* Reuters…
Leading U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci on Tuesday warned Congress that a premature opening of the nation’s economy could lead to additional outbreaks of the deadly coronavirus.
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases warned a U.S. Senate panel that states should follow health experts’ recommendations to wait for signs including a declining number of new infections before reopening.
President Donald Trump has been encouraging states to end a weeks-long shuttering of major components of their economies.
“If some areas, cities, states or what have you jump over those various checkpoints and prematurely open up without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently, my concern is that we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks,” Fauci said. “The consequences could be really serious.”
* Pennsylvania’s governor…
But a longtime Democratic campaign/lobbying person texted me this after I sent him the PA governor’s tweet…
The problem with that is it hurts a lot of innocent people. I appreciate hardball, but believe the rescuer can’t shoot the hostages.
Good point.
*** UPDATE *** BND…
Governor J.B. Pritzker said during his daily press briefing Tuesday that counties and cities that defy his five-phase plan put in place to reopen Illinois could lose state and federal funding.
The comments came just hours before board members in Madison County are set to vote on enacting their own reopening plan.
“We would consider that,” he said in answer to a question from the Belleville News-Democrat. “The state always provides a lot of support to cities and counties. There are a number of enforcement utilities available to us and I don’t want to use those.
The governor added that federal funds that must pass through the state could also be restrained.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Gerrymandering isn’t only for legislative maps…
Mayor Tari Renner is among area political leaders asking Gov. J. B. Pritzker to create a smaller “Heart of Illinois” subregion that could allow 11 counties, including McLean and Peoria, to open sooner than in a broader region created by the governor last week. […]
The proposed Heart of Illinois region “essentially goes from McLean County in the extreme southeast up to LaSalle County and then over to Rock Island and down to Galesburg and Peoria,” said Renner.
“We believe we would be able to make progress more quickly than if we were in a broader region that included Rockford and some other areas that were less similar to us,” he added.
Rockford isn’t similar to Peoria and Rock Island? Please.
* This is just a ridiculous claim…
“Originated” in nursing homes? That’s quite a claim. All nursing homes have been sealed off for weeks and weeks. The residents are catching the virus from people going in and out to work, delivering goods and services, etc. In other words, residents are getting it from the community and surrounding areas. And then the virus can travel back into the community after it’s spread in the facilities because asymptomatic nonresidents go home, or deliver goods to another facility and then go home or whatever.
Wirepoints is arguing that since these cases are confined to nursing homes the virus’ impact is being somehow overestimated. But it is once again ignoring the fact that these cases and deaths aren’t just residents. They’re also workers. And workers do not live in nursing homes.
* Also, check this out from Wirepoints…
A Wirepoints analysis of COVID-19 deaths from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office reveals that 92 percent of victims from the virus had pre-existing medical conditions. […]
Hypertension affected 1,070 victims, or more than 46 percent of all deaths. Diabetes impacted 973 victims, or 42 percent of the total. Pulmonary disease was part of 397 deaths, or 17 percent. And 215 of those deaths, about 9 percent, were accompanied by obesity or morbid obesity.
According to the CDC, 45 percent of Americans have hypertension. Another 10.5 percent have diabetes, and 34.5 percent have prediabetes.
Attempts to marginalize the sick and the dead make me want to scream.
* On to the Tribune’s live blog…
Projected peak for coronavirus in Illinois now mid-June, says Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who’s now confined to his home after senior staffer tests positive for COVID-19
Chicago to open six more testing sites in neighborhoods, will work with actor Sean Penn’s charity to try reaching goal of 10,000 tests per day
Northwestern University furloughs staff, cuts executive pay and taps endowment as it eyes “significant shortfall” due to coronavirus pandemic
Businessman Willie Wilson threatens lawsuit to force Illinois to pay for face coverings under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s order
Mayor Lori Lightfoot says city will ‘take action’ if defiant churches hold in-person services despite stay-at-home orders
As MLB considers a pandemic-shortened season, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she doesn’t think Chicago will be ready for large crowds by July
Sheriff Tom Dart appealing judge’s order on social distancing, other measures at Cook County Jail
Expo Chicago art fair at Navy Pier moves to next spring
Chicago to require food-delivery apps to disclose costs
A summer without swimming? Pools could be ‘one of the last places’ to reopen as coronavirus restrictions begin to ease
Advocates say dog scams are on the rise as people seek puppies during the pandemic
* Sun-Times live blog…
City requires Grubhub, Uber Eats to disclose delivery fees as restaurants struggle
Activists call on CHA to provide adequate COVID-19 testing, PPE for seniors
We won’t reopen teachers contract for Chicago Public Schools to start on time this fall, Lightfoot says
Nurses: Tough, tender pros who love their jobs
Pandemic or not, independent candidates deserve chance to get on Illinois ballot
Fauci warns of ‘suffering and death’ if US reopens too soon
- Confused - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 12:31 pm:
Who/what is Wirepoints? Been seeing its profile elevated in pushing lots of conspiracy theories/”open up” rhetoric as of late.
