* Gov. Pritzker began his briefing today by saying all regions under his Restore Illinois plan are on track to move into Phase 3 on May 29…

But we can’t have a conversation about going back to work without talking about childcare. If we don’t have childcare, a large portion of the workforce, especially women who too often bear a disproportionate burden, will be without any way to move forward without caring for their child themselves. From the start of this public health emergency, Illinois has recognized the importance of childcare for working families. We focused especially on essential workers, continuing to work outside of the home. And for that reason we included childcare in the list of essential businesses, starting with our first stay at home order.

And over 2500 childcare homes and 700 centers have been providing care over the past few months. That’s about 15% of the previous operating capacity of our childcare system.

When I issued the stay at home order, we implemented an emergency childcare system that provided access to childcare in small group settings for essential workers, people who ensure our public safety and help others families to get food, gas, pharmacy goods that they need. And I’m particularly proud that Illinois made sure that all essential workers, from nurses and doctors to grocery store clerks and food producers were eligible for the state’s Childcare Assistance Program. Meaning the state covered most, if not all, of the cost of childcare for our emergency childcare providers and for the essential workers who use them. And to help keep emergency childcare centers up and running, the state offered a one time stipend, and paid enhanced reimbursement rates for emergency childcare for 30% above what we usually pay to reflect the additional costs of providing care in smaller settings.

In sum, we’ve been focused on supporting essential workers and protecting the health of children and childcare staff. And I’m pleased to say that this approach has proven successful. To date, Illinois has not seen significant transmission of COVID-19 in child care settings, which is encouraging evidence that child care can be provided safely. Public health experts emphasize, however, that there is much that we still don’t know about this new virus. How it spreads and especially what effect it has on children. Therefore moving forward Illinois must take a cautious approach that appropriately balances the need to greatly expand childcare, with the need to lessen the risk of spreading coronavirus.

We gathered input from over 80 stakeholders from all around the state, including childcare providers, childcare Resource and Referral agency staff, legislators, advocates, state agency officials and of course, public health experts on everything from new health and sanitation protocols to staff training needs to what supports families will need as they return to childcare. Their insights are reflected in the plan that my administration is issuing today, shaping our roadmap for safely increasing access to childcare as parents return to work.

Following the guidance, all of the 5500 childcare providers who are not currently operating are being asked to reopen when their community moves into phase three of the Restore Illinois plan. For the first four weeks that they’re open, providers will be able to serve no more than 10 children per classroom. Once they have provided care safely for four weeks, and have gotten accustomed to the new health, social distancing and sanitation routines, they will be able to expand to larger group sizes, though not yet their fully licensed capacity on the strong advice of public health experts.

These new group size limits will be roughly 30% lower than the levels they were at before the pandemic. For our licensed homes which tend to be smaller, most will be able to operate at standard capacity.

With all centers and homes online, this would bring us to more than three quarters of our previous childcare landscape in Illinois. Providers that have been successfully operating as emergency childcare providers can move immediately to these new maximum capacities when their region enters phase three. Most licensed childcare homes will also be able to reopen to their licensed capacity, recognizing childrens’ need for quality early learning experiences. All providers will be expected to resume compliance with all licensing standards related to curriculum, learning environment and staff qualifications.

Please remember to pardon all transcription errors.

* He also addressed church guidance…

My team and I have received a lot of excellent proposals and ideas from different religious groups on how to safely expand their services. Let me address that specifically from a broad standpoint I can say that outdoor faith services, including, but not limited to drive-in church services, will be welcomed in phase three. And we continue to collaborate with faith leaders to ensure that they can hold services and safe and creative ways that allow for worship, while protecting their congregants. I know worship is as essential as food and water for most of us, and it’s my priority to provide guidance to ensure that it can proceed safely.

* On to questions for the governor. The budget in the House is $5 billion or more unbalanced. How much federal funding are you counting on to fill the gap?…

Well, we don’t know what the federal government’s going to provide, but we believe that at least the two proposals that have been made in the Senate and in the House. Each provide for enough, so that we will be able to fill the hole that’s been created by the tax revenues lost during COVID-19. … the hole that’s being filled is also MLF dollars. And those dollars would simply be repaid with the dollars that come in from the federal government.

* What do you know about the progress of legislation to codify modification of your repealed IDPH emergency rule?…

Well, my understanding is that the legislation, though there’s still a possibility that it may go through, is something that the legislature does not appear to want to raise and hold a vote on. I haven’t heard the latest.

