of small clothing stores that are closed while big box stores stayed open and are selling clothes.
* Response from Jordan Abudayyeh…
COVID-19 has brought us unprecedented challenges that no one could have imagined just a few months ago.
Like the governor has said, there are no good or easy choices. Right now, there are only bad and less bad choices.
For many communities in Illinois, big box stores are the only pharmacy or grocery store in town. The administration prioritized keeping open essential businesses so residents would have access to food and medicine during this crisis.
Again, there are no perfect solutions. Once we’re able to test expansively, closely trace the virus, and offer treatment we look forward to returning to some semblance of normalcy.
Thoughts?
…Adding… Since I asked Jordan about clothing stores, she just sent me this about garden shops…
The Department of Commerce and Economic Development (DCEO)’s original guidance provided that “stores that sell supplies that assist with either (a) agriculture; or (b) products for landscaping can continue to sell those products to the public, provided adequate social distancing is complied with.” This guidance remains valid.
DCEO has expanded their original guidance so that all garden stores, garden centers, and nurseries (even those that did not fall within our original guidance above) are allowed to sell products for delivery or pick-up. That expanded guidance states: “Garden stores and greenhouses can remain open for purposes of maintaining inventory, and to fulfill online and phone orders for pick-up or delivery only.” This guidance applies to both standalone stores as well as garden centers that are part of a larger store (such as a garden center that is part of a hardware store or big box stores such as Lowes or Home Depot).
So, Syverson could be dealing with a local control issue. Anyway, the overall point still stands.
After nearly four decades in prison for his role as the lookout in two gas station robberies, Basil Powell was given a second chance at life Thursday.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker commuted the former Chicago man’s natural life sentence earlier this week amid mounting pressure from prison reform advocates urging the release of elderly or ill inmates during the coronavirus pandemic.
Powell, a 68-year-old grandfather with diabetes and high blood pressure, has been in prison since 1986 under an old tough-on-crime sentencing law that labeled him a habitual criminal and forever slammed the prison door shut after his third class X felony conviction.
Powell is among a group of people serving life sentences in the Illinois Department of Corrections to whom Pritzker has quietly granted release in recent days through his executive clemency power.
His office did not provide information on the commutations Thursday. But Pritzker has commuted the sentences of 17 Illinois prisoners since March 11, including seven convicted of murder.
The bulk of the total federal influx includes $470 million to the city from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, nearly $800 million dedicated to the CTA and $205 million for Chicago Public Schools.
O’Hare and Midway airports also will get a split of the $10 billion the legislation includes for airports across the country. The city currently is in discussions with the Federal Aviation Administration and still doesn’t know how much Chicago’s airports will receive, but officials said they expect it will be “considerable assistance.”
Lightfoot cracked the door open to a tax increase.
“I’m gonna be very clear-eyed about the fact that if there is a need to raise additional revenue after we see in the long term what this impact will be, I’m gonna be straightforward and very transparent about it,” she said.
While it’s too soon to tell for sure, the mayor said, she took layoffs and a delayed pension payment off the table when and if the city recalculates its budget.
Layoffs “don’t make sense to us” because government should be spurring and not retarding growth now, Lightfoot said. As for pensions, “We’re not going to compromise our long-term financial position.”
Lightfoot et al. continued to assert they expect to receive $160 million in the form of a higher Medicaid reimbursement for the use of Fire Department ambulances. That application, sent to the state, has been pending in Washington for several months now, with money already included in the city’s 2020 budget.
City officials did not directly answer a question on whether pension obligation bonds are being considered beyond saying they would not take any actions that damage the city’s fiscal position. City hall and market sources have told The Bond Buyer that the city is exploring the POBs idea and bankers have been asked to run numbers on various scenarios and the administration has enlisted some aldermen to join in consideration of the idea.
One source cautioned that at this point the city was exploring the idea and sizing, timing, and structuring were a long way off if the city decided to go that route and the aim would be to improve funding and not for near-term relief. […]
The city so far has spent $100 million on COVID-19 emergency response costs for equipment, supplies and quarantine and shelter sites and believes it’s eligible to receive more than $500 million in federal aid from CARES with its eligibility on other packages still under review.
The city maintains strong liquidity of more than $2 billion in cash to manage near-term costs, as noted by rating agencies. “We are not looking to draw down our reserves” and have flexibility with liquidity, Bennett said.
They’re also taking a look at the Federal Reserve’s new Municipal Liquidity Facility. Click here for more info on that.
The governor should also be sharing far more detailed budget info. He has said he’s focusing on keeping people healthy, and that’s definitely his top job right now.
But Illinois’ finances are always an issue and the public has a right to know what this crisis is doing to the state’s bottom line.
Amendments to Article IV of this Constitution may be proposed by a petition signed by a number of electors equal in number to at least eight percent of the total votes cast for candidates for Governor in the preceding gubernatorial election. Amendments shall be limited to structural and procedural subjects contained in Article IV. A petition shall contain the text of the proposed amendment and the date of the general election at which the proposed amendment is to be submitted, shall have been signed by the petitioning electors not more than twenty-four months preceding that general election and shall be filed with the Secretary of State at least six months before that general election.
A group of political activists have filed a federal lawsuit, arguing that the signature requirements to put referenda on the November ballot must be eased because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Perhaps not surprisingly, one of their lawyers is former Gov. Pat Quinn, who stepped onto the political stage more than four decades ago by gathering signatures to put various referenda on the ballot and never kicked the habit. […]
In their lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the plaintiffs said they want the court to issue an order to allow them to collect signatures electronically, to lower the threshold signatures needed to get a question on the ballot by 50 percent and to push back the deadline to turn in signatures.