- Ebenezer - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 12:44 pm:
“And workers do not live in nursing homes.”
A program to have nursing home and similar workers live on site for extended cycles (like oil rig workers) would save a lot of lives. We would need to fund it, but the cost is nominal compared to many of the other costs. Lots of logistics to work out, and additional compensation for staff, but potentially tens of thousands of lives to be saved.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 12:48 pm:
===A program to have nursing home and similar workers live on site===
And who’s gonna watch the kids while mom is living at a nursing home?
- IL4Life - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 12:48 pm:
The claim that “92 percent of [Cook County] victims from the virus had pre-existing medical conditions” basically implies that these people would have died anyway.
But this is false. Just look at previous Cook County death statistics. In 2018, 1,119 people in Cook County died from diabetes. In 12 months. According to Wirepoints, 973 people with diabetes died of COVID-19. In 8 weeks! All 973 of these people would not have died without the virus in the past 8 weeks. It’s possible that a small number would have, but unknowable.
https://www.dph.illinois.gov/sites/default/files/Death%20causes%202018.pdf
- Cool Papa Bell - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 12:49 pm:
@Ebebezer - On the face off it you can agree with the plan. But many of the front line workers I know in those homes and others like it are single mothers who have child care to consider and other family members to care from.
- Morty - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 12:50 pm:
Wirepoints is an IPI aligned (if not funded) site that spins for the ultra-right. They push ‘pension reform’, anti-unionism, anti-public education, anti-state worker propaganda.
2 of the 3 ‘staff’ are former IPI hacks.
Because of their 501c status they do not disclose their donors.
Btw, Rich, Mark is well aware that somthing like 60% of Americans have an underlying health issue that makes them susceptable to COVID complications.
I know thing because I sent him the information.
He just doesn’t care.
- Morty - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 12:52 pm:
Eb- those rig workers make a ton-more money than the nursing home workers, which is why they are willing to put up with the disruption to their personal lives.
- Moe Berg - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 12:53 pm:
Too many, especially bad faith, ideological actors like Wirepoints, take it as a given we know anything about the long term effects for those infected with the virus. We don’t, because we can’t. It’s novel.
What we do know is that some of those labeled as “recovered” suffered serious neurological, kidney and cardio damage. They may be permanently weakened, and more vulnerable to other kinds of infections.
We have no basis on which to say those who experienced mild to no symptoms are not at greater risk.
Even at this late date, we should be doing everything possible to keep people from getting infected.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 12:55 pm:
Wirepoints and IPI are designed … at times to manipulate facts that may exist but use those facts for a predetermined want of an outcome.
The whole “nursing home” theory doesn’t work, for me because of one true fact wholly ignored;
Asymptomatic people
Those asymptomatic people leaving, entering, working, “visiting” (at one time) delivering… there a lag between symptoms and when infection occurred and can then be transmitted.
Wirepoints is that “well, besides that, I mean…”
Wirepoints is that “the facts we see indicate… “
They are marginalizing victims, be they infections or worse because by marginalizing them… again… they get a conclusion they are searching for… which is not honest to the facts being delivered.
Like IPI, make no mistake, conclusions shopping for facts is not finding truth.
The truth is, ignoring Dr. Fauci for Wirepoints is a conclusion for those pretending their wanted truth can be a fact… if you change the way you *want* to see or ignore the facts.
- Cricket - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 1:03 pm:
=== Attempts to marginalize the sick and the dead make me want to scream ===
Hear, hear! Though I’d add in the aging and poor. Too often marginalization is an excuse to discriminate or capitalize off of another’s misfortune.
Seems to me if we were able to successfully control the spread of covid-19 in long term facilities, then we’d be able to do so in other work places. In Seattle, it seemed the long term care facility outbreak was a wake-up call. Now too many want to dismiss those cases much like President Trump didn’t want the cruise ship to dock so its cases wouldn’t add to the US case counts.
- Hard D - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 1:03 pm:
I can see Wolfs point but he would be slapped down in federal court quicker then you could say Pennsylvania. Federal funds not state funds different court different Judges.
- Bruce (no not him) - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 1:04 pm:
“And who’s gonna watch the kids while mom is living at a nursing home?”
The kids should live there too. Rand Paul says that kids don’t get too sick. S/
- Jibba - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 1:07 pm:
Typical Wirepoints/IPI logic. Nursing homes are the canary in the coal mine that shows community transmission, not the source of infection. But why let facts get in the way of a political point of view.
As to the Heart of Illinois idea, everyone is going to want to nudge the boundaries to include themselves in a better region. See also: everyone has their own priorities.