I’ll be very disappointed, I mean the legislature has been asking for months and months, they’ve wanted to come together because they consider themselves, and they are, a co-equal branch of government, along with the judiciary branch and the executive branch. And it is their obligation, frankly, to do their duty. They don’t seem to want to help in any way, dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, by offering us the ability to use a small enforcement mechanism that we’ve asked for.

* The budget package that is out there, it appears you would have pretty broad discretionary authority over a lot of spending decisions. You give details about how you would intend to use the authority, what your priorities are and how Illinois would pay back the short term borrowing 5 billion note?…

Well I talked about the short term borrowing just moments ago, so I’ll just address the rest. Look, I put a budget forward, back in February. I think everybody understands what my priorities are for the state and I’m going to follow those priorities going forward.

* Earlier today Leader Bill Brady of the Senate said that everybody ought to stay in town. He does not want to go home. The legislature and the governor should continue to talk about the Restore Illinois so there is enough legislative input. What do you think of that as well as his statement that yeah I talked to the governor he listens then he does what he wants anyway?…

Well that’s, Bill knows better. The truth is that I’ve talked to many many Republican legislators. You’ve seen changes that I’ve made along the way. Many of them have been recommended by Republican legislators. And staying in town, look again they are a co-equal branch, the legislature has the ability to do that. They’re doing quick work. I also think they want to make sure that everybody is safe. You saw that there were some legislators who could not even come because they have comorbid conditions. And so we want to make sure that everybody gets out of Springfield when they do in a safe fashion, but look it’s up to them and I’ll be here.

* President Trump has declared houses of worship essential. What are your plans for churches, synagogues mosques and other institutions. What are your thoughts about President Trump’s threat?…

Well, we’re going to continue to operate on the basis of science and data and I’m as anxious as anybody to make sure that our churches or mosques or synagogues open back to where they were before COVID-19 came along. We’re gradually moving in that direction, but there’s no doubt the most important thing is we do not want parishioners to get ill because their faith leaders, bring them together, we hope that faith leaders will continue to do as the vast majority of them have done which is to worship, sometimes online, sometimes in other capacities as we’ve talked about outdoor and driving.

* Mayor Lightfoot essentially wants to be able to offer Chicago restaurants the option of indoor giant dining in June, cities for weather and desire to give owners the ability to generate enough revenue to help keep them afloat [sorry for the weird transcription]. Is this something you’re willing to reconsider. Or will the mayor, and Chicago restaurants have to wait till phase four?…

Well, I too would like everything to reopen in the fashion that it was at before. Again, what I’m being advised by the epidemiologist says that indoor dining at least during this next phase, we need to be extraordinarily careful, watch the numbers with outdoor dining with the service. The servers who will be wearing masks, but the people sitting at tables may not be and of course the food has the potential to carry the virus so we just want to be very very careful and watch what happens with the opening up that we’ve already allowed in phase three.

* IDES has sent out a release about the data breach investigation. Representative Terri Bryant says no one’s answered her questions about what happened. She doesn’t believe only one person saw the information. How can you or the department be certain that only one person saw that personal information?…

Well, they can look at the log data, but here the IDES has been extraordinarily careful and taking extra precautions here by making sure that that the contractor has provided for more than 35,000 people the ability to track their own credit reports to make sure that nothing goes wrong for them.

* It’s been more than a month since two lawyers married to one another, Leslie, and Jones and Thomas Johnson were murdered in their Oak Park, home, more than a month since state police joined the investigation. We’ve heard almost nothing What can you tell us about that case?…

I don’t have details about the case but I’m happy to refer you to the State Police for that.

* It’s known that you communicate with Cardinal Cupich. Have you had direct communication with any other Illinois bishops specifically, the one here Bishop Thomas Praprocki?…

I have not heard from Bishop Praprocki. I have spoken with a number of Bishops and pastors, just this morning I spent about a half an hour on the phone with a pastor, and that’s a regular occurrence for me frankly, including of all faiths.