Issue a temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction enjoining or modifying enforcement of Illinois’ petition collection requirements for initiative referendums for Illinois’ November 3, 2020 general election; and (ii) enabling and requiring the Defendants to allow for petitions to be submitted electronically via names of qualified electors collected by an online form to be created by the Secretary of State; extend the May 3, 2020 deadline for an Article XIV, Section 3 referendum to August 3, 2020; and reduce by 50% the number of signatures required to qualify statewide and Evanston initiative referendums for the general election ballot or some percentage of required signatures necessary to demonstrate substantial public support;
* So, what are they trying to get on the ballot? Here’s Lauraann Wood at Law360…
The committee aims to ask voters in November whether Illinois’ constitution should be amended to allow them to petition for a mandatory roll call vote on legislative bills proposing stronger ethical standards for Illinois public officials. Under current Illinois petitioning requirements, it will need to submit 363,813 signatures by May 3 to place the initiative on the November ballot, according to the suit.
Locally, plaintiff Jackson Paller wants a ballot referendum asking whether Evanston, Illinois, residents should be given petition power to propose ordinances that would require a City Council vote within 70 days. He’ll need to submit 2,800 signatures by Aug. 3 to get that question on the ballot, the suit says.
Instead of an ice rink or basketball court, the floor of the United Center is currently packed from end to end with nearly 26,000 boxes of food.
As of Thursday, a whopping 774,840 pounds of rice, beans, pasta, tuna, tomato sauce, peanut butter, canned vegetables and other non-perishable items filled every inch of the normal playing surface.
The food has been relocated to free up space in the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s main warehouse, according to GCFD senior manager Greg Trotter.
Friday, Apr 10, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois Kidney Care Alliance (IKCA) members are among the dialysis providers joining forces to protect some of society’s most vulnerable patients during the coronavirus pandemic.
DaVita, Fresenius, U.S. Renal Care, and American Renal Associates – IKCA members – are working together to create and share a nationwide network of clinics that will focus on serving patients with COVID-19.
As you may know, 30,000 people in Illinois suffer from kidney disease. When kidney disease progresses to kidney failure, patients are faced with two treatment options: dialysis three times per week or undergoing a kidney transplant. Especially given the current global pandemic, dialysis is not optional — it is essential.
The Illinois Kidney Care Alliance consists of community groups, advocates, health professionals, and businesses from across Illinois focused on raising awareness of the needs of people who suffer from kidney failure and their loved ones. For more information, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and visit our website.
At least three Illinois hospitals in Lake County have joined others in the region in hitting a pandemic milestone: filling all of the intensive care beds they had prior to the arrival of the coronavirus, according to county officials.
One of them, Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, acknowledged it nearly ran out of room for more ICU patients Tuesday evening.
The hospital, which had 16 intensive care unit beds before the COVID-19 pandemic, has added many more in recent weeks. But Tuesday night, all ICU beds for which it could provide appropriate staffing were full, said Norman Stephens, CEO of Vista Health System. […]
Since Tuesday, the hospital has gotten more nurses, opened up more ICU beds and discharged many patients, meaning it is no longer on the edge of reaching ICU capacity, Stephens said.
The Illinois Nurses Association today warned that the nurse-to-patient ratio at AMITA St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Joliet is four times higher than safe levels in the units where COVID-19 patients are treated. SJMC had recommended care for patients in COVID care units, who require around the clock care and monitoring, be at a 1 to 1 ratio of nurses to patients.
According to INA, due to COVID-19, that ratio is now up to one nurse for every four patients.
INA learned that 16 nurses are under investigation for COVID-19, creating an immediate shortage of skilled nurses to help patients. The hospital recently furloughed 45 staff including 16 nurses, exacerbating the problem.
“There are not enough nurses in the ER, ICU and the COVID-19 unit,” said Pat Meade, RN at ASJMC. “Runners are needed to assist the nurse because we can’t leave the critical patients.”
Higher nurse to patient ratios is associated with higher mortality rates and higher rates of workplace violence.
The hospital this week reported five deaths associated with COVID-19 and nine patients were transferred from Stateville Correctional Center for treatment. As of today, there are 62 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 or were under investigation for the virus.
INA learned this week that 12 correctional center staff tested positive while 187 staff await results. Additionally, 14 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 and 77 have shown symptoms. Hospitals in the Joliet area have begun treating these patients and it’s likely all Joliet-area hospitals will be taxed to capacity soon.
“These ratios are putting nurses and patients at risk. A ratio of four patients to one Registered Nurse in an ICU is not safe,” said Alice Johnson, executive director of the INA.
Meade expressed frustration that nurses’ advice on public health preparation was not taken as seriously as it should have been.
Some Illinois nursing home residents who have been hospitalized during the COVID-19 pandemic have been stuck in limbo. When hospitals have decided these patients were well enough to return to their long-term care facilities, some nursing homes have resisted taking them back.
The problem is bubbling up around the country, with states stepping in to varying degrees — with some forcing nursing homes to take back COVID-19 patients and others restricting them from returning.
To help address the issue in Illinois, industry groups recently forged a plan and presented it to state officials. The Illinois Department of Public Health released it Tuesday. It makes recommendations on the hand-off of patients between hospitals and nursing homes, depending on how sick the patients are.
For example, it recommends that nursing homes put residents returning from the hospital who have tested positive for COVID-19 in a designated wing or unit, keeping them apart from other residents. For returning patients who aren’t as sick, they can be isolated in their own rooms and wear face masks during treatments until their symptoms clear up or until 14 days have passed since they became sick.
The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont has been considered as a possible field hospital that could deal with an overflow of patients, but only as a “last resort,” village officials said.
The Army Corps of Engineers recently toured the 840,000-square-foot village-owned exhibition center, where officials discussed plans for as many as 3,000 beds, should area hospitals become overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.
Christopher Stephens, the convention center’s executive director, said the Army Corps and other officials on the tour “liked the space” and considered using the entire building. But since the sprawling field hospital being built at McCormick Place in Chicago has yet to take any patients, constructing and putting a similar makeshift hospital in Rosemont “would be somewhat of a last resort,” Stephens said.
