* If you click here you will see Vote Yes for Fair Tax just reported a $500,000 contribution from the California-based Omidiyar Network. Pierre Omidyar founded eBay and set up a “philanthropic investment firm” called Omidiyar Network.
Vote Yes for Fair Tax is not Gov. Pritzker’s political committee. I wrote about the group last month in Crain’s…
But the Vote Yes for Fair Tax committee won’t be running expensive TV ads, says its chairman, John Bouman of the Shriver Center on Poverty Law. “This is more of the sort of sweat-equity, grassroots, community-based ground game” approach, he says.
The organization’s largest contributor to date (at $250,000) is the National Education Association, which has thousands of members here. The Illinois Federation of Teachers has kicked in $100,000. AFSCME Illinois Council 31, with tens of thousands of members, has contributed $50,000 in cash so far and donated the time of two staffers. SEIU Healthcare, which also has tens of thousands of members here, contributed $50,000 in cash and $10,000 for access to Voter File data, and donated the time of two staffers.
I’ve detected some worry among Pritzker types that this other group could go off-script and weaken the overall message.
But Vote Yes for Fair Tax spokesman Jake Lewis says he wasn’t worried about muddying the message. “The folks who are involved in Vote Yes for Fair Tax have been working on this issue for years and years,” he says. Many of the people involved, including Bouman at the Shriver Center, have long been working to pass a progressive income tax through the Responsible Budget Coalition. “The more folks working on this,” Lewis says, “the more effective we’re going to be.”
Up until now, the NEA had been the committee’s largest contributor, at $250,000.
* A new Washington Post-University of Maryland poll reminds us all that the stuff we see on Facebook and Twitter in many online comment boards is not how people at large may not actually be thinking…
By 78 percent to 22 percent, Americans believe it is “necessary” for people in their communities to stay at home as much as possible.
The spread is very similar among those of incomes below $50,000 (82-18), those of incomes of $50,000 to $100,000 (77-23), and those of incomes over $100,000 (71-29). It’s also much the same among rural voters (77-23) and non-college-educated whites (75-25), both demographics that tilt heavily towards supporting President Trump […]
Fifty-eight percent of Americans overall say current restrictions on businesses are “appropriate,” vs. only 21 percent who say they are “too restrictive.”
Here again, the spread is very similar among those of incomes below $50,000 (56-18), those of incomes of $50,000 to $100,00 (61-22), and those of incomes over $100,000 (60-25). And again, it’s much the same among rural voters (64-20) and non-college whites (54-28). […]
By 80 percent to 20 percent, Americans overall say it’s “necessary” for people in their communities to wear a mask when coming close to others.
And yet again, the spread is very similar among those of incomes below $50,000 (83-17), those of incomes of $50,000 to $100,00 (78-22), and those of incomes over $100,000 (74-25). It’s also much the same among rural voters (73-27) and non-college whites (76-24).
Pritzker has also faced lawsuits, including one filed Friday in Clay County by salon owner Sonja Harrison. She alleged that Pritzker didn’t have constitutional authority to close her business, Visible Changes. A judge in the same southern Illinois county has already ruled in favor of one Republican lawmaker who claimed the order violated his civil rights. The state has appealed.
This court has reviewed the plaintiff’s verifed complaint for declaratory judgment and injuctive relief; The plaintiff’s request for a temporary restraining order without notice is denied. To justify to the plaintiff, verifed complaint must contain specific facts clearly showing that “immediate and irreparable injuries, loss or damage will result to the applicant before notice can be served and a hearing had thereon”. 735 ILCS 5/11-101. This ruling is limited to the issue of notice.
No temporary restraining order shall be granted without notice to the adverse party unless it clearly appears from specific facts shown by affidavit or by the verified complaint that immediate and irreparable injury, loss, or damage will result to the applicant before notice can be served and a hearing had thereon.
Before I take questions from the press, I want to briefly address some of what we’ve been hearing lately from those who believe that we need to reopen faster than the science and the data dictates.
Folks, I know this is hard. I know that people are hurting. This virus has taken many lives, and destroyed many livelihood.s COVID-19 has turned our world upside down, stolen our sense of normalcy and stability. I want this to end just as much as you do. If I could take away the pain and the loss that you’re feeling right now I would do it in a heartbeat.
This virus is still among us. This pandemic is not over. And to pretend otherwise in a misguided attempt to reclaim what we’ve lost will only make this last longer. There are no easy decisions in a pandemic. Every choice [has] consequences.
I know leaders across the state are struggling with these choices. I have sympathy for them in that struggle. But what I don’t have sympathy for is those so intent on disregarding science and logic, so afraid to tell their constituents what they may not want to hear, they put more people’s lives at risk.
Here’s what I want to say to those leaders who weren’t elected to do what’s easy. We’re elected to do what’s right. For the small minority of businesses that choose to ignore the medical doctors and the data and to ignore your legal obligations for the residents of your communities, there will be consequences.
Businesses and individual professionals that are licensed by state agencies will be held accountable for breaching public health orders. Counties that try to reopen in defiance may not be reimbursed by FEMA for damages they cause because they ignored the law. Local law enforcement and the Illinois State Police can and will take action.
But there is no consequence the state could impose that is greater than the harm that you will do to your own communities.
192 Illinoisand lost their lives to this virus in the past 24 hours. 192.
How is that not real to you? More people will get sick, get admitted to the hospital and die if we don’t stay the course and follow the guidance the experts have provided to the elected officials out there, or playing to the crowd that ignores science and carries symbols of hate.
Step up and lead. Now, more than ever, your communities need you.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
* More…
Last thing before I take questions, I want to address something that I said yesterday regarding baseball and baseball players. I want to apologize for leaving the impression that baseball players shouldn’t have the right to bargain, or protect their health and safety. I absolutely support that right. I should have made that more clear to you.
* Downstate Madison County and Adams County have both authorized their own reopenings… Other than withholding federal funds, what other enforcement mechanisms are you considering? Have you ruled out sending in state police?…
Well, not just federal funds that we’re talking about, as I just said the businesses that ignore the executive orders that ignore the law will be held accountable by our department of Professional Regulation. They will be held accountable by any licensing body, liquor commission Liquor Control Commission, the others. There are enforcement mechanisms here that we will be using against them. And again [I implore the leaders] of these communities not to give into a minority of residents who are clamoring to ignore the science and the data, but instead to follow the rules to follow the law and most importantly to keep residents of your community safe.
* The local communities already reeling from economic downturn, federal funds are withheld by our administration. If regulation gets involved it takes away some of the licenses of business owners. I mean these are folks that are already hurting, bears responsibility if their hardship gets even worse…
They’re the ones who bear the responsibility because they’re the ones who are not following the rules. Let’s be clear what we’re trying to do here is keep people healthy and safe, and to reopen the economy simultaneously. That’s what the Restore Illinois plan did.
I would suggest to everybody they take a look again at that plan that is more expeditious in many ways than the plan put out by the White House, but it also takes into account, making sure that our health care institutions have the capacity to manage people who will get sick. As things reopen in the economy if you do it too fast you’re going to see an over running of the healthcare system. And very importantly, many people getting sick going into the hospital, ending up in ICU beds
* Would you consider getting out of Chicago and visiting some of the small mom and pop shops and restaurants in the suburbs, downstate to see for yourself how they say that they can safely reopened with social distancing just like a stores are operating currently…
Well, as you know I’ve traveled quite a lot around the state and I of course talk to business owners everywhere in the state, and have been doing so especially over the last two months, as we’ve been trying to provide supports for them and to make sure that we’re putting rules in place for phase three phase four that will make sense for them when it is safe to open. I love to travel the state love to go into communities. At this point, though, remember that for me to go in to shake hands with people to hug people the way that I like to do isn’t going to be a smart thing for them or for me and it breaks the rules, frankly. Meanwhile, as you know, I’ve been very much in communication with the state of Illinois and speaking with the mayor’s city council people representatives, all over the state. And I look forward to a moment when we have a real opportunity to get together to celebrate the reopening of businesses reopening of our economy, when it is safe and healthy for people to do so.
Dude is in quarantine and reporters are asking why he isn’t out and about? Weird.
* Would you not benefit you know from a firsthand view today of these locations with their measures set up with a plexiglass perhaps in some of these locations, set up you know obviously you’re sitting in in meetings with scientists, discussing models but what it benefits you to go to some of these locations and eyeball yourself. Their current setup?…
100% and I would suggest to the business owners who are thinking about reopening against the rules breaking the law, that they come to Chicago and come to a hospital in Chicago, or go to a hospital near them that has COVID-19 patients and talk to the nurses, the doctors who are on the front lines and ask them, what it means to them that people follow the stay at home rules. Because the fact is that right now what’s so important is that people do the right thing for their neighbors their friends, their communities, for everybody in the state, frankly, most people are doing the right thing. And most people understand why you have a stay at home rule. It is a minority of folks who are breaking the rules and putting people in danger.
“Come to Chicago” is not a great response.
* Based on the IDPH data that region, according to that data every region except the Northeast, is already green for phase three. Why are they not reopening now why do they have to wait until May 29?…
There’s a reason why we’re watching all of these regions over a period of time. First of all, if you look very closely at the data set not declining the numbers that you want to have declining or not, there is a flatness of flattening of the curve, but not a decline. And so what we want to do is watch as we reopened remember there were many changes that were made in the stay at home order on May 1. And so once you make those changes what you want to do is watch and see whether there is an increase in the caseload, and the positivity rate in the hospitalizations and so on. The same thing will happen when we enter phase three to enter phase three which is coming in 16 days I believe we’re going to wait and watch. Because, you know, people don’t get sick immediately, what happens is they get sick, they get exposed. And then they get sick over time. And then they end up in a hospital some number of them. And then, in an ICU bed and so on and that happens over the course of several weeks. So it’s very important that we watch and carefully monitor what’s happening in each region, but I am very glad that three of the four regions already looked like they’re on a path to reach phase three. And I’m hopeful that the last region the Northeast region will also be able to reach phase three quickly, although I would point out that there’s a 14 day measurement of that last metric that positivity rate 14 day metric, or making sure that that’s under 20, and it looks very much as if the Northeast region is heading that direction. And as I said, there are about 16 days left in the, the month of May, and if you average out looking at the last few days positivity and what likely will be either stable or downward movement of that positivity number, the Northeast region will hit the mark by the end of May as well.
He really needs to work on that pitch. Way too disjointed.