- Ano - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 1:18 pm:
Horribly sad that nursing home residents are basically sitting ducks, helpless to avoid the virus, brought in to them. I’ve read early reports that could have led people to think the residents were the source. How could they be if they don’t leave? Yes, perfect example of community transmission.
If there’s anything at all positive to say about this pandemic it’s that many (some?) are finally paying attention to how exactly disease is spread and how we can try to protect ourselves and others. This particular disease is really providing challenges because it’s brand new and so little is known– as well as being highly transmissable. But we always should have been washing our hands, staying home if sick…………nothing new there. But so many just won’t do.
- yinn - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 1:19 pm:
==@Ebebezer - On the face off it you can agree with the plan. But many of the front line workers I know in those homes and others like it are single mothers who have child care to consider and other family members to care from.==
Also, many frontline workers are employed in more than one facility.
- Andy - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 1:29 pm:
Pre-existing medical conditions does not mean unhealthy. I have competed in multiple triathlons and marathons, and before the pandemic, I was swimming 1 mile a day. I am healthy, but terrified of Covid-19. I think commentators are equating pre-existing with “probably going to die soon anyway.” Not so.
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 1:33 pm:
The attempts by Mark and the entire right wing noise machine to minimize the virus and its impacts are shameful. Oh, this only affects people with pre-existing conditions? Well that’s the vast majority of Americans (including Mark). So what? So only the strong should survive? Really ridiculous.
They spent the first six weeks of this thing since January pretending it didn’t exist. And now they use misleading statistics to portray a totally phony picture and still push the “this is just the flu” notion as if 80,000 people die in two months from the flu. Stop. Enough of the nonsense. You’re part of the problem.
- Andy - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 1:34 pm:
Meant to include in my comment above that I have a congenital heart defect that qualifies as pre-existing.
- Morty - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 1:52 pm:
Andy- same here. I have asthma that can become very servere very quickly. I am an otherwise healthy person and unless I am tested by a pulminary doctor you would never know.
It’s part of why the Wirepoints guy’s tick me of- it’s implied, iif not stated, that these ‘conditions’ are as a result of ‘life choices’, i.e., it’s their own fault.
I competed in three sports in high school, played rubgy in college, and was running over a mile and a half each day. I took the Chicago PD test back in the day, passed everything, and got a letter saying I was going to be admitted to the next class at the police academy only to recieve another letter a week later saying the offer was revoked.
The CPD medical report came back that I have 30% lung capacity.
I thought it was crazy so I went to anottheerr doctore who confirmed I had 30% lung capacity.
I never smoked a cigarette in my life, I was an athlete. It didn’t matter, it was something I just had.
Fast forward a few decades and I’m still in pretty good health, but I still also have 30% lung capacity. I work to manage it, but there is know ‘fix’.
I’m sure, like you and me, a lot of people are in the same boat.
It’s sick for the Mark Glennon’s of the world to marginalize people because they have ‘pre-existing conditions’ or they had made the unfortunate choice to grow old.
But that’s their M.O.
- fedup - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 2:07 pm:
Remember the far right bs reason that we should oppose Obamacare? Death Panels! Grandma is brought in front of them and summarily executed. Or so they said would happen.
They tipped their hands then. They really never cared about grandma (yours, mine, and maybe their own), and now we are seeing the proof. They are willing to trade grandma, the sick, the disabled for cash. This open everything up now is in essence a “death panel” for the most vulnerable of us.
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 2:16 pm:
==The problem with that is it hurts a lot of innocent people. I appreciate hardball, but believe the rescuer can’t shoot the hostages.==
Watch the movie Speed!
https://youtu.be/39PmMJAxhXE
- hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 2:22 pm:
When the state has its next press conference, can we get some answers about why the state is taking away the Bloomington drive-up testing site even before the federal money runs out?
I get that mercifully this Bloomington drive-up site has not been used as much as other sites but it is troubling that this decision was made apparently without any consultation with McLean County officials.
https://www.wglt.org/post/hhs-bloomingtons-covid-19-testing-site-moving-peoria
- Anon221 - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 3:09 pm:
hisgirlfriday- Agree. It seems premature to shut this site down, especially in such a high population area. We’re going to have to be ramping up even more testing including testing for people who are more asymptomatic. And, as more opening up happens, there will be even more essential workers who qualify for testing, but will have a hard time accessing testing.
- Froganon - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 3:41 pm:
It’s hard to understand why frontline staff in nursing homes wouldn’t just jump at the chance to live at their place of work in what would undoubtedly be beautiful accomodations for the great pay they get. Color me shocked that protestors from around the nation aren’t just lined up for those opportunities./s
- Demoralized - Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 3:41 pm:
I don’t think Wirepoints even knows what they are trying to argue, though that doesn’t surprise me given the Mr. Glennon rarely does.