Wearing a surgical mask constructed from Chicago Cubs-branded fabric, Riverside Healthcare President and CEO Phil Kambic gave local media a tour of what the hospital has put in place in case a rush of COVID-19 patients hits the hospital.
Of course, Kambic and other Riverside Medical Center personnel say they hope these plans are not needed to be enacted, but the hospital stands ready.
“We’re going to be OK,” Kambic said near the conclusion of an approximate two-hour session with media members. “Just be cautious and do the right thing.”
Neil Young has released “Shut It Down 2020,” a new version of “Shut It Down” from his 2019 album Colorado that was “inspired by fans reaching out to Young expressing the elevated poignancy the song has come to represent during this pandemic.” Recorded with Crazy Horse, the new video is interspersed with images from various places around the world from the past month. “These are uncertain times,” Young said in a statement. “I wish you all the best as you care for our sick, the young and old who we love so much.”
I want to thank Abbott, which informed us yesterday that facilities in our state which are operating with their machines can now access swabs directly from them, instead of through third parties. Great development.
Pritzker noted yesterday that the federal government had “waylaid” the tests and sent them to private entities.
Again, please pardon all transcription typos.
* More from today…
As Dr. Ezike and I told you yesterday, our rate of rise is looking less and less exponential. That indicates to us that we are in fact bending the curve. There is even some evidence that we may be moving toward a flatter curve. But we need to keep watching the data on a daily basis. Keep in mind our case numbers, and the death toll are still growing. And thus, our fight must continue. And the data will show that those numbers are growing more slowly. And that’s a very good thing.
It’s all of you, the families and individual residents of Illinois, who are making the biggest difference in our fight against COVID-19.
* The governor then went on to highlight and thank groups all over the state which have pitched in during the crisis. Here’s one…
Communities of Southern Illinois came together to launch Marion United, a live stream benefit featuring local artists, musicians and community leaders, sharing hope and encouragement. They raised nearly $200,000 from hundreds of donors money that will go directly to support local businesses that have been impacted.
* The governor started his presser today with a shoutout to this person…
— adam i. hasegawa 🥃📬📚 (@adamihasegawa) April 9, 2020
Here’s what he said…
To the Forest Park resident who tweets every day that he has faithfully enjoyed a cocktail or a mocktail during this press conference every afternoon since March, 26: Know that your hashtag, #SpritzersWithPritzker, has brought a smile to the governor’s staff, and lots of people seem to appreciate your tweeting the drink recipes too. So thank you.
* On to questions for the governor and Dr. Ezike. For Dr. Ezike: Why are some zip codes, seeing more cases than others?…
First of all, let’s not put all our eggs in the zip code and the tallies that we have there, because we do know that there are many more positive cases than we have actually tested and confirmed. Again, you know, working as hard as we can to get those testing numbers up and increasing that capacity. But nevertheless, for every case that you find there are many others so it doesn’t mean, again we’ve been stressing that significantly, that even if you think you don’t have a case in your zip code that’s probably not actually the case. But we do know that there are areas, communities, neighborhoods where there’s a higher density of people with, whether it’s comorbidity conditions that predispose to serious complications and death.
* What feedback have you gotten from small business owners about how the minimum wage increase in July?…
You know, it’s only been the, the large business organizations like the Chamber of Commerce who have brought this up. The truth is, the current conditions actually indicate to you more than ever before why we need to raise the minimum wage across the state. So, look where we’re all concerned to make sure that we bring this economy back to where it could be should be after we’re able to get past the peak and past the danger that this poses for many people, but that is very frankly it’s unrelated to the rise in the minimum wage, which is a very small raise you know each year it goes up by a little bit, and it’s a very small raise that’s coming in July relative to, you know, the entire raise which happened over a six year period.
* Governor, the rules of unemployment were supposed to change to allow them to apply for benefits, but we’re hearing from many people that IDES has not yet allowed them access to apply. Is there a timeframe on when this will happen, any advice for these people?…
Well there are federal benefits, you’re right, that were provided in the federal bill, but almost no state has this available to them because you’ve got to build a system for that. That’s not just something you can add on to your existing system. So, we’ve hired the necessary personnel, we’ve hired the outside provider who can build the system for us, and it’ll be up in the coming weeks, coming weeks, kind of the timeline. And again, we’ve got, you know we’ve hired the best we can [who are] working as expeditiously as they can. Every state has this challenge so we’re gonna do it as fast as we possibly can.
* What should we expect for the summer, and could we go through this again come fall or winter?…
Yes. In short, yes. The fact of the matter is that we are not going to be truly able to begin to move on until we have a testing, much greater testing contact tracing and treatment. Test trace and treat. We have to have those available that’s even before there’s a vaccine.
* Governor, your counterpart in New York said this morning that they’re working to ramp up testing sites in the African-American community. You are well aware of Chicago situation. What is being done here in Chicago to get more testing in the African American community?…
We’re doing that very same thing. In fact, I was just talking this morning and yesterday morning about a drive-thru site that we intend to put up in the south suburbs in a heavily African American community. We’re looking at other sites, and the placement of testing sites is directly related to who’s getting tested, of course. So we wanted to make sure that we spread those five minute tests are the five to 15 minute tests the rapid tests into communities where we know we have significant issues like the African American community. So those 15 machines that you heard me talk about yesterday that we’re trying to get more testing capability through. We want to make sure that when those tests come in that many of those are placed in communities where particularly African American communities where people are we have more vulnerability than others.
* Do you think the stay at home order will be lifted before April 30?…
Look, you know, we talk a lot about peaking and we talk a lot about how we’re bending the curve, the curve is still upward trajectory. And so just because we’re bending the curve does not mean it’s bending down yet. And so people need to understand that, that it is unlikely that that we will be able to lift this stay at home before April 30.
* What’s been spent on PPE?…
We’re going to be listing the various contracts online so people can take a look at it. I couldn’t tell you what the total is now, but I know that it’s not infrequent that we have to place a $5 million order, or even a $10 million order for PPE. Think about the cost of what is normally an 85 cent or $1 N95 mask is now going for anywhere between four and $7 apiece. So if you need millions of them as we have indicated that we do a million of those at $5 apiece is $5 million. So that’s just N95 masks.
* Governor Baker of Massachusetts has launched a virtual call center of 1000 people to trace contacts of those testing positive for COVID-19. Are you considering any similar contact tracing measures in Illinois?…
Yep, because it’s a great … indicator of what really needs to happen all across the nation and especially as we … move beyond the peak.
* What is DHS’s plan to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in residential centers for the developmentally disabled now that cases are reported, especially given the challenges that population presents, including, not necessarily understanding what’s going on?…
Dr. Ezike: So we believe that, you know, we’re going to be able to limit the spread. As you know as best we can with PPE, with the staff following the protocols and by separating the various residents between those who have COVID- 19 and those who haven’t been. ….Time is becoming relative now, I believe at the end of February beginning of March, they were very proactive. They were immediately following recommendations to start thinking about their facilities trying to identify their space issues trying to figure out how people would be able to be spread out if they needed to isolate and segregate. They, as the governor said, were right on top of it in terms of closing down facilities to visitors I know sometimes people would think that sounds difficult but in a situation such as this where you know that the virus is being brought in by a visitor. That is the aggressive step that has to be taken also doing pre-shift assessments on people who work in the facility. So, they weren’t even proactively looking at instead of moving people back and forth, they were bringing providers that had to assess people in terms of trying to figure out if there would be need for evaluation if it could be done on site instead of transferring to a hospital. So again, a lot of steps were taken, even before they had a single case, they do have some cases and some other facilities now IDPH is working close with them in terms of having a consultant and infection control preventionist working directly with the facilities. And so, we’re keeping a close eye on and partner I think we had a delivery of PPE with thousands of mass surgical masks and N95, that even went should have been delivered today, so we are following closely and they’re doing a great job and we’re going to mitigate as much as we can.
* There have been reports that HHS plans to no longer support community based COVID-19 sites. Many at Walmart parking lots. Is this accurate has the state been told this will these test sites continue? If so, who will pay for the testing?…
So, just to back up a second, HHS, the federal government, set up this organized effort to have drive thru facilities with Walgreens parking lots, Walmart parking lots, and signed a deal with labcorp and quest which are two of the largest laboratories in the nation to do the actual evaluation of the test the swabs themselves would be done at the drive thru. And then those swabs are sent to labcorp and quest. That’s what we’re talking about when we talk about the federal sites that HHS put up. We have a number of those sites in Illinois.
It is true that on April 10, which I think is tomorrow, they will be handing over those sites to the States. Their intention, they didn’t say this upfront but it became clear about a week ago, that their intention was to set these up to make them operational and then to hand them over to the States. And so we are taking over those, we will be providing personnel we’ve asked for as much support as we can get from the federal government in that turnover, because obviously we have a limited number of healthcare personnel available in the state, but we need to do this testing. I think the biggest challenge is that they’re only providing a limited number of swabs, for each of those sites as they have only been using a limited number of swabs themselves, and each of those sites and we’d like to do more.
And so I’ve asked for more swabs from the federal government. We’ll see whether we’re able to get them. But our intention is to do as much testing as we possibly can in their drive thru sites but I just want to make it clear that taking a swab is not doing a test taking a swab is taking a specimen, and then putting it in a vial.
* What advice would you give to organizers of big summer events, concerts, etc.? Should they plan to proceed plan on crowd limits, should they think about canceling?…
I think everybody needs to think seriously about canceling large summer events. From my perspective today, I do not see how we are going to have large gatherings of people, again, until we have a vaccine, which is months and months away.
I would not risk having large groups of people getting together, anywhere. And I think that’s hard for everybody to hear but that’s just a fact that they’re just, you know, even with, you know, testing and tracing and treating as is necessary for us to begin to make changes, it isn’t enough for me to say that it’s okay to have a big festival with a whole bunch of people gathering together.
* Have you heard of the workshare program helping 29 states and Washington DC? A University of Illinois professor says Illinois could get $1.1 billion and avert up to 124,000 layoffs will Illinois join?…
Yeah, it’s an excellent program. I understand that the availability of that program was open, under the previous governor and he didn’t act upon it. We are looking at how we might open a program like that at work share program. And I don’t disagree that you know whatever we can get to support workers to expand the workforce or make available opportunities for people who are laid off. We’re going to pursue.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 1,344 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 66 additional deaths.
Cook County: 2 females 40s, 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 6 males 60s, 6 females 70s, 6 males 70s, 6 female 80s, 5 males 80s, 3 females 90s, 3 males 90s, 1 female 100+
DuPage County: 2 males 70s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
Effingham County: 1 male 60s
Kane County: 1 female 90s
Kankakee County: 1 male 80s
Lake County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 80s, 2 male 90s
Rock Island County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s
St. Clair County: 1 male 70s
Will County: 1 female 30s, 1 female 60s, 2 males 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s
Hancock, Pulaski, and Schuyler counties are now reporting a case. Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 16,422 cases, including 528 deaths, in 81 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years.
* Ted E. Leverenz was once chairman of the Illinois House’s only appropriations committee. There are now six approp committees.
Ted had amazing sources throughout state government, which he then used to his advantage when pressing agency directors about their shortcomings as administrators. He often jokingly referred to himself as “Agent 99,” a reference to a female spy on the old Get Smart TV show.
Ted was enormously helpful to me when I first started out. He knew so much and he was such an entertaining fellow, particularly when he was relentlessly grilling those aforementioned agency directors. Ted, then-Sen. Judy Baar Topinka and a few others helped a nobody who nobody sent figure out how the government really worked. I will be forever grateful to them.
Ted eventually moved to the Senate via appointment. He was never happy there. He lost all his seniority and complained about how everyone in the chamber was so old. “Their parking places are wider,” he said. “You know why? So they can get their walkers out of their cars!”
My dad Ted E. Leverenz fought the good fight! Today Jesus carried him home to paradise! April 8, 2020@3:30 pm. Loving husband, father, grandpa and great-grandpa! Heaven is celebrating with joy his homecoming and “Never Had A Bad Day” has a whole new meaning! He was a kind, caring, public servant, who worked tirelessly for the community in numerous ways. He stared in his role as Representative Leverenz then a Senator Leverenz. Politics and helping others were forever running through his veins.
Ted and Rep. Chris Welch never got along well, but when I asked him about Leverenz’s passing today, Welch said, “He never supported me in any election, but there’s a lot of people in my district who revere the guy to this day.”
I think Ted would’ve appreciated that response. /s
* He sure was a handsome devil back in the day…
…Adding… More…
Our community has lost a long time public servant. Former State Representative and former State Senator Ted E. Leverenz has died. He served jn the Illinois House from 1975-1991 and in the Illinois Senate from 1991-1993. He was a fighter, and he loved public office. May he RIH🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/uUuhyuBdRe
— Emanuel Chris Welch (@RepChrisWelch) April 9, 2020
With the number of coronavirus deaths in Cook County climbing above 300, the medical examiner’s office is opening a refrigerated warehouse as a “surge center” capable of holding as many as 2,000 bodies.
In addition to the 66,000-square-foot warehouse, opening Thursday, the county said it is has acquired 14 refrigerated trailers and is looking for six more for hospitals so their morgues are not overwhelmed.
“We are paying special attention to the southern portion of Cook County, an area that is traditionally disproportionately impacted during crises,” said William Barnes, executive director of the county’s Emergency Management and Regional Security Department.
A federal judge on Thursday denied a bid by Cook County Jail detainees for release or transfer amid the coronavirus outbreak but ordered Sheriff Tom Dart to implement new policies to keep inmates safe.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly ordered Dart to begin prompt coronavirus testing of detainees who exhibit symptoms of the virus by Saturday. He said the sheriff must also enforce social distancing when taking in new inmates.
An adequate amount of soap or hand sanitizer must be available for inmates to frequently clean their hands, the judge said, and staff must receive sanitation supplies. Finally, the judge said the sheriff must “provide face masks to all detainees who are quarantined.”
Given those measures, the judge said he would not order the sheriff to move inmates to other forms of custody.
It started small. On March 23, two inmates in the sprawling Cook County jail, one of the nation’s largest, were placed in isolation cells after testing positive for the coronavirus. In a little over two weeks, the virus exploded behind bars, infecting more than 350 people.
The jail in Chicago is now the nation’s largest-known source of coronavirus infections, according to data compiled by The New York Times, with more confirmed cases than the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, a nursing home in Kirkland, Wash., or the cluster centered on New Rochelle, N.Y.
Security firm hiring 300-plus positions for McCormick Place field hospital
Mayor Lori Lightfoot drives around city telling groups to ‘break it up’
150 cases of coronavirus found in 20 Lake County nursing homes
* Roundup…
* Essential workers exposed to coronavirus can return to work if showing no symptoms, CDC says: Under the new guidelines for essential workers, the CDC recommends that exposed employees take their temperatures before their shifts, wear face masks and practice social distancing at work. They also are advised to stay home if they are ill, not share headsets or other objects used near the face and refrain from congregating in crowded break rooms. Employers are asked to take exposed workers’ temperatures and assess symptoms before allowing them to return to work, aggressively clean work surfaces, send workers home if they get sick and increase air exchange in workplaces.
* Major Meat Processors Shutting Down Plants As Employees Get Sick With COVID-19: The United States has a large enough meat inventory to prevent shortages for consumers, explained Christine McCracken, senior analyst of animal protein for Rabobank. Processors that were previously servicing restaurants or cafes have started to sell to retailers. And some restaurants are selling groceries, including meat, directly to customers.
* Virus Sparks Prison Riot, Hits More Washington state Long-Term Care Homes: Corrections officers used verbal orders, pepper spray and rubber pellets to get the demonstrators under control, but the inmates ignored those efforts, officials said. Both housing units were evacuated and the situation was under control soon afterward. No one was injured.
* Haywire Immune Response Eyed In Coronavirus Deaths, Treatment: The out-of-control immune response eventually causes the patients’ lungs to stop delivering oxygen to the rest of organs, leading to respiratory failure and in some cases death, the experts say. The malfunctioning immune system may be driving the rapid decline in lung function experienced by some patients, including younger and relatively healthy ones, after the initial onset of symptoms, doctors say.
* Illinois has ‘supreme authority’ to enforce coronavirus quarantine — but won’t use it: “To be honest, we don’t have the resources, the capacity or the desire to police every individual’s behavior,” Pritzker said on March 20. “Enforcement comes in many forms and our first and best option is to rely on Illinoisans to be good members of their communities.”
At the request of U of I System President Tim Killeen, IGPA assembled more than four dozen interdisciplinary faculty experts from the three system universities to serve on IGPA’s Task Force on the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
This first report, from the Economic and Fiscal Impact Group, draws comparisons to the 2007 to 2009 recession. The authors also used new, national models of the possible economic outcomes from the COVID-19 pandemic to project the potential impact on the three biggest sources of state revenues: individual income tax, corporate income tax and sales tax.
In all but the best-case scenario, the negative impact on state revenue is projected to be worse than during the Great Recession, from 2007 to 2009. Under the most severe model of a protracted downturn followed by a weak recovery after a severe pandemic, Illinois could lose more than $28 billion between calendar years 2020 and 2023.
Amanda Kass is a faculty leader on this project, so you know it’s good stuff. The full report is here.
The COVID-19 crisis will also likely harm the finances of all local governments: counties, municipalities, school districts, transit agencies and special districts.
Declines in state revenues, which are shared with local governments, are especially concerning because municipalities in Illinois are more reliant on state revenues than municipalities in most other states.
As state revenues drop, spending on public health and human services is expected to increase. The biggest impact on spending is expected to be a several-billion-dollar increase in Medicaid expenditures.
Market volatility could have a negative impact on pension funds, causing state and local governments to see increases in required annual contributions. But these increases will be somewhat delayed.
“It is too early to precisely quantify the fiscal gap that is likely to be created by reductions in state revenue and increases in the cost of delivering state services, but we believe that it will almost certainly cost billions of dollars and possibly cost tens of billions of dollars,” the report says.
The authors note that the recently approved federal stimulus package will likely fall short in some key ways. For instance, the increase in federal matching funds for Medicaid is much smaller than the enhanced match Congress approved as part of the response to the 2007 recession.
The report emphasizes there will be no easy answers, but suggests that policymakers focus on five basic principles: transparency, protection of the vulnerable, economic efficiency, minimizing borrowing for operating purposes and flexibility.
* In other news…
Moody's today followed S&P's action late Friday moving outlook to negative from stable. Both rate state at lowest investment grade level so a downgrade would make the state the first sovereign to fall to junk….
— yvette.shields@arizent.com (@Yvette_BB) April 9, 2020
Facility: The Municipal Liquidity Facility, which has been authorized under Section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act, will support lending to U.S. states and the District of Columbia, U.S. cities with a population exceeding one million residents, and U.S. counties with a population exceeding two million residents. Under the Facility, a Federal Reserve Bank will commit to lend to a special purpose vehicle on a recourse basis. The SPV will purchase Eligible Notes directly from Eligible Issuers at the time of issuance. The Reserve Bank will be secured by all the assets of the SPV. The Department of the Treasury, using funds appropriated to the Exchange Stabilization Fund under section 4027 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, will make an initial equity investment of $35 billion in the SPV in connection with the Facility. The SPV will have the ability to purchase up to $500 billion of Eligible Notes.
Eligible Notes: Eligible Notes are tax anticipation notes (TANs), tax and revenue anticipation notes (TRANs), bond anticipation notes (BANs), and other similar short-term notes issued by Eligible Issuers, provided that such notes mature no later than 24 months from the date of issuance. In each case, a note’s eligibility is subject to review by the Federal Reserve. Relevant legal opinions and disclosures will be required as determined by the Federal Reserve prior to purchase.
Eligible Issuer: An Eligible Issuer is a State, City, or County (or an instrumentality thereof that issues on behalf of the State, City, or County for the purpose of managing its cash flows), in each case subject to review and approval by the Federal Reserve. Only one issuer per State, City, or County is eligible.
Limit per State, City, and County: Limit per State, City, and County: The SPV may purchase Eligible Notes issued by or on behalf of a State, City, or County in one or more issuances of up to an aggregate amount of 20% of the general revenue from own sources and utility revenue of the applicable State, City, or County government for fiscal year 2017. States may request that the SPV purchase Eligible Notes in excess of the applicable limit in order to assist political subdivisions and instrumentalities that are not eligible for the Facility.
Pricing: Pricing will be based on an Eligible Issuer’s rating at the time of purchase with details to be provided later.
Origination Fee: Each Eligible Issuer that participates in the Facility must pay an origination fee equal to 10 basis points of the principal amount of the Eligible Issuer’s notes purchased by the SPV. The origination fee may be paid from the proceeds of the issuance.
…Adding… Press release…
Today, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) led congressional delegation letters to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin calling for immediate aid to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to address surprise revenue shortfalls.
The letters were joined and signed by each Democratic member of the Illinois congressional delegation: Reps. Bobby Rush, Robin Kelly, Dan Lipinski, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Mike Quigley, Sean Casten, Danny Davis, Jan Schakowsky, Brad Schneider, Bill Foster, Lauren Underwood, and Cheri Bustos in addition to Rep. Krishnamoorthi.
“State and local balance sheets across the country are dipping into the red as billions of dollars are being lost from unexpected revenue shortfalls,” said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. “The $150 billion provided to state and local governments in the CARES Act was a good start, but more needs to be allocated for places that are hit hardest by the public health and economic impacts of this crisis. This is an issue that is harming the physical and financial health and safety of state and local governments, their employees, and their constituents, and one that must be addressed in our next COVID-19 legislative package.”
Forcing states and cities to accommodate dramatic budget shortfalls, which are exacerbated in part by lost tax revenues due to halting economic activity, could lead to widespread, disruptive reductions in public services, delayed improvement projects, and a slower economic recovery. Below are some examples of cities and states across the country that are expecting revenue shortfalls:
· New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently predicted a state revenue shortfall of up to $15 billion.
· Ohio Governor Mike DeWine recently told his cabinet members to prepare for up to 20 percent cuts to agencies for the next 15 months.
· Illinois’ Commission on Government Finance and Accountability recently predicted a potential 20 percent decrease in state revenues over the next few fiscal years.
· Cities across the country, from Phoenix to Houston to Philadelphia, are similarly grappling with difficult budget decisions unforeseen just a few short months ago.
In the letters, the undersigned Members of Congress asked that the “State and Local Coronavirus Expenditures Relief Fund” within the CARES Act be expanded to allow state and local governments to replenish lost revenue as a qualifying expenditure, or that Congress authorize the creation of a new fund to provide direct aid to state and local governments with fewer restrictions. They express that either option must allow greater flexibility in how the funds are spent and include robust funding at a level that will meaningfully alleviate the fiscal problems faced by state, local, tribal, and territorial governments across the country.
* Tony and Lisa Yuscius have been friends of mine for years. They’re just good, solid people and a great couple. I cannot say enough positive things about them.
As a public service, their company BlueRoomStream.com (click here to subscribe) has been providing free video access to Gov. Pritzker’s daily briefings during the crisis.
And now this…
In the spirit of public service, BlueRoomStream is offering four different worship services/sermons on Easter Sunday, lifting its usual paywall so all can safely observe the Christian holiday from their homes.
Tony Yuscius, president of parent company Advanced Digital Media, said he was inspired by a reporter’s question about Easter worship during a stay-at-home order that was asked at one of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s daily COVID-19 press conferences. The popular public affairs streaming platform is currently offering free coverage of the governor’s daily press conferences in the absence of Illinois legislative committee hearings and House and Senate floor action.
“Like many people, I want to do something that is of real help during this pandemic,” Yuscius said. “My wife, Lisa, told me, ‘You have the means to do that, so do it.’”
Yuscius contacted one of his subscribers, the Catholic Conference of Illinois, for help in reaching out to a diversity of Christian denominations.
The result is four different services/sermons that will begin streaming on BlueRoomStream on Sun., April 12 at different times. Each worship option will remain available on the platform after its initial broadcast time. No password will be needed to view the worship offerings.
The following worship services/sermons can be viewed at www.BlueRoomStream.com on Easter Sunday:
6 a.m. Roman Catholic Easter Mass, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archdiocese of Chicago
10 a.m. Easter Sermon, Bishop Jeffrey D. Lee, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
10:30 a.m. Easter Sermon, Bishop Frank J. Beard, Illinois Great Rivers Conference, United Methodist Church
11 a.m. Easter Worship, Rev. Shannon J. Kershner, Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago
* Should the governor skip his daily press briefing on Easter Sunday, or are his daily updates too important for Illinoisans? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
Pritzker announced Wednesday the state has acquired five high-volume RNA extractors, each of which should be able to run 200 tests per hour, from Massachusetts-based Thermo Fisher Scientific.
However, the machines — distributed to Illinois’ three state labs — are still not running at the speed promised and are not giving lab technicians “the level of output that we want to see,” Pritzker said.
“More importantly, these tests are not producing valid results in a way that meets our exacting standards,” Pritzker added. “I am as impatient as the rest of you are, wanting to increase testing, but I will not sacrifice accuracy for the sake of speed. The tests and results they will provide are too important. We have to get this right.”
As a result, Illinois state labs will not be using the Thermo Fisher machines until they produce reliable results.
I was told by the administration yesterday that they tested those Thermo Fisher machines by feeding it samples from known positive patients, but the Thermo Fisher results were often coming back negative. The administration doesn’t want to deploy machines that aren’t reliable, of course, so they’re still working with the company.
Much touted tests from Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories that promise to give results for positive cases in as little as five minutes and negative cases as fast as 13 minutes will not help Illinois close the gap in testing, Pritzker said Wednesday.
Although the state received 15 Abbott machines last week from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Abbott’s promises to provide enough supplies to perform 88,000 tests per month will not materialize, Pritzker said.
The federal government “waylaid” the tests and sent them to private entities, such as private hospitals and labs, according to the governor.
“Unfortunately, it is our understanding now that the federal government redirected most of these early tests to private systems without our state input about where the tests would make the most impact,” Pritzker said. “Some of those machines will end up in Illinois and so that’s good. But not what we had expected, and we won’t have as many as we expected.”
Pritzker told reporters yesterday that the state only received 120 total tests. “That’s eight tests per machine for all of Illinois,” he said.
* So, what about private testing labs? Pritzker yesterday…
If we wanted to choose an easy, but less effective path, we could increase testing capacity through private labs used by the federal government. The problem is those labs take seven to 10 days to produce a result. People can end up on a ventilator before they ever get their testing result. That’s just not a timeline that I want to bet on.
Sigh.
* Pritzker laid out the path ahead…
No matter how much is beyond our control the buck stops with me. […]
We’re charting our own path forward. I’m putting my faith in the scientists and technicians, the academics and innovators here in Illinois to expand our test results. […]
Our researchers are working in an expedited fashion to get this additional new testing up and running, as soon as possible and distributing it to other institutions beyond our state labs that have our same type of equipment to continue increasing capacity statewide.
To ensure a steady stream of supplies, our in-state universities and local laboratories are creating our own raw materials, instead of relying upon the global supply chain, which is frankly in disarray. Our institutions are developing and distributing their own viral transport medium, known as VTM, and the necessary reagent locally. […]
We’re now running three shifts at one of our state labs, with the other two moving to match their capacity soon. And more than 96 locations across the state are now collecting specimens, this capacity has brought us the increase that we have already achieved. Today we surpassed 6000 tests in a 24 hour period.
* I was also told by the administration yesterday that Walgreens will start offering tests here “in the next few days.” The company is apparently getting some personal test kits, which people can use to test themselves for the virus.
I am writing to you on behalf of my caucus, and the citizens we represent, who have made hundreds of calls to our offices to express their frustration about their inability to access critical unemployment benefits.
Residents throughout Illinois impacted by the economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak are struggling to pay their rent and feed their families. During these unprecedented times, we must do everything we can to ensure they are getting the help they need as soon as possible.
One segment of our population impacted by this economic crisis are those self-employed “gig” workers who, according to ADP Research Institute, make up 18 percent of our workforce. Under the recently signed federal stimulus law, these gig workers will now be eligible for unemployment benefits, and states must modify their websites in order to review these claims. This is most welcome news. However, it is our understanding that this modification to the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s (IDES) website could take months.
Weeks ago, our constituents were told the IDES website would be improved, and access would be enhanced. However, based on what we are hearing from our constituents, delays with the site continue and frustrations continue to mount.
With the addition of gig workers, timely access to this site is even more critical, especially given the fact that we are hearing other states already have a system in place to handle gig claims.
When can we tell our constituents they will be able to apply for these crucial resources?
Sincerely,
Bill Brady
Senate Republican Leader
* I asked for a response from the governor’s press secretary, Jordan Abudayyeh…
This administration is committed to lifting up working families during this crisis. IDES is working around the clock to handle the unprecedented volumes of claims and improvements have been made while the office continues to work through the historic number of claims. The CARES Act created a brand new program for workers who have never participated in the unemployment insurance system. The state has contracted with a vendor to get that new program up and running as soon as possible. If lawmakers have ideas on how to improve the process or expand resources for working families even further we’re happy to work with them.
* Related…
* Wanted urgently: People who know a half century-old computer language so states can process unemployment claims
…Adding… From the ILGOP…
This response from Governor Pritzker to criticism for the failures of our unemployment claim system is unacceptable. This is understandably an unprecedented time with major strain on our state agency processing unemployment benefits that help struggling families. First it became clear Illinois is falling behind other states in testing. We can’t afford to fail to provide struggling workers with the help they need to survive. The Governor’s response to reasonable questions amounts to “we are doing the best we can” and if lawmakers have better ideas, “you can do the job.” It is an abdication of leadership to shove responsibility for needed solutions for HIS state agency onto state lawmakers. Leaders lead; they don’t pass the buck when challenged. Governor, do better.
In contrast, here is how a couple Dem Governors are responding differently to the strain:
Cuomo (NY): “I apologize for the pain — it must be infuriating to deal with.”
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/cuomo-sorry-for-crashing-unemployment-website-deluged-with-3m-hits-in-5-days/2354582/
Newsome (CA): “We all have to do more and to do better.”
https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/california-falls-behind-paying-out-federal-unemployment-dollars/
And NY has found a creative way to deal with the claim load - partnered with Google for a new platform that is rolling out today, moving to a call center, and hiring hundreds of new workers to process claims. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/politics/albany/2020/04/09/unemployment-claims-ny-frustration-with-filing/2962500001/
The Strategic National Stockpile is nearly out of the N95 respirators, surgical masks, face, shields, gowns and other medical supplies desperately needed to protect front-line medical workers treating coronavirus patients.
The Department of Health and Human Services told The Associated Press Wednesday that the federal stockpile was in the process of deploying all remaining personal protective equipment in its inventory.
The HHS statement confirms federal documents released Wednesday by the House Oversight and Reform Committee showing that about 90% of the personal protective equipment in the stockpile has been distributed to state and local governments.
HHS spokeswoman Katie McKeogh said the remaining 10% will be kept in reserve to support federal response efforts. […]
Federal contracting records show HHS made an initial bulk order of N95 masks on March 12, followed by larger orders on March 21. But those contracts won’t yield big deliveries to the national stockpile until the end of April, after the White House has projected the pandemic will reach its peak.
* First, the federal government strictly limited the number of tests at first responder and medical worker drive-through sites to no more than 250 per day. And now this…
Some local officials are disappointed the federal government will end funding for coronavirus testing sites this Friday. In a few places those sites will close as a result. This as criticism continues that not enough testing is available. […]
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services tells NPR, “Many of the Community-Based Testing Sites (CBTS) are not closing, but rather transitioning to state-managed sites on or about April 10.”
The agency and a spokesperson for FEMA say the CBTS program originally included 41 sites. It was intended as a stop-gap to bring testing to critical locations, especially for health care facility workers and first responders.
“The transition will ensure each state has the flexibility and autonomy to manage and operate testing sites within the needs of their specific community and to prioritize resources where they are needed the most,” the HHS spokesperson said.
It often feels like we are living through a worst-case scenario.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Congressmen Darin LaHood (IL-18) and Rodney Davis (IL-13) today announced that the federal government will extend their funding and support for the McLean County COVID—19 testing facility. Congressman LaHood and Davis released the following joint statement after their visit today at the site.
“Today, we are pleased join federal, state, and local officials in McLean County to announce that the federal government will extend their support and funding for the COVID—19 testing facility at the McLean County Fairgrounds,” said the Congressmen. “The coronavirus pandemic calls on each of us to put aside our political differences and work together to overcome this health and economic crisis. We are pleased that the federal government moved swiftly to expand their support Illinois’ testing ability.
“We also want thank the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard, Brig. Gen. Richard Neely, his servicemen and women, and the McLean County Health Department for their tireless work to keep this site running and our community safe. In Congress, we’ll continue to work with our colleagues and the White House in a bipartisan manner to support the McLean County testing site and Illinois’ response.”
The surge of job losses continued last week with 6.6 million Americans applying for unemployment benefits, the Labor Department said Thursday.
More than 17 million new jobless claims have been filed in the past four weeks, a rapid and unprecedented escalation in unemployment in the United States since the week that President Trump declared a national emergency because of the novel coronavirus.
The 17 million figure includes new reporting from the Labor Department that even more people filed for unemployment in the prior week, pushing the jobless claims up during the week ending March 28 to a record 6.9 million, up from 6.6 million.
With astonishing swiftness, the pandemic has shut down both longstanding and new businesses, leaving veteran workers and recent hires in nearly every type of industry without a paycheck. In just three weeks, more than 16 million Americans have lost their jobs — more losses than the most recent recession produced over two years. […]
Given the current information, though, several economists expect that by the end of the month more than 20 million people will have been thrown out of work, pushing the unemployment rate toward 15 percent. In February, it was 3.5 percent, a result of 113 straight months of job growth.
* Fascinating…
My latest with @qdbui for @UpshotNYT: The usual economic indicators can't keep up when the economy is shifting this fast. So we turn to electricity data which suggests the economy has sunk further over the past 3 weeks than over the entire Great Recession.https://t.co/RXjUEUZvlOpic.twitter.com/ltG9yPPzEo
The U.S.Department of Labor estimates 200,940 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of March 30 in Illinois.
While this number is based on advanced estimates, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) will be releasing a final number later Thursday.
Last week, the IDES said unemployment claims for the week of March 23 totaled 178,421.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66630249/IMG_20200409_1234144.0.jpg)