* We’ve been talking about it for weeks the impact the virus is having on African Americans, Latinos there’s a new poll out this morning showing blacks are nearly three times as likely to personally know someone who died from the virus than white Americans. Why is it the legislature doing a bill to help address the COVID-19 racial divide?…

I can’t speak to why the legislature, what the legislature would have done with a bill but I can say this, that statistic that you cited doesn’t surprise me. The African American community honestly has had the greatest toll brought up against them in terms of deaths. The comorbid conditions that often exists in the African American community because of historical racism because of the failure to provide the right kinds of health care in the community, are some of the reasons why that exists. Now of course we’re working very hard to protect people in communities of color, African American community and the Latino community by providing testing by doing contact tracing by making sure that we’re educating people about how important it is that they follow the rules that they stay at home, that they use face coverings and so on.

* It’s going to be a warm memorial day weekend in Chicago under the stay at home orders. What’s the state police’s plan to help Chicago and other cities keep residents safe? Separately a concerned viewer wanted to know if authorities have noticed drag racing on the Edens and Kennedy Expressways late at night near Chicago…

Unfortunately, as you know that’s been going on for some time the state police have been trying to track down those people who are committing those crimes.

In terms of the broader instruction or guidance for law enforcement, I think they’re well aware that this is going to be a difficult weekend that there are people who maybe not purposely you know but just by virtue of it’s Memorial Day weekend people have an extra day off, not they’re used to getting together with their friends and so on. I really want to provide a caution to all the people who are listening to please remind your friends and your family that I know that this is an unusual time, I asked you to take unusual precautions, wear your face coverings. That may be the most important thing I can say to you, wash your hands, make sure you’re not gathering in large groups with one another. It is time for us to do something unusual. Keeping each other safe is the most important thing that we can do and so following those edicts or, you know, those suggestions anyway will keep your friends and family safe.

* Are you prepared to support a Chicago casino bill. And do you expect one to be approved today?…

Yeah, I was very clear I think yesterday about my support for the Chicago casino bill. I think it’s very important not only for the city of Chicago, but for the state. And so I’m hoping that the legislature will do as I think it is. It is desired to do by them and so you know I’m looking forward to signing that bill.

* Have you been part of the negotiations? How quickly will construction start and when with the money start flowing in troubled pension funds?…

I can’t answer all those questions but I can say that as you know I’ve advocated for this because since the very beginning, I want to make it work for the city of Chicago. We set the basic parameters for this bill and so there may be aspects of it that are still being worked on even this afternoon, and our team is certainly tracking that, but the basics here are still intact and those are the things are most important.

* Do you think there is a Republican strategy at play here with the coronavirus hoping to seize on the growing frustration of the stay at home orders, as you play for as a play for GOP votes in November, using, trying to counter it by linking Republican lawmakers to fringe anti semitic protesters accusing them of trying to suppress voting by opposing vote by mail and favorite budget cuts regardless of the total?…

I didn’t link Republican elected officials to Nazi demonstrators, they linked themselves. There were elected officials that are in the bank of Springfield building right now who were out there speaking in front of the crowds that were holding pictures of Hitler swastikas, and they knew they were there. They were holding up signs that said death to tyrants. And then they had other signs that depicted me and Hitler. So I would say that the Republicans have tagged themselves, and for as long as they do not call out the elected officials of their own party they are a part of the very problem that way that the existence in this country of allowing hatred and bigotry to perpetuate.

* A Clay County Circuit Judge can [garbled] your coronavirus restrictions unconstitutional is hearing your lawsuit today, it could overturn your executive order statewide. Considering this is Memorial Day weekend, what options do you have in the event the judge does strikes down your order? And do you worry a defeated court case could signal to everyone that it’s a free for all?…

No, it’s clear that the judge in Clay County has his own political agenda.

I can also say that the decision in that court, if it goes against us, really only applies to Clay County because it’s been decided already in Cook County Court it’s been decided already in Sangamon County Court upholding my ability to issue disaster proclamations and executive orders associated with a disaster in the state of Illinois.

* The legislature is not going to do anything to [change the laws] that are denying people employment benefits. That tells us there’s information the governor can take on penalty weeks without legislative action. You’ve previously said that that’s not true, it requires a legislative change. The bottom line are people need help. What are you going to do?…

Well, again, we’ve been working with the legislature I hope they get this right this afternoon but this is on them right now.

* How late do you expect the legislature to go and are you planning to stay here until they’re done?…

That’s my current plan. I don’t know how late that they’re going to go and if they end up with all the major pieces of legislation done. And it’s really down to some minor issues. Maybe I’ll leave earlier, but I doubt it. I’ve been here, as you know, last year I was here for every last minute of the legislature and I intend right now to do that.