* Dana Kozlov from CBS two wants to get your thoughts on the legislature getting together next week, and specifically some Republican lawmakers are preparing or have already prepared legislation allowing for other businesses to reopen and requiring you to get legislative approval on any additional emergency declarations…
It’s their right to introduce legislation. I mean, I think everybody understands that what I’ve been doing is following the science and the data, doing what’s best for our economy, given that the virus is out there. I want to remind everybody that when people get sick, and when they die, but that too has an economic cost, I mean, aside from the variable cost of families and communities. There’s also an economic cost to our state. When that’s happening so take that into account when you’re suggesting that we should follow a different path.
* Has any other staff ever tested positive or showing symptoms…
No other staff people have tested positive to my knowledge, at this point, and the one staffer who did I was in contact with the day that person indicated that they are feeling fine.
Have you been tested again since Sunday?…
I have not be tested every day. I have been isolating. There’s no reason for me to test every day. I think you know once we discovered that someone was positive in our office I think it was appropriate for me to get tested, and you know at this point I’m simply isolating like others do when they find out they’ve been in somewhat close contact with someone who’s tested.
* We continue to get complaints from people who cannot collect unemployment benefits because of a variety of mistakes that the system can’t seem to correct as you call certainly numbers, and at those certain numbers, no one answers. Are you doing about this and why is it taking so long?…
Yeah, I mean you know we have thousands of many thousands of calls that come in each day, thousands get answered and responded to. And people get processed over the phone, as well. I realized that it is difficult when you can’t file. If there’s some problem with your filing online, and it requires perhaps an arbitration or some other intervention that it does mean that you’ll have to have a personal discussion with somebody. We’re working very hard we’ve just spun up this outside call Center to add on top of the internal IDs capability, and we’re getting to them as fast as possible again with an unprecedented number of filings. It is difficult but I will say that the new PUA system for people who are independent contractors for filing is resulting in 10s of thousands of people being able to connect with the system and as I indicated yesterday about 50,000 filings.
* We are hearing from nursing home owners who are saying that testing supplies are still scarce. When can nursing homes expect more testing supplies, or is there a shortage of COVID-19 tests for those long term care facilities?…
Well there’s a shortage of tests all across the country. We’ve prioritized those nursing home so they’re actually getting many more on balance than other facilities or other locations are and so to the extent that there’s a facility that hasn’t had testing. It’s simply because there are so many in the state of Illinois we now have, I think we have more has to get the test done. We’ve had to go sign outside contracts you’ve heard me talk about, for example, and our new contract which allows them to deliver tests and pick up tests once they’re completed. So we’re again, our testing capability is spinning up all over the state nursing homes are among the highest priority.
* Amy Jacobson from wind asks if the Illinois attorney general has a written legal opinion that dates back to 2001 that essentially said that you are acting illegally. You did not have the power to issue the stay at home order beyond the initial 30 days according to this legal opinion. Do you agree with the AG’s office? If so, will you rescind the order as invalid. And if not, why you believe you can disregard the Office of the Attorney General?…
The Attorney General’s Office has not issued that to us, and indeed the attorney general’s office is handling legal matters for the governor’s office, for the stay at home order to defend it. We do have the legal right to issue those executive orders especially here in the context of a disaster declaration. And as you know, that’s something that enables the governor of the state to take actions to protect the health and safety of people across the state and that’s what I’ve been doing.
* Fox 32 has a question regarding Willie Wilson, getting 100 pastors to go against your stay at home order. Have you reached out to Willie Wilson. What will you do with those pastors have service on Sunday?…
No, it’s a ridiculous call on the part of Willie Wilson. The idea of encouraging pastors, bringing what amounts to a large population of elderly African Americans to church to get together, not only in defiance of the executive order, but also putting them at significant risk. Think about it. We’re talking about senior citizens who as we know are a vulnerable population. And on top of that, African American senior citizens, most of those that he’s talking about. And they are especially vulnerable as well. Those double sets of comorbidity putting those groups of people together in large groups is an enormous mistake, and I would suggest that Willie Wilson do his homework that he look at what the science and data says that that will do to people that obviously I care deeply about and I assume he does too
* In April, Dr. Ezike said that even cases quote with a clear alternate cause of death who tested positive are listed as a COVID death. Yesterday you indicated that IDPH was trying to remove those obvious cases. Did that process begin. And can you explain the process?…
Dr. Ezike: If it’s not a forensic pathologist performing an autopsy, and who was doing that work to determine the actual cause of that we are calculating obviously the numbers, we get reported deaths to us. And so again I think I’ve expressed this many times before tha, because we are getting the information and turning it over the same day that we’re getting it it doesn’t give us enough time to go through and make sure that there aren’t some enter either the wrong state needs to be attributed somewhere else, that it’s not the, you know, a different cause of death to make sure that there wasn’t a double count that they weren’t the same people listed in two different reports. So, again, not being able to have enough time in an effort to get the information out to the public so quickly, you know some of that review cannot happen. And so when it happens on the back end and we do try to remove things that are clearly not intended to be listed amongst the COVID death and so we are trying to remove. There was an accident, a car accident, if there was a homicide or suicide or something that was clearly not related we are trying to remove those numbers to make sure that these are accurate.
* Friday I asked you if you had a snapshot of the possible cases of the child inflammatory syndrome that we’re seeing across the country I think New York is now reporting more than 100 civil cases related to that. And I think you indicated a few days ago that public health departments were going to begin reporting. Do you have an update today on that whole issue?…
Dr. Ezike: Please know that we have a very systematic process to approach this. So, we have, I have talked to many pediatric specialists, both pediatric infectious disease, doctors pediatric cardiologists pediatric intensivist. And so we have assembled a team, along with our IDPH staff who are going to convene again from the information that I’ve received from all of these specialists. This is a complicated disorder, it’s not a single disease rather it’s a spectrum of disorders, much like you would think of autism, where one autistic patient, you know you have the ID, the diagnosis of autism, but one patient does not look and look completely different from another patient holding that same diagnosis so again with this inflammatory disease that’s associated sometimes with with shock, it’s a spectrum of disorders and so you know in some cases you’ll have the individual have coronary artery involvement sometimes they don’t. Again, that’s why there’s a team of specialists that are convenient so that they can come up with some agreed upon criteria that will be used that IDPH will then put out the guidance saying this is the criteria. These are the features that we’re looking for. This is what we want you when you see it to report to IDPH so you know again, sometimes information gets ahead of itself without getting the due process and the due diligence. This is not a situation of COVID with Kawasaki that has been reported repeatedly in the press, and Many of these cases would not fit the criteria for Kawasaki, we have multiple Kawasaki specialists here in Illinois, they will be part of the team, but we want to get a clear definition of the features that will be looked for, and then we will put that out as what to let all pediatric, but all providers know that these are the features we’re looking for and this is what we’re asking to be reported. So we hope to have that whole process completed before the end of next week.
* In factories with a cluster of COVID positive cases among employees, at what point is the state stepping in to ensure safety of essential workers? What enforcement measures are being taken to make sure private companies are following proper safety measures?…
There are two ways that those get enforced, three ways really, the Department of Labor, of course complaints to the Department of Labor, things that are filed with the attorney general’s office as well. Private actions that people can take, because of the negligence of the employer.
* The number of positive test results have been soaring in Illinois in the past few weeks sometimes leading the entire nation. Some of that is due to more cases but what extent is the increased telling us something about how far COVID has spread in the state?…
Dr. Ezike: No, the issue is, you have more testing. I think we’ve always known that if we saw a day, in the early days when we had very limited capacity and could do, maybe 100 or 200, that if you did those many tests, you would get a certain number of positives. We knew that for that one positive, that wasn’t the only positive in the state of every positive we know that there were many other people who did not get tested, who had similar symptoms. But, in fact we were telling people to stand down because we didn’t have the capacity we said okay, if you’re a pretty healthy person and you have mild symptoms, but you know you were in contact with someone who was diagnosed, yep, you probably have covid, so just isolate yourself. At that time we think we were saying, stand down for 14 days from the start of symptoms, and then get better and then return. So we know that there are for everyone there were like many additional people for each one case that were positive with us being able to test more, we’re just getting to those actual numbers. But again we know that there have been people who were sick and couldn’t get tested, and we know other people who were around a confirmed case, probably were COVID positive also. So I think we should be looking at the denominator and see, it’s a great thing that we’re increasing our capacity for testing. As you look at the percent positivity. It’s not that our percent positivity is going up, not the case at all. So, the concern that oh my goodness maybe things are getting worse in terms of the higher numbers of cases, the higher numbers of cases are because we’re testing more people, but overall I think our positivity rate is not going up, but we do all want to know what our status is.
* With the legislature reconvening next week when will you return to Springfield governor and how will the state pay for the aid package you’re calling for?…
Well I’m glad that the legislature is going to return to Springfield and I certainly look forward to seeing people in Springfield as a result of their return.
Let me also say that it’s very important to me that we pass a COVID relief package for the families of the state, for the small towns of Illinois and for the small business. Much of the work that was done at the federal level, missed out on supporting many people there are just lots of people who fell through the cracks of that big federal program the PPP program for example, many small businesses never were able to access. We want to make sure that our small businesses or family businesses out there the small, you know, startups that people have put their lives into. We want to make sure that they survive and thrive. And so, a COVID relief package is very important to do.
How will we pay for it? Obviously, as I said for some time now, we have real challenges with the loss of revenue, because of COVID-19. So, we need to we need to rely upon the federal government and its support for all the states. In order for us to provide the services that people need in order for us to pay for the education that our kids need, and for us to support our businesses and our families in the wake of this as we’re dealing with this COVID-19 crisis.
* The state’s $800 million long term bond issue cleared the market today. It did so at record yield penalties for the state. Do you think it’s worth it to pay such a steep penalty instead of holding off until you learn whether the federal government will come through with aid? Also is the state considering using the Federal Reserve’s short term lending program for either the 1.2 billion of certificates that have not yet sold or issue other that? And if not, why not, that lowers the cost of borrowing…
It’s a lot of questions. So, let me start with the fact that there were people who didn’t think anybody, any state could get a bond deal through. We did, and people you see the strength of the folks who are interested in investing in our bonds, they see that the state has strength that we’ve been on a path that was putting us on firm fiscal footing before COVID-19 came along. So I think they know that we’re also going to be headed, you know, as we’re coming out of COVID-19 in a responsible way to deal with the financial challenges that we have. That’s why we were able to get strong interest in our bonds.
The financial penalty that you pay in this environment you know where every state is challenged every state, essentially has gotten a kind of a move, push toward the negative by those who rate the bonds of states that you know, of course, everybody’s going to get a ding on the markets as they go out to seek to borrow, but it was important for us to do so. It helps us to continue to keep people working by investing in our capital program and by lowering the overall pension liability, because a portion of those dollars actually go to buy out folks who are in our pension system and retiring, and we can buy them out at a discount for the dollars that we’re borrowing. So you know we’ll be continually accessing the public markets as states always do. But we were very pleased by the strong showing strong interest in the bonds that Illinois sold today.
* The Sun-Times has reported that Navy Pier has received nearly $25 million in coronavirus loans from the federal government towards salaries and other expenses. Do you think the federal government should be loaning the pier money to cover such high salaries?…
I haven’t evaluated the application that the Pier put in but look we have very important functions of the city of the county of the state. These facilities’ institutions that need to be supported. Navy Pier the, you know, McCormick Place others. It’s very important I think that they are supported in one fashion or another, as to what the application said I can’t speak to the specifics of it. But as you know as an institution, I think it’s important for us to preserve those parts of Chicago that will be very important for us to come out of the crisis that we’re in now, and to come out of the financial doldrums that we’re in now, people will want to go back to Navy Pier we need to make sure that the pier is strong.
* When does the State anticipate offering guidance to state universities about when it might be feasible for the fall semester. Is it realistic for them to plan for on campus learning. And what do you anticipate might be feasible for college athletes which are a big recruitment tool?…
First of all our Board of Higher Education and our community college boards, both will be considering whether or not you know and when the universities and community colleges will be opening up so I’m not going to render an opinion about whether they will or won’t. But it’s important to me that we get kids back to school, and I’m determined to see that happens. Having said that, again we’re all kind of watching the numbers and watching the progress here that we’re able to make against COVID-19.
What was the last part of the question, student athletes. I mean it’s again I think all of us want to be able to give guidance this far in advance, but it’s very hard to do right.
* With lawmakers coming back to Springfield, can you offer some guidance on where you think the budget should be cut or areas that should be spared cuts?…
We’re gonna have to work on this together, the legislature, Democrats and Republicans, if they’re willing to work with us. It’s important that we have a plan here for balancing the budget. We have challenges that really require the federal government to be involved in terms of areas that I think are vital for us going forward. You know how important it has been to me to lift up to improve our Department of Children Family Services to see that cut in any significant way would be really damaging. I think that’s one area where that I can identify that I really don’t want to see us do any damage to the progress that we’ve already made, and keep us moving in a forward direction. There are other things you know we talk about something important that nobody paid attention to before. The Department of Public Health. We do invest in our public health infrastructure. Now more than ever, But we’ll need it now in this COVID-19 crisis. You know what I think everybody realizes, there could be another pandemic that comes along, other healthcare crisis, public health crisis and so we need to invest in the fundamentals of our public health system including our county public health system so there’s a lot that I think we’re gonna have to work on in this budget. But vital vital to this is getting support from the federal government, there’s no chance that we won’t have to suffer severe damaging cuts to higher education in K 12 education to basic services that people need, if we don’t get any support. That’s what’s going to happen to our state, we’re going to see just an enormous hole where we’ve made so much progress.
* There’s a lot of concern about the drive thru testing site [in Bloomington] which is closing tomorrow. You said it was only averaging 26 people per day and there are plenty of other testing options in Bloomington. We think you may have been given bad information is your administration willing to revisit the decision to open alternative sites here in Bloomington?…
What’s important to us is that people get tested and there were many many days of that drive through testing in which it was underperforming. I was citing one day I have to admit that, you know, they’re different numbers run through my head. I remember that being one of the days of Bloomington. The fact is, though that what we want to make sure that happens is that people actually use drive through testing, the other drive thru facilities have done much much more. Many more tests have been performed at the other ones that we want to promote and encourage people to get tested. We reached out spoke with some of the leaders in Bloomington, and we’re assured that they would encourage people to use the drive thru testing in Bloomington and so we’ve extended drive thru in Bloomington through next week.
* A number of reports from researchers in China and India have shown the spread of COVID-19 through air conditioning at restaurants and offices, what is the state doing and what can it do to ensure similar infections don’t occur here?…
That’s not testing that’s been confirmed. That’s not something that’s been acted upon. As a result, but we’re very much interested in the CDC, determination, and the studies that will be done to confirm that or, or to determine that that’s accurate. But that’s something that we’re going to keep an eye on obviously all of these situations. We don’t know enough about this coronavirus this novel coronavirus, so each time is a new piece of information, you heard that the original call around this Kawasaki like effect on children was deemed to be somewhat inaccurate. Now there’s a much more robust view of what it really is and how to track it. And the same thing is true here. As we learn more, we’re gonna follow the guidance that’s given but the research capability doesn’t exist for the state of Illinois, but does at the federal level and with private research and public research institutions that have the ability to do so.
* Governor both the Illinois thoroughbred and harness racing associations are worried that their seasons will be severely truncated spelling the death knell for an already struggling industry in Illinois, Arlington High scores hasn’t yet committed to doing spectator free racing but harness racing has, I understand. It is also come to an agreement with the Department of Agriculture and IDPH on conducting races without fans in the stands. When will both of these types of racing be able to commence so the trainers will be able to earn their living?…
When it’s determined that there are rules that will keep everybody safe. That’s the most important thing I mean obviously in our restore Illinois plan. We didn’t list every single industry, including harness racing or racing. But we are making sure that each industry has a set of guidelines, and we’ve encouraged industry leaders in fact that’s much of what’s happening, and been happening over the last number of weeks and weeks going forward. What the proper rules should be in each industry you know how far apart do people need to be. They safely distance on the backstretch for example, and you know when they’re lined up in a race, how far apart. Do they really need to be, do they need to be in stalls that are two apart for example. So, all because you have jockeys Of course and not to mention the trainers or the people working with jockeys at the start of a race so all those things need to be considered. As we’ve talked about with other major league sports, there will not be at least at the beginning, fans in the stands, but it is possible, I think, to see that at least I can imagine that there will be some approval at some point for all of horse racing. But again, I’m going to leave that to the experts, particularly the doctors to make sure that everybody can do it safely.
*** An automated text from @IDPH says Illinois saw 192 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, making it the new deadliest day for the state. (@GovPritzker said the part about not hitting a peak until mid-June on Monday—read @TinaSfon and see chart for that https://t.co/0p7xpyU96R) pic.twitter.com/xNQ1Yg890t
Today we are reporting 1677 new cases of COVID. A total of 84,698 total individuals [have tested for] COVID-19 here in the state of Illinois.
Unfortunately, our death total is at 3792, of which 192 were reported in the last 24 hours. The largest one day increase that we have recorded thus far. […]
To date, 489,359 tests have been performed. 13,668 were reported in just the last 24 hours. The increase of testing around Illinois. There is an increase in positive COVID-19 cases detected, that is expected. Rather than focusing on the large numbers of cases yesterday, once you take into account the very large amount of specimens that were [collected]. […]
Positivity rates statewide thus far is 17%. That was calculated on a seven day rolling average. That means for today we looked at the number of positive and total tests reported from May 3 through May 10, there is a three day lag. […]
As of last night 4563 people were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19 illness. Of those 1208 patients were in the ICU and 714 patients were on ventilators.
* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 1,677 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 192 additional deaths.
Clinton County: 1 female 20s
Cook County: 1 male teens, 1 female 30s, 3 males 40s, 4 females 50s, 8 males 50s, 10 females 60s, 21 males 60s, 13 females 70s, 18 males 70s, 15 females 80s, 19 males 80s, 1 unknown 80s, 17 females 90s, 6 males 90s, 3 females 100+
DuPage County: 2 males 60s, 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 5 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
Jasper County: 1 male 90s
Jefferson County: 1 male 60s
Kane County: 1 female 70s, 3 females 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
Lake County: 1 male 40s, 2 males 50s, 1 female 60s, 2 males 70s, 2 females 90s, 1 unknown 90s
Madison County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
McHenry County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
Sangamon County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
St. Clair County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
Will County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
Winnebago County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
Edwards County is now reporting a case of COVID-19. Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 84,698 cases, including 3,792 deaths, in 99 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 17,668 specimens for a total of 489,359. The statewide 7-day rolling positivity rate is 17%.
U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman really lets the churches have it for filing the suit in the first place, calling “their blatant refusal to follow the mandates” of Pritzker’s coronavirus order “both ill-founded and selfish.”
Governor Kim Reynolds said Wednesday that restrictions will be lifted statewide on May 15, with the exception of bars and casinos. That includes all businesses, from salons to fitness centers, with some specific guidance in place.
Those restrictions could include masks and capacity caps. There will be additional guidance available today from the IDPH.
The Iowa Legislature has again pushed back plans for reconvening its 2020 session, which has been interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Lawmakers suspended their session March 16 for 30 days as part of the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of legislators, staff and the public.
After pushing that back until this Friday, the Legislative Council now plans to vote to wait until June 3 to resume its in-person work at the Statehouse in Des Moines.
Cook County Board to vote on waiving 1.5% interest fee on late property tax payments through October 1
The social-distancing police are among us. Would you call out a neighbor for unsafe practices? Or call 911?
Little Company of Mary hospital was up against it when the coronavirus hit. Then central Illinois nurses came to the rescue.
‘It was set to be a record year’: Great Lakes cruise operators buckle up for a rough season in wake of the pandemic
Report: Structural racism — from segregated housing to limited job opportunities — responsible for high rate of COVID-19 deaths among African Americans
Grocery prices see biggest monthly increase in nearly 50 years
Can you get a marriage license in Cook County during the coronavirus pandemic? Well, that depends.
Fed chief warns coronavirus recession could be lengthy, painful
Chicago bracing for Mexican beer shortage as coronavirus industry shutdown persists
Coronavirus pandemic scams: Here’s how to avoid falling for them
Longtime Naperville couple die within a month of each other, both victims of COVID-19 complications
Streets and San to restart regular street cleaning in Chicago next week
Black Chicago churchgoers join one-quarter of Americans who say their faith’s grown stronger during the COVID-19 pandemic
Illinois sold $800 million of debt its first borrowing since the coronavirus exacerbated the worst-rated state’s fiscal woes, showing that its access to the capital markets remains intact even as investors demanded large yield penalties to buy the securities.
Bonds maturing in 2045 with sold at a 5.85% yield, nearly four percentage points above top-rated benchmark debt, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That’s slightly under the 5.95% yield initially offered, according to preliminary wires viewed by Bloomberg, yet still more than double the penalty on its last sale in November, when debt due in 2044 priced at 159 basis points over benchmark. […]
“This is what every other lower-rated issuer or state, the Connecticuts, the New Jerseys, or anyone that has been waiting a little bit — this is a very good sign for them,” said Nisha Patel, a portfolio manager at Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC. “That the lowest rated state with a lot of speculation of losing their investment grade rating, the deal like this getting done, with this type of subscription signals to other issuers that the water is warm, you can come into the market and get a decent size issue done.”
The yield penalty investors are requiring shows how dramatically the coronavirus pandemic has affected investors’ views of Illinois’s bonds. Prices on previously issued bonds have tumbled sharply since March amid speculation that the steep economic slowdown may turn it into the first state to be stripped of its investment grade rating.
The sale will be used for capital projects and to fund an ongoing pension buyout plan, according to the Bond Buyer.
Federal Reserve leadership said their municipal short-term lending program will be up and running in a matter of weeks, not months, while municipalities forge ahead and price deals to a mostly receptive muni market.
In a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing Tuesday, Fed Vice Chair of Supervision Randal Quarles said he expects the Fed’s Municipal Liquidity Facility as well as its Main Street Lending Program to be open in a matter of weeks. […]
The Fed, since the creation of the MLF in early April has been releasing details over the past few weeks on how it will work, but it has yet to begin buying munis. The program will buy $500 billion of short-term notes from issuers. […]
“In 2008, the Fed didn’t take any action with respect to the municipal market,” said Michael Decker, senior vice president of policy and research at Bond Dealers of America. “They didn’t buy any bonds, they didn’t make any loans, they stayed completely out of the municipal market. So they are starting this up right from scratch and so I think that’s why it’s probably taking a little bit longer than some of the other facilities.”
* Illinois has somewhere around a thousand miles of borders with surrounding states. And communities near those borders are always antsy whenever Illinois does something that makes it less competitive with our neighbors. The COVID-19 response and the reopening of states all around Illinois is no different except in scale. Molly Parker took a look at this issue in southern Illinois and as part of her story talked to the governor’s chief of staff…
Anne Caprara, Pritzker’s chief of staff, told The Southern on Friday that the governor’s office understands some of the challenges presented with neighboring states outlining reopening plans that, in some cases, are starkly different than Illinois’.
She said that some states aren’t slowly reopening, but have rather taken an approach of “just throw the doors open, and see what happens.” Caprara said that’s not a risk Pritzker is willing to take. But she said that the reality is that Illinois’ government can only control what happens inside its borders to protect citizens of the state. “If we had a federal response, we wouldn’t have to worry about these things. We’re dealing the best we can with the situation we’ve been handed,” she said. […]
Caprara said that Illinois’ efforts have been successful to date in slowing the rate of transmission, and ensuring that hospitals are not overrun. As the state moves toward reopening, the virus is “not gone,” she said.
“There’s nothing the governor can do about that. There’s nothing anybody else can do about that,” she said. “So really, the question at the end of the day is: How many people dying are we willing to accept to open the economy? And that’s a tough question.” […]
“No one is saying never open up,” she said. “But what we are saying is that the difference between opening up on Tuesday and opening up at the end of May, or the end of June, might be 6,000 people dead. What am I supposed to say to those people, the people who that’s your mother or father, or that’s your sister or brother, that your life is expendable?” […]
Caprara acknowledged that the challenges presented by the variants in reopening are difficult ones. She said the state is choosing to err on the side of caution.
The attorney representing two Republican lawmakers in separate cases challenging Gov. JB Pritzker’s emergency powers has three new clients: a hair salon owner and a restaurateur with two establishments.
Thomas DeVore, in the five cases, argues the governor has neither constitutional nor statutory power to implement consecutive 30-day COVID-19 state of emergency orders. If the governor doesn’t have that power, DeVore argues, he cannot extend stay-at-home orders. […]
All three of DeVore’s most recent filings against the state are nearly identical. According to the documents, the establishments’ owners have “no doubts Pritzker will at some point come before (a judge) with reams of paper, and a team of attorneys, proclaiming he was doing what was necessary to protect the people of this state.”
But that has “absolutely no consequence whatsoever” because, the lawsuits allege, the governor does not have the authority to order businesses closed. That power rests with the Illinois Department of Public Health, DeVore argues.
Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) has filed a temporary restraining order in regards to Gov. JB Pritzker’s stay at home order.
According to online court records, the injunction was filed in the 17th Circuit Court on Tuesday. According to those same court records, a motion was filed on behalf of Gov. Pritzker, although it’s unclear what that motion is for.
For about 80 other businesses, DeVore’s Greenville firm has used a different tactic.
DeVore has advised the businesses to write letters to their local health boards, citing a portion of a directive from Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the Illinois public health director, that accompanied Pritzker’s order. The directive says health officials have the authority to shut down businesses that violate Pritzker’s order if they’re determined to be public health risks. The letters go on to tell local health authorities that because the owners believe their businesses aren’t public health risks, they will reopen within 48 hours.
The letters then demand if authorities want the business closed, officials should seek a court order to close the business.
“We haven’t heard back from them objecting in a single case,” DeVore said.
[Rodney Viehland, the owner of Coles County Dragway] said after the fourth attempt to gain approval from the local health and county officials, hired attorney Tom DeVore to represent him in a lawsuit filed on Monday, May 4, 2020, against the Coles County State’s Attorney, Coles County Sheriff’s Department and the Coles County Health Department.
Viehland said it was his last resort because he didn’t want to be the business owner who opened illegally and had his event shut down by the police.
The defendants, according to Viehland, had 48 hours in which to respond to the suit. Viehland said none of the three defendants responded.
Viehland said he received a letter from the court which stated, “The local health board has received notice of your lawful objections to being closed as an alleged health risk, and Department of Health did not respond with any objections within the 48 hours. Given their failure to seek a court order within the time prescribed by law, this inaction by the local Board of Health is deemed as acknowledgement on their part that your business is not a public risk.” By the following Thursday, Coles County Dragway was open for a test and tune.
DeVore has also actively pressed several counties and other local governments to defy the stay at home order. Madison County was probably his most high-profile victory.
DeVore said his successful representation of Bailey has led to him getting calls from lawyers and would-be clients across the country, including California, Kansas, Maine, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
DeVore generated local headlines in January 2017, when he criticized a group of students who gave him incorrect change at a concession stand. In a Facebook post, DeVore repeatedly called each of the students a “special child (that’s politically correct for window licker).”
“Lord help us with the window lickers, I mean special children,” DeVore wrote.
At the time, he was a candidate for the Montgomery County School Board, but he quit the race about a month later. He said his comments were taken out of context in describing DeVore as criticizing “special needs children for their inability to count.” He filed a libel lawsuit over the episode in early 2017.
DeVore said that while he believes he had an easy case to prove, he decided not to pursue it after dropping out of the race. He said both the defendant and the community realized he wasn’t insulting children with developmental disabilities. He said the case has been administratively closed for two years, but he was filling paperwork to have it dismissed.
The flyer was posted to her Facebook account on Jan. 22. The flyer, attached to the suit as “Exhibit A,” includes the snapshot of DeVore’s post followed by the message, “This is Thomas DeVore in real life. He is running for our school board in Montgomery County Illinois. If you would like to let him know what you think of his position on disabilities please contact him,” and then gives the name, address and telephone number of his law office.
The suit argues that DeVore’s law firm “has no connection to the false statements or to DeVore seeking public office,” and further, “DeVore has received numerous threatening and insulting messages. An incalculable number of unpleasant opinions were posted about DeVore, the company, and DeVore’s personal business interests on social media,” and “DeVore’s law firm, and its affiliates, received business communications from clients asking for an explanation.”
The suit claims that actions by the defendants “have caused financial harm to DeVore’s business reputation, impaired his future business and professional interests, and caused intentional infliction of emotional distress,” and “made it seemingly impracticable for DeVore to seek public office as a school board member.”
The lone defendant remaining in the suit is Brian Wheeler of Hillsboro, whose attorney Jack Evans was present in court during the hearing.
“We definitely agree that all claims against Zach Wygal should be dismissed with prejudice, and we certainly appreciate the fact that they saved us from the trouble of preparing our own motion to dismiss,” Wygal’s attorney Chris Sherer of Hillsboro said during the Thursday hearing in front of Judge Doug Jarman. “We believe the plaintiff’s complaint suffers from a variety of infirmities, the most significant of which is that it was Mr. DeVore’s own statements, not any statements made by my client, that attracted the public’s attention and went viral.”
Sherer also questioned the motive behind the suit.
“We just want to state for the record that we believe the plaintiffs are attempting to use the judicial process to engage in a public relations campaign to rehabilitate Mr. DeVore’s image, which was tarnished by his own doing,” the attorney said. “However, we just want the record to be clear that Mr. Wygal is not willing to agree to any revisionist attempt to minimize the significance of the insensitive comments made by a school board candidate.”
Sherer also acknowledged that Wygal has been reimbursed for filing fees incurred in the matter.
A Bond County man says he gave up an opportunity to attend law school and quit his anticipated position as a paralegal to accept a job paying $125,000 per year, only to be fired from the job four months after he was hired.
Thomas G. DeVore filed a lawsuit Aug. 18 in Madison County Circuit Court against Foresight Management, Montgomery Land Company, Bond Land Company, Colt, Roger A. Dennison Jr., John F. Dickinson II and James Morris.
* From the Illinois Directors and Owners of Childcare Centers…
ILDOCC is strongly urging Governor Pritzker to allow businesses in Illinois to reopen now and to put childcare centers at the forefront of the effort.
“Even now the state is forcing us to turn away parents who need childcare to go back to work,” said Sarah Stoliker, President of Illinois Directors and Owners of Childcare Centers (ILDOCC). “We need to be open now, and businesses need to start re-opening for parents. They can’t put food on the table.”
Governor Pritzker says schools and childcare centers won’t be back to full capacity until the state has reached Phase 5, when a vaccine or treatment is available.
“We can’t wait that long. Less than 1/3 of early childhood education centers are currently open,” Stoliker warned. “We need all of the centers open now, or they are in danger of being permanently closed. It’s a crisis.”
She explained that under the governor’s emergency orders, centers can only operate if they take in the children of essential workers and also limit room space to 10 children– conditions that are not enough to keep a center running.
“Centers already have robust health and safety standards we work with 365 days a year,” said Stoliker, who owns a center in Will County. Now, there are even more specific standards put in place because of Covid-19. We are well-equipped for this crisis, but the governor is undercutting us by limiting room space to 10 children, as well as dictating who can be open or not. Currently only 10% of space statewide in centers is being utilized…”
Janice L. Martin, Owner of Under Carrey’s Care Centers in Riverdale, said, “We need action taken quickly to re-open centers in order to assist our families that are in fear of losing their jobs. One mom in particular is a CNA and is afraid because she has to leave work early to pick up her child from family members who don’t know how to care for a child with challenging behaviors.”
Cindy Mahr, a director and owner of In A Kid’s World in Rock Island, is looking at Iowa opening up just across the river. “If those centers are open and most of the ones in Illinois are closed, the families will drive 5 minutes to find care as they go back to work. Our programs won’t just be closed for the short-term,” Mahr stated. “Considering what the border states are doing is imperative.”
Robin Moore, a center director/owner of the Robin’s Nest centers in southern Illinois, is also very concerned. Moore says Gov. Pritzker’s phased reopening plan is not a good approach for families trying to get back to work. “Now we’re moving into June and July, they’re suggesting. We don’t have enough childcare in southern Illinois to provide childcare for people returning to work,” said Moore.
Stoliker concurred. “We just need all centers open and a thoughtful, stair-step approach to opening up state businesses right now. It is costing people their mental and physical health, their livelihoods, and, ultimately, their lives.”
“The governor needs to do the kind of math that ‘we, the people’ are doing at our kitchen tables,” Stoliker suggested. “Governor Pritzker needs to get out of his news conference and look around or at least talk to people on the phone who have much different information than he has. It’s destroying people’s jobs and lives.”
ILDOCC is a statewide organization of directors and owners who work in childcare centers every day. The group formed to be a voice for those “working in the trenches”, who have no voice in policy-making at the state level.
“Not only are the states bordering Illinois doing things differently, but even New York has kept childcare centers open during their state’s pandemic.” Stoliker lamented, “Only in Illinois do we kill the goose laying the golden egg and the egg itself.”
* From Jordan Abudayyeh at the governor’s office…
The administration convened a working group to create guidance to expand childcare safely in phases three and four of the Restore Illinois Plan.
Currently, providers may open under emergency rules and we encourage them to do so as a way of increasing capacity. Less than 25% of licensed providers have reopened under the emergency care rules. We expect the working group and IDPH to have guidance for childcare facilities ready to move into the next phase in the coming weeks.
* Illinois Action for Children…
As an organization on the front lines of early care and education every day, Illinois Action for Children understands how critically-important child care and child care providers are to our state. They are, in many ways, the lifeblood of the economy. We strongly believe that during this pandemic, however, the best and safest place for children to be is at home or with their relatives. Our state cannot recover if children and their families are not healthy and safe.
When COVID-19 began to spread in Illinois the Governor closed all child care effectively immediately, correctly citing the danger to providers, children, and their families if COVID-19 was able to spread unmitigated throughout the child care system and into communities in every corner of the state.
A new emergency child care system for Illinois’ essential workers was created in a matter of days. More than 2,500 child care centers and homes have enrolled in this program and are continuing to be paid by the state in full for the children they are currently caring for as well as for the slots that have been left vacant to ensure a safe care environment.
As Illinois continues to flatten the curve and move toward Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois: A Public Health Approach To Safely Reopen Our State plan, the reopening of child care must take place under the same science-based approach. The Governor has created a task force that will incorporate the input and voices of providers throughout all of the state to determine the safest approaches for reopening child care as we move through the phases of reopening Illinois.
We recognize the economic and financial hardship the COVID-19 pandemic is causing businesses throughout Illinois. The challenge, however, is that an attempt to return to full operations of child care without effective treatments or a vaccine will result in a dangerous and potentially deadly spread of COVID-19 in our state.
Illinois Action for Children stands with the Governor’s science-based approach and will continue to work closely with his administration to identify ways that providers can be assisted throughout this crisis. We also support the Governor’s calling of the Illinois House and Senate back to work to pass legislation that would support small businesses like child care. IAFC has also joined our many partners to strongly advocate for at least $50 billion in the next federal relief package to help ensure the financial stability of child care providers throughout our state.
We must do everything in our power as a state to ensure we have a safe child care system that is ready when Illinois’ workers return to work.
Less than a week after laying off 15 deputy clerks in the Rock Island County circuit clerk’s office and two legal assistants in the state’s attorney’s office, county officials are considering pay increases for elected offices, including Circuit Clerk Tammy Weikert.
During a Tuesday morning teleconference meeting, members of the county finance and personnel committee approved advancing two resolutions that will give pay increases for the county auditor, circuit clerk, coroner and recorder from a base pay of $91,800 to $93,636. Health insurance and other benefits pushes the total annual compensation for each official to more than $105,000.
The resolution states the auditor, circuit clerk, coroner and recorder will receive 2% salary increases again on Dec. 1, 2022, from $93,636 to $95,509.
“This is the biannual resolution to set office holder salaries for the county,” County Administrator Jim Snider said. “The change occurs when the office is up for election. This is not based on who’s in office; it’s based on who’s up for election.”
While MLB and the MLB Players Association continue to negotiate a potential deal that could see the sport return this summer, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday that he’s “disappointed in many ways that players are holding out for these very, very high salaries and payments” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Pritzker appeared to take particular note of the MLBPA’s issues with the finances associated with the reported plan approved by owners on Monday. MLBPA Tony Clark recently told The Athletic that they are not in favor of a proposed 50-50 split, leading to possible delays in finalizing an agreement.
“I realize the players have the right to haggle over their salaries, but we do live in a moment where the people of Illinois and the people of the United States deserve to get their past time back, to watch anyway on television,” Pritzker said.
“If they’re able to come up with safety precautions, as has been suggested by Major League Baseball that works, I hope that the players will understand that the people of our United States need them to recognize that this is an important part of the leisure time that all of us want to have during the summer to watch them play baseball, to root for our favorite teams…I must say I’m disappointed in many ways that players are holding out for these very, very high salaries and payments during a time when I think everybody is sacrificing.”
* On the one hand, I can see his point…
Wow. Fed Chair Powell just said:
"Almost 40% of those in households making less than $40,000 a year lost a job in March."
This is according to a Fed survey coming out tomorrow. It measures the pain among people who were working in January & February. pic.twitter.com/g762UgbV3j
First, people don’t “deserve to get their pastime back.” We are not obligated to professional sports during a pandemic. We are not owed athletes, their family/significant others, coaches, trainers, groundskeepers, broadcasters, bus drivers, hotel staff, cooks, et. al. putting their lives at risk because we’re bored, because business owners want to see cash flow, because politicians need a symbolic victory.
Secondly, the players aren’t “holding out.” They agreed to salary reductions in March, as their salaries were pro-rated based on games played. For instance, a player earning $5 million this year for a 162-game season ($30,864 per game) would earn $2.47 million if there were to be an 80-game season this year. The players already sacrificed. The owners want to renegotiate the deal the two sides virtually shook hands upon two months ago in favor of a more owner-friendly deal. It’s the owners who are “holding out.”
Even if the players were holding out (which they’re not), they would have every right to do so, as they are the ones putting their careers and lives on the line for the almighty entertainment dollar. The owners aren’t going to be in close quarters in the clubhouse with three dozen other people, sitting next to players who spit, discard chewed sunflower seed shells, and inadvertently cough and sneeze in their vicinity. The risk is being taken on entirely by the players. It’s easy for owners, for politicians, for fans, and for members of the media to suggest what the players should do when they won’t have to personally deal with the consequences of doing so.
1. Anything with even the slightest relation to a salary-capped system frightens players, even if this proposal doesn’t involve a salary ceiling or any other cap tenets. The mistrust between the sides has deepened in recent years — just look at their different interpretations of that March agreement, which is barely six weeks old — and the slightest whiff of a cap sends off Pandora’s box signals at the union.
2. Salaries do not grow commensurate with revenue gains. So now, in a year in which the game is struggling, it’s necessary for the players to share in the losses? That’s not how it works.
3. If a second wave of the coronavirus were to strike before or during the postseason and force the cancellation of games, postseason TV money would vanish. Even if the estimated revenues were $5 billion, they would crater with the cancellation of playoff money and leave the players with less than their prorated share.
To really understand what the players think about the revenue-split idea, one needed only hear what MLBPA executive director Tony Clark told The Athletic: “A system that restricts player pay based on revenues is a salary cap, period. This is not the first salary-cap proposal our union has received. It probably won’t be the last. That the league is trying to take advantage of a global health crisis to get what they’ve failed to achieve in the past — and to anonymously negotiate through the media for the last several days — suggests they know exactly how this will be received. None of this is beneficial to the process of finding a way for us to safely get back on the field and resume the 2020 season — which continues to be our sole focus.”
After Pritzker’s comments were posted Tuesday on Twitter, Eireann Dolan, the wife of Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle and an Illinois resident, tweeted: “This is wild to me. Players haven’t even seen a proposal yet. How can they be holding out on something they literally haven’t seen?”
Shortly after the sport was shut down during spring training in March to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, MLB and the union reached an agreement that players would be paid a prorated salary for a shortened season, based on the number of games played. […]
Players went on strike in 1994 to fight a proposed salary cap, and the work stoppage lasted into the 1995 season. Baseball remains the only major sport without a cap on salaries.
“A system that restricts player pay based on revenues is a salary cap, period,” Clark told The Athletic. “This is not the first salary-cap proposal our union has received. It probably won’t be the last. That the league is trying to take advantage of a global health crisis to get what they’ve failed to achieve in the past — and to anonymously negotiate through the media for the last several days — suggests they know exactly how this will be received.”
Illinois Municipal League Executive Director Brad Cole told WMAY on Tuesday it wants to see the regions separated by the eleven Emergency Medical Service Regions, not the quadrants in the governor’s reopening plan.
Cole also said municipal leaders want to shorten the 28-day timeline to fully get to the next phase to 14 days. And, in parts of the state that haven’t been hit hard by COVID-19, Cole said there were concerns about the data starting with May 1.
“We think that there could be a backdate to that,” Cole said. “We can look back further than May 1, especially in an area that hasn’t had any hospitalizations or positive tests.”
But, after releasing his reopening plan last week, Pritzker was asked if historical data back to March 20 was being used at all.
A push intensified Tuesday to let the collar counties progress separately from Cook and Chicago toward Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 bench marks for reopening the economy.
Leaders representing DuPage, Kane and McHenry counties called on Pritzker to remove their areas from the Northeast region under the Restore Illinois plan, which also includes Cook, Grundy, Lake, Kankakee, Kendall and Will counties.
County leaders, mayors and at least one state representative say the coronavirus situation in their communities is much different from what it is in Cook County and Chicago, where the high concentrations of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have occurred.
“When it comes to recovery, our situation is much more akin to Boone and DeKalb counties and points west than the Chicago metro area,” McHenry County Chairman Jack Franks said in a news release. […]
State rolling averages show the positivity rates in suburban Cook County and Chicago are above the 20% level, at 20.2% for suburban Cook and 23.2% for Chicago. But the rates also top 20% in Kane and Lake counties, at 24.5% for Kane and 25.6% for Lake.
The mayor of suburban Elmhurst has asked Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to reconsider portions of his plan to reopen Illinois, particularly including the city and DuPage County in the same health care region as Cook County. […]
“In the Northeast region, the positivity rate as of midnight on May 8 is at 22.3 percent, which is of course higher than the 20 percent cap on this metric to move into the next phase,” Pritzker said.
Elmhurst Mayor Steven Morley said Elmhurst and DuPage County are on track to meet the required COVID-19 data points dictated in the governor’s plan in a “matter of weeks, if not days.”
“To be clear this is unacceptable,” Morley said in a letter to Pritzker. “Governor you represent all Illinoisans, not just the city of Chicago. We are asking you to understand the needs of all communities.”
Grundy County Board members last night voted unanimously on a resolution to have Grundy County moved to another region in the Restore Illinois Health Regions Map.
Currently, Grundy County is in a region with Cook County and they are requesting state officials to move them into the North-Central Health Region.
The numbers, according to Peoria’s mayor, speak for themselves.
Mayor Jim Ardis said the Tri-County Area has already met the scientific metrics required by Gov. JB Pritzker to move to the next phase of reopening after two months of shelter-in-place orders.
“What we are saying, and the numbers speak for themselves, is that we were in that place a month ago. So, we are lucky … well, it’s not all luck, as there has been a lot of community effort,” he said.
Ardis held off on revealing the specifics of the Heart of Illinois plan that will be discussed Wednesday morning at a news conference. The plan, which involves communities from Woodford, Tazewell, Peoria, McLean and seven other adjacent counties, seeks to create a “subregion” within Pritzker’s plan. Currently, the area is in a region that includes Rockford.
Illinois House Republicans have circulated a petition demanding that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker remove Kendall County and Grundy County from what they call, “the Cook County region.”
* Related…
* McHenry County mayors want out of Northeast Region in Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan
Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday he would consider withholding federal pass-through funds to counties ignoring his stay-at-home order and said it “would be best” for the General Assembly to meet before the end of May to take up key state business.
When asked in his daily COVID-19 briefing via videoconference Tuesday if the state would consider withholding federal aid to counties reopening early, Pritzker said, “we would consider that.”
“The state already provides a lot of support for cities and counties,” he said. “And so I would just suggest that there are a number of enforcement mechanisms that are available to us, and I don’t want to utilize those — I have asked people to do the right thing and I want to point out that the vast majority of people in Illinois have been doing the right thing and I’m so very proud of that.”
Pritzker said those disobeying his orders are “outliers” who are “not following science and data,” but rather they are “listening to partisan rhetoric” and “following their own instincts, but no science.”
* The Question: Do you support withholding state aid (including federal pass-through money) from local governments which reopen ahead of the state’s schedule (as long as it’s legal to withhold it)? Make sure to explain your answer.
* As we’ve already discussed, the Madison County board overwhelmingly approved a proposal to reopen the county in defiance of Gov. JB Pritzker. Rep. Darren Bailey was in his home county of Clay last night to watch a similar plan fail for lack of a second…
As the state mandated shutdown of Illinois continues because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Clay County Board met last night at the courthouse in Louisville in a marathon session lasting more than 3 hours.
A crowd of residents about 50 in number attended the meeting in the upstairs courtroom observing social distancing as best they could with family members huddled together. These residents were on hand to voice their opinion about the shutdown and to let elected leaders know they want to get back to work. […]
The major topic of the meeting was a resolution for the board’s consideration calling for the adoption of an alternative plan to open businesses in Illinois rather than the five-phased system enacted by the governor.
Illinois State Representative Darren Bailey addressed the board and the public first and said additional measures will be put forward in the days ahead. Clay County Health Department Administrator Jeff Workman presented his case for the adoption of the resolution to encourage the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Governor J.B. Pritzker to consider other options in the push to return to some sort of normalcy. The board also heard from Insurance Broker Bill Atwood, Louisville Stylist Sonja Harrison who just filed her own case against the Governor earlier this week, as well as an impassioned plea from Flora Stylist Stacey Earleywine for the board to take action and Rep. Darren Bailey closed out the argument calling for an end to the governor’s action. […]
Board Chairman Ted Whitehead thanked everyone for attending and for their passion for the cause. Clay County State’s Attorney Andrew Koester spent much of the meeting interpreting the various legal points of the proposed resolution and ones shared from other governmental bodies. When the discussion concluded it was clear that residents who attended wanted the board to approve the resolution put forward by local legislators and regional health departments with the expectation that it be forwarded onto the IDPH and on to Gov. Pritzker. While a motion was made to adopt the resolution, it died for lack of a second. It was also suggested that a subcommittee be formed to study a resolution adopted by the Clark County Board which declared their businesses were free to reopen at their own risk. It’s possible that Chairman Ted Whitehead could call a special meeting in the coming days should another stronger resolution come as a result of the subcommittee’s work. It’s also possible a court ruling against the governor could have major ramifications against his plan and conceivably give local officials more control over their own areas.
State lawmakers are returning to Springfield to wrap up what will be a super-abbreviated legislative session hampered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Democrats are holding Zoom caucus meetings today at 10 a.m. to discuss when and how they’ll go to the state capitol. Most likely, they will return on staggered schedules, with senators going first.
Lawmakers expect to be called to Springfield soon. They were told this week to be sure to get tested for the coronavirus even if they don’t have symptoms.
House Speaker Michael Madigan holds the cards on all the details. Lawmakers could convene (in a social distancing sort of way) as early as next week, though they could wait to meet until after Memorial Day.
By then, Illinois will have a better idea about how much and what kind of federal funding would be directed toward the state in the latest relief package to help budgets bleeding revenue.
Technically, legislators are already in session through May 30, but their return could be deemed a “special session” — which would allow them to focus on a limited number of issues. It’s one of those confusing, legislative inside-baseball-sort-of-things.
I’m not quite sure what that last paragraph is supposed to mean (they could use a special session to limit the topics of discussion) and the spring session, as always, is scheduled through May 31, but subscribers know a lot more about options for a return.
The Illinois General Assembly might gather at the Bank of Springfield Center to allow social distancing amid pandemic.
Brian Oaks, general manager of the downtown convention center, said that he’s been talking with House Speaker Michael Madigan’s office. “We don’t have anything final,” Oaks said.
*** UPDATE 1 *** House Democrats were just told in caucus that they’re returning next week.
*** UPDATE 2 *** House Democrats were told that they will, indeed, meet in the convention center.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Senate Democrats were told they will come back next Wednesday through Friday. As I told subscribers this morning, the Senate will convene at the Statehouse.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Michael Madigan are expected to issue a statement at around noon today.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Click here for the House’s plan. This will indeed be a special session in order to limit the number of topics. Speaker Madigan has also asked his members to sign a pledge…
In the interest of conducting the necessary business of the Illinois House of Representatives in a manner that prioritizes the health and safety of our fellow members, staff, and our communities at large, we do hereby pledge to follow the recommendations as approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health by:
• Getting tested for COVID-19 in the days before the House is to resume – even if we are asymptomatic or have recovered from a previous infection. If we test positive, we will stay home and self-quarantine.
• Undergoing a temperature check on session days prior to entering the Capitol or any other grounds used to convene session. If we record an elevated fever, we will undergo a new test prior to entering the building.
• Wearing a facemask at all times when in session and whenever in the company of colleagues and staff. We understand additional protective equipment may be required if recommended by experts, and we commit to using it. (Cloth face coverings will be provided to members and essential staff who need it.)
• Traveling to session alone and staying in a hotel or apartment on our own, including doing our best to travel without spouses, children and other family members.
• Avoiding any unnecessary exposure by refraining from extracurricular activities like non-essential meetings, gatherings, shared meals or drinks with colleagues, lobbyists, or others while in session.
• Following social distancing recommendations at all times while in Springfield for the business of the House.
• Upon returning home, we will seek another test for COVID-19 and/or self- quarantine for at least seven days.
• Taking any additional individual precautions necessary to contribute to the health and safety of those around us.
*** UPDATE 6 *** As often happens, the House will have a concurrent special session along with its regular session.
*** UPDATE 7 *** Speaker Madigan has sent a letter to House GOP Leader Jim Durkin asking that the House Republicans sign the above pledge “Given your enthusiasm to resume normal operations of the House and the uncertainty of these times.” Click here to read the letter.
*** UPDATE 8 *** From the Senate Democrats…
We will be scheduling a special session for May 20, 21 and 22 to address fiscal and COVID-19 related issues.
The Senate plans to meet at the Capitol in the Senate chamber.
Secretary of State Jesse White’s office said Tuesday it is in the process of examining days when the office can reopen, including driver services facilities that have been closed since mid-March. […]
“The memo has gone out to employees letting them know we are looking at potential opening dates,” said White spokesman Dave Druker. “Nothing has been signed off yet. There still needs to be some clearance on some of this. Essentially, the letter was to let people know there are plans to come back in the not too distant future.” […]
How to reopen the driver services facilities and keep people safe is one of the issues that must be resolved, Druker said. Employees will wear masks, he said, and there will be dividers between the employees and the public as people see in retail outlets. There also will be floor markers to show where customers should stand to maintain proper distancing.
What hasn’t been determined is how to deal with potential crowds of people who may all show up at once expecting service. People could be asked to make appointments or there could be limits placed on the number of people allowed inside a facility at one time.
The article doesn’t make it sound like reopenings are imminent. But the SoS has already reopened three facilities for commercial drivers.
MEDIA ADVISORY
Wilson Supports Decision of 100 churches to open Sunday and Hold Service in Defiance of Governor’s Stay At Home Order—The Church is Essential to Saving Souls, Everyone Cannot Access Online Services
It’s Time to Reopen
WHO: Humanitarian & Businessman Dr. Willie Wilson, and Pastors
WHAT: Dr. Wilson supports the decision of Pastors to hold service this Sunday, May 17, 2020, for their congregations. In these extraordinary times where people are losing their jobs, and mental illness is on the rise, people look to the church for hope. I stand with these Pastors who have agreed to practice social distancing, provide face masks for their members and hand sanitizer.
WHEN: Thursday , May 14, 2020, 11:00am
WHERE: James R. Thompson Center, State of Illinois Building (Outside), 100 W. Randolph, Chicago, Illinois
WHY: “Governor Pritzker amended his Executive Order to include “free exercise of religion” as an essential activity, allowing gatherings of up to 10 people, the amendment does not go far enough,” said Dr. Wilson
The church is the foundation of our soul, people need hope in these challenging times and the church offers that hope. If big box stores and grocery stores have the right to welcome more than 10 customers, so do churches as they are “essential” for our spiritual well being,” says Dr. Wilson.
“Clearly, safety is a priority and as such churches will follow the social distancing requirements, and require attendees to wear masks and provide hand sanitizer,” Dr. Wilson said.
Dr. Wilson stated: As calls to substance abuse and domestic violence hotlines increase, it is important for the church to provide comfort and care for those who are suffering. In the Book of Hebrews 10:25 we find the following:
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
“The church is a significant part of the solution for COVID-19. Edmund Burke said it best: ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ “I will not stand by while the state limits the number of people who can fellowship in church,” Dr. Wilson said.
“I support the courageous Pastors who have decided that it is time for the church to open its doors to the community,” Dr. Wilson said.
Several Illinois legislators sent a letter to Governor J.B. Pritzker urging his administration to move the Metro East to the next phase of the Restore Illinois plan. […]
Senators Rachelle Crowe and Christopher Belt and state Representatives Monica Bristow, Katie Stuart, Jay Hoffman, LaToya Greenwood and Nathan Reitz were involved in issuing the letter to the governor.
From the letter…
We believe that our region has met the criteria to move to phase 3 of recovery under the reopening plan that has been provided by the governor. Using proper safety precautions, businesses could safely reopen and put people back to work, helping to start the road to recovery for our region from this crisis. Many of our hardworking residents are struggling financially — from the small business owners to people like hair stylists and barbers. Under the next phase, many of those people would be able to go safely back to work while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
We also propose that our region move to the next phase this Friday, May 15, as we currently meet the criteria to move forward, rather than waiting until the end of the month. These businesses represent the livelihoods of many, whether it’s a decades-old family owned retailer or a new start up that took years of savings in order to open its doors. Each day that a business remains closed is another day without profit while expenses incur, making it only harder to financially recover. We also believe that moving forward, our state should implement a 14-day waiting period rather than a 28-day period to move to the next phase to help other businesses across the state.
As we’ve already discussed, that 28-day thing is really difficult to explain because people don’t do nuance.
* The governor did have this to say when I asked him why he chose May 1 as the starting point for both the 14-day and 28-day periods. Why not just look back for four weeks from now and decide?…
Remember, we changed a lot in our stay at home order on May 1. We opened up parks, we opened up golf courses, again with guidance and safety conditions to make sure that people are safe in those settings. We opened up elective surgeries all across the state. And we also allowed retail to provide delivery and provide curbside pickup and such. So there were a number of changes that were in that [new] stay at home order, and we wanted to make sure that we had a solid baseline.
To me, that’s reasonable. To most folks, that’s probably not.
*** UPDATE *** Pritzker press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh…
The Governor has made it abundantly clear that the Restore Illinois plan was created by public health experts, prioritizing the health and safety of all Illinoisans as move toward re-opening segments of our economy. It’s disheartening to see lawmakers, tasked with making tough decisions to protect their constituents, disregard the advice of medical experts. This on the same day that Dr. Fauci testified before Congress warning that the US faces needless suffering and death if we reopen too early.
Starting Wednesday, Madison County will begin its phased plan to reopen the county, officially going against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s statewide plan to reopen Illinois.
The county Board of Health on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to approve the resolution, 26-2, becoming one of the first counties in Illinois to defy the statewide stay-at-home order.
The four-phase plan will begin Wednesday, May 13, and stretch until late June.
The Democratic Party of Illinois today released a video featuring elected officials and other party leaders from across the state thanking frontline workers for their immense sacrifice during this public health crisis. Illinois Democratic leaders took a minute while staying home to thank the doctors, nurses, pharmacy and grocery store workers, delivery drivers, truck drivers, postal workers and so many more for their courage and dedication in this uncertain time.
“Frontline workers are making countless sacrifices every day to protect Illinois residents,” Michael J. Madigan, Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, said. “We owe these workers not only our thanks, but also our respect and support as they put in long hours, many times away from their own families. They are the heroes in this fight.”
* From the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs…
May 11, 2020:
To residents, family members or responsible parties, and staff of the Illinois Veterans Home at Manteno:
One of the most crucial things we can do is continue to communicate with you in a timely, responsible, and transparent manner about COVID-19 (coronavirus). Please note that there have been thirty-nine (39) additional cases of COVID-19 at our home for a total of forty (40) cases. There are ten (10) cases in employees and thirty (30) cases in residents.
Our top priority is the health and safety of our military veterans and the heroic staff who care for them every day. We take this very seriously. We are following recommendations from local health officials and the Illinois Department of Public Health to safeguard everyone at the facility. This includes continuing our health screenings of staff and residents, maintaining social distancing practices, wearing face masks, using gloves and gowns when indicated, and intensified cleaning and disinfection protocols. Residents continue to be encouraged to stay in their rooms to minimize movement within the facility. We are working with public health officials regarding possible quarantines and to ensure the full protection, testing and care of anyone potentially exposed.
We are grateful to our team for remaining highly vigilant for signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and for being ready to respond swiftly, appropriately, and professionally to any potential cases.
We understand this news can be distressing, and we encourage you to contact your loved ones for mutual support of one another. Activities and social services staff continue to develop leisure activities, in accordance with social distancing practices, to care for the psychosocial wellbeing of our veterans. We promise to keep you informed as we do everything possible to keep our residents safe. Our military veterans and our wonderful home staff are strong and resilient people. With your continued support, we will get through this unprecedented time together.
* Gov. Pritzker had this to say today. Please remember to pardon all transcription errors…
Throughout this pandemic I’ve said and Illinoisans know that the battle against the virus has been fought to protect public health, of course, and to [fight] the economic damage that this virus has done to jobs and businesses has really been devastating. National projections show some industries will begin recovering in the reasonably near future. Still others may take longer. While workers and their families are hurting, federal relief has helped in the short run, and the state’s support systems have provided a safety net to address the immediate financial pain. From early on, my administration has worked to support our residents and small businesses by banning residential evictions providing help to pay rent and utilities, delaying tax filing deadlines, expanding unemployment eligibility and instituting loan and grant programs to support small business owner.
That isn’t enough. We must do more. The legislature must convene so that we can begin to put our financial and economic house back in order, even as we battle this terrible virus. The General Assembly needs to pass a comprehensive plan to support families, small businesses and small towns. The Congress is looking at supporting the states and we need to make sure that we are supporting the people who make our economy go.
In addition to significantly increasing rent assistance for families and working with banks on mortgage forbearance, we need rent and mortgage assistance for small businesses to provide grants and loans for businesses, starting and restarting tax credits for small business job recovery industries and businesses left out of the Federal PPP should be first in line. And we must pass a law to distribute funds to small cities and towns to support their need to fund first responders and basic services that could fall apart from COVID related revenue losses, as we work to keep our residents safe and gradually reopen businesses. I hope the legislature will act expeditiously to support jobs and economic recovery.
* On to questions for the governor. A number of mayors in DuPage County would like to reopen their towns, they say they don’t want to be lumped into the Chicago area, they claim they are much safer and are able to reopen safely and Phil Rogers of NBC 5 says the mayor says their numbers show different trends, that it really is not appropriate for them to be included together…
Sure well referencing here to the comments that I made yesterday on this exact topic, and that is that everybody would like to draw a different map. There’s no doubt about it.
You know we wish that there was a federal plan, a national plan for reopening, but there isn’t. And so it’s been left to the States. We in fact decided that it was very important for us to operate in a regional fashion. Some people would like to open city by city or town by town, county by county that’s 102 counties, 1200, to 1300, towns and cities across the state of Illinois. It was important to us to make sure that on a regional basis we were, in fact, noticing the differences from one area to another. And we did that, but remember the regions are drawn in a way to take into account hospital availability. To follow the metrics for each region, appropriate to a region that is near a large metropolitan area like Chicago. Many people that live in DuPage County work in Cook County, travel between the two and that’s one of the reasons why there’s a danger that people who live very nearby, because as they travel to and from work they have the potential to carry the virus, back and forth.
So, I appreciate that everybody’s got a different idea, but I will say this, that if you follow the regional metrics at each of our regions including the Northeast region which includes DuPage County is reasonably speaking on track, you know I mentioned yesterday, all of the other regions are on track to meet all of the criteria, and the Chicago and the Northeast region are very close, and it is a 14 day metric on the positivity number. And in fact, that number is heading south. So I would just keep an eye on that number and that will allow those areas to open up sooner. But take note that it’s a 14 day measurement for that.
* He was then asked several questions about surrounding states reopening faster than ours…
Let me start by saying that as governors in the Midwest or Midwest region we talk to one another, and our staffs talk to one another quite frequently. We are sharing ideas and making sure that we’re following best practices, it is different from one state to another. Indiana is a different state than Illinois. We have different concerns and Michigan’s different as well, so is Ohio. So each of us have different timetables. It’s again based a lot on at least for Illinois and for many of the other states, based on the health care metrics.
So we’re following, you’ve seen what we’ve put out as our restore Illinois plan is, if you look at what the President’s plan is where you would have to have all the parts dropping over a 14 day period. Ours, it’s actually somewhat easier to beat that plan would be. We might not open the state if we were following the President’s plan, Illinois might open at a later date than the one that is currently set in metrics and as I said that each state is a slightly different. And our Midwest compact is really about a shared set of ideas, and a shared set of principles for contemplating reopening doesn’t mean that we’re going to have exactly the same time a timetable deed, like I said to the state it looks like maybe the entire state will begin to move into phase three, the end of May, which is just a couple short weeks away.
* Are you concerned about people traveling to some of those states?…
I am concerned because I think that in many ways that opening too early or the, the potential spread of the virus in those states will affect our metrics in Illinois. So, I understand that people may cross over the border, but I think they should take into account the danger, the potential anyway, for the spread of the virus and their ability to carry that virus back over the border when they come back, bringing it to their family in their community, affecting not only the health and safety of people in that community but also the ability of that region to meet the metrics that we’ve set.
* What is the state doing to make sure there will be enough accessible, affordable and available childcare for people to return to work if phase three of your plan, even though daycares won’t reopen until phase four, and will children and childcare workers be required to wear masks and socially distance?…
We in fact have opened childcare, as I think Greg knows and others know, we put in place what we refer to as emergency childcare, which really was a downsized version of existing childcare facilities. We didn’t think it was safe and the doctors most importantly didn’t think it was safe to allow dozens and dozens potentially 100s of children to populate a single childcare facility. So what we did was sought out the creation of smaller emergency childcare providers. And there are 2500 of those, indeed more than 2500 now, many people continue to sign up to do that . Existing providers, they actually get paid more on a per child basis than they were when they were running their larger facilities. If we wanted to make up for the cost of having a smaller number of children in each class. So we believe that we will have childcare available to people who will go back to work with phase three. But we also have created a task force to make sure that we’re creating as much care as will be needed in that phase and beyond.
* On a daily basis you mentioned the models the science guiding your positions and policies, yet are these the same people who were wrong about the hospitalization rate, who said 40,000 people would be hospitalized in late April, but in actuality, it was 4800. Why not consult other models and scientists?…
Well actually Amy I think you missed the point of it. We have consultants, scientists and doctors all over the country. And we continually ask those not just in Illinois, but elsewhere.
Now you may have noticed that some of the models including one by the White House has changed quite a bit over time, the projections for Illinois were so much different. Over the course of the last two months, they’ve changed continually.
One of the reasons that the number of deaths and the number of cases has gone down in Illinois just because of the mitigation efforts that we put in as a result of what we could see were the projected numbers of projected cases the projected hospitalizations and deaths. So we knew that we needed to make the stay at home order, to build it in a certain way to make sure that we had base coverings required for example, which helps to bring down and bend that curve. So we’re actually doing quite well with the advice that we’re getting our models have been very helpful and as you will know every day that we have new information, it gets plugged into the model and it affects the shape of the curve. So it’s not, remember, I gave an entire set of remarksmaybe a week ago about the full understanding of how a model works so I would refer you back.
* Are there any state of Illinois plans to assist the landlords who are being impacted by missed rent payments, is the state in favor of proposed city relief rent, relief ordinances that would give renters a year to pay back rent for example?…
Well, I’m not sure the state is going to take a position on a city proposal, but here’s what we’re doing. We are providing rent relief at the state level through the Department of Human Services, and as well as utility [bill] relief. We also as you know have ended evictions in the state during this crisis. And we’ve also gotten a moratorium from the major utility providers, a moratorium on shut offs. So we’ve done quite a lot.
I think we need to do more and I’m calling on the legislature in fact when they get together to increase the amount that we’re providing for those relief programs, particularly for rent really, because there are so many people who are struggling right now to pay their rent. We also have to keep in mind, of course that there are people who are owners of a duplex let’s say and they’ve rented out half of that or they’ve rented out a room in their own homes to people and that was their primary source of income. And so for someone to simply not pay them for a period of time is a hardship for them. So we want to make sure that people can pay their rent, and we want to provide the assistance, necessary for them to do that.
Another question about individuals who’ve had trouble getting through to IDES.
* CDC waits to confirm COVID-19 deaths, but there’s a belief that Illinois assumes COVID-19 immediately. Why not follow the CDC guidelines and wait?…
Dr. Ezike: I think we’ve maybe addressed this issue. When the deaths are reported to us and if they have COVID-19 on the death certificate or on the data that we’re looking at, again we are reporting out the information that’s reported to us and we’re really turning it over pretty quickly, as we’re trying to give it the next day.
Sometimes after further review we will see that maybe like a motor vehicle accident, as I mentioned, or if it was a gunshot case a homicide case, we see that that was included in the numbers, you know, we would have to adjust those numbers. So we are trying to make sure that things that really are not at all related to the Covid diagnosis, we want to remove those. But again, in situations where someone had another illness. If they had heart disease, and then they went on to have a stroke or some kind of related cardiac, as you know, sick [garbled] is not as easy to separate that and say that COVID did not play a role in an exacerbation of an existing illness and so that one would not be removed from the account.
* Can you please respond to the continuing criticism of your restore Illinois plan. Former governor Bruce Rauner said, when did a policy goal shift from flatten the curve to keep everyone safe. What do you say?…
I aw what the governor said, what the former governor said and all I can say is that I’ll readily admit that a primary policy goal of mine is in fact to keep the people of Illinois safe.
* Vice President Pence has called for all nursing home residents and staff to be tested for COVID-19. He’s asking every governor to focus on this over the next two weeks. Will this be done in Illinois?…
We’ve been doing this for quite some time already. But I’ll turn it over to Dr. Ezike to talk about the progress that’s been made. I will say I was surprised to hear him call for it. Given that we’ve really been at this for some time and every governor that I’ve talked to frankly has been at the show. I’m not sure if it’s a timely call or a bit late.
Dr. Ezike: I’ll just echo that again. More than two months ago, we were in nursing homes testing. After even an initial case, we went in and tested the whole facility t two days later and the staff as well. So this is something that we have been trying to do of course earlier on there was a severe limitation of supplies, which made our efforts, we couldn’t be as comprehensive and as expansive as we can do more now. So absolutely we have been on that path for over two months, as we have been able to increase our capacity for testing we’re able to do more and more facilities so we are we are already are well on our way towards that goal.
* If we’re now going to peak around mid June and most of the state will likely move to phase three by late May, is it possible we may not come down off the peak, and just be in an extended plateau for the foreseeable future?…
It is of course possible that we could extend the peak. You’ve seen that the projections were that we would peak in late April and then that because, frankly, because we’ve done a good job of flattening the curve, it pushes out that peak and flattens it for a longer period of time. And here we are in about mid May. We’ve flattened the peak I mean, thank goodness because otherwise it would be going up. But my hope is that it will hit downward by mid June, I’d like to see that.
Dr. Ezike: I think understanding what we mean by peak is that there’s a top point right. And so if we just stay flat there’s no top point. So in effect your highest point will be where this plateau is and that’s what we want it to be. We want to know that this is the highest, a number of hospitalizations, the highest number of cases, and that we’re at the highest number of fatalities, we’ll see. And that from here we go down. So that would be a good thing. If that’s where we’re at and it’s hard to know if this is the top until we start heading down. And so, until we actually start the decline. We just know that we’ve been staying flat and so again we’re all hoping the same thing that we are absolutely at that plateau that highest point and that from here on, we go down, obviously, we’d rather stay flat for an extended period than see this plateau and then ascend to another level, but again we are, we’re following the data just like everybody else in the state is, and we are all hoping the same thing.
* The city is separating settings, prisons nursing homes, when determining the positivity rate. Will the state do the same?…
Dr. Ezike: Well I think it’s helpful for cities just set metrics for themselves and, as you saw, I think you know in one case a 30% positivity rate, another case of 15% positivity rate. Those are reasonable I think if you blend those together, as you know, you end up with roughly the positivity rate that we’ve said as a cap.
I will also say that as the city is focusing on these congregate settings as places that will have higher positivity rates, where you do need to focus attention and we’ve been doing that since the very very beginning of this crisis, because if you can bring down the positivity rates there, and you of course break down the positivity rate of the staff that works there, people come in and out every day. I’m going to take that virus if they were to contract it in a facility. they take it back into their communities so that more we can do to address those congregate facilities, the better that community will do overall.
* Do you have an approximate size for a state funded based relief package that you’re looking for from the legislature. And if you want them to move, additionally, why not call them into special session to do it?…
Well indeed I’ve been encouraging the legislature to do that. Remember that there are a lot of challenges for them, legislators. Just because you’re calling it a special session does not mean they will show up.
And they have to have confidence in the plan for showing up. And that means that the leadership, both Republican and Democratic, need to agree to a plan that’s been reviewed by the Department of Public Health. We want them to get together and you saw, I think there was a memo that ended up in the hands of the media that we provided to the leaders to show them how they could get together. But it’s important for the members themselves to agree on a plan, the leaders and the members, so that they’ll all want to get together. Remember there are a lot of people when you get the legislature together it isn’t just the 177 members, it’s the staff that they may need, all the very many other people who work in and around the Capitol the legislature is in session. As to the size of a relief package, working on that I have talked to members of the legislature about that.
It’s a common concern for us to make sure that we’re addressing the needs of families and small businesses. And I would just add that the size of a package will in part be dependent, in fact, it’ll be significantly dependent upon whether or not we are able to get relief from the federal government for the lost revenues of lost sales tax revenues and income tax revenues for the state that we’re still seeking and we believe there will be a package, and that it will be passed over the next two or three weeks
* What’s going on as far as adjusting your plans to fill the budget hole after that $1.2 billion bond issuance was postponed?…
Well the bond issuances, as you refer to, is simply working with the underwriters to make sure that they’ve got the right pricing and do it in a way that will affect the state in a positive way. So that’s still going and we expect it to complete.
But our focus here is on the overall budget for FY 21, where there’s a significant need for revenue. One of the things that affected the revenue for this year was the fact that we postponed the income tax deadline from April 15 to July 15, following the lead of the Federal of the Congress to do that. Remember that July 15 moves us into a new fiscal year. So the borrowing that we’re doing is really just a temporary borrowing that would then be paid back, based upon that income tax revenue that would come in three months later.
* Question about downstate in an uproar…
Well let me begin by saying that my job is to keep the people of Illinois safe and also to tend to putting back, the damage that this virus has done to our economy, making sure that our economy has the ability to grow. So I’m measuring those things very carefully and using experts to do it.
The vast majority of those counties and individuals, those business owners are not talking to epidemiologists, they’re not talking to scientists. In fact, they’re not relying on science in any way whatsoever to make their decision. I would just suggest to all of them that they are putting the patrons of their businesses, and the people who live in their counties or in their cities in danger when they simply break the rules break the law, in fact, and they’re, you know, decide that they want to go with alone. We are one Illinois, we are one state, we have four regions for the Restore Illinois plan, and soon enough regions across the state will have the ability to move into phase three. And so we’re going to keep focusing on the data and the science everybody should follow this data, and indeed I think you know we’re only about, 13, or 16 days 17 days away from the ability for many people to return to their jobs returned to their businesses. But I just want to remind everybody, this virus is still out there and is still killing people. Everybody wanting to go, you know, back and open up their businesses, and just put people at risk willy nilly, it’s a, take a look at the data, take a look at the science and recognize that we’re gonna