* Do you agree with the approach Mayor Lightfoot is taking on not reopening Chicago’s economy with the rest of the state?…

Again I’ve, we’ve left this up to local officials to make decisions that are best for the people who live in their communities. We’ve tried to set a standard of safety and health for the entire state and we’ve done it. As you know, we have a regional plan. So as far as I’m concerned, the decisions that get made at the local level are in fact up to those local elected officials, as long as they’re maintaining the proper health and safety standards that we’re setting.

* Some law enforcement agencies have received letters from FEMA warning them that relief funds could be denied for not enforcing the executive order. Were these letters sent before the amendment making violations a crime was removed?…

There was not a timing set for a letter like that, um, I know, I’m aware of the letter. It’s a letter really about making sure that people understand that they won’t get FEMA reimbursement if they don’t follow the rules that the federal government sent out.

* Governor Pritzker, what is your response to State Senator Chapin Rose after he collected feedback from local leader leaders across 10 counties, as they shared their fears for their communities and the timeline concerns between each phase. Have you gotten a chance to read those letters and what’s your response?…

I’m not sure if that’s something I’ve received recently. I’ve received a lot of plans and I can’t specifically identify the one that came from Senator Chapin Rose, I’m as you know I’m trying very hard to read and listen to all of the ideas that come from across the state, indeed, we’ve incorporated many of those ideas into the executive orders as we move forward. If I haven’t seen that one and I’ll go back and make sure that I do. If I haven’t seen that one I will make sure and do it and again one more thing, the opinions of local officials about how it can operate, how this can operate better in their local areas does have an effect on the way that I think about how we should [garbled] these orders going forward.

* Will children need to wear masks at childcare centers?…

The requirement here is that any child that’s two and under is not required to wear one. We have actually a smaller group requirements for those very young children than we do for slightly older children. Yes older children are going to be masked. Obviously if they aren’t medically able to wear a mask then they don’t have to. But again, the more people that are wearing a face covering in a group setting, the better.

* Will Arlington Park and other tracks be able to open with spectators this summer?…

The bigger challenge in that question is the spectator question. We’re still working on what the guidance might be for them to be able to run races. We want people to be able to enjoy watching races that can be done remotely. You’ve seen that the major league sports are doing that or at least they’re attempting to do that. So we’d like other sports to be able to, again, we just want to make sure that folks are working the backstretch and everybody that’s involved in it is kept safe.

* What evidence do you have that coronavirus can spread through food, CDC does not seem to indicate evidence for that…

I guess I can’t speak to all of the reasons that it may be that it’s more around the plates and the other items that are being served. So, perhaps, Dr Ezike can address this.

Dr. Ezike: The CDC actually did just update their guidance regarding the transmission, the spread of the virus. The emphasis is that spread is happening, particularly between people. So, yes, we know that there is some measure of contacts of surfaces, resulting in infection, but the majority is between person to person spread. And so we know in indoor settings where space is limited, where there are a lot of people within a certain density that causes a certain density that makes it more likely that there’ll be transmission, or spread amongst individuals we know that in the kitchen, you have a lot of people together, working together, between the servers and the people preparing the food. So again it’s the density that occurs from in this restaurant type setting that is most likely the biggest part of spread as we know that it’s more person to person.

* Any insight on one visitor restrictions can be lifted at nursing homes?…

Dr. Ezike: So again I think everyone is well acquainted with how a population that, in which the residents do not leave the location, I think it should be clear, where then the infection comes from the virus does not come up de novo from nowhere. It actually is brought into the facility. So it is clear that the more people that are coming in, the higher chance for the virus to be brought in. There actually has been clear guidance from the federal from CMS stating that absolutely visitation should not be something that we loosen up, even as we move into new phases, that should be one of the last things that we should consider doing. And so I think locally we had come to a similar conclusion.The federal government has offered similar guidance that visitation and bringing more people and the risk of more infection into the place with the most vulnerable population is not the way to go. So, no we’re not looking at relaxing visitation right now, but you still urge that despite being physically distance and not being able to physically connect that we really promote people having ways to virtually connect or electronically connect through so many of the ways that we’re all using now whether it’s zoom or WhatsApp or iPads or WebEx we want to use as many opportunities as we can to have people still connect that physical that actual connection, whether it’s, although it can’t be physical is so key, and is helpful and is needed by our by our loved ones that are in these long term care facilities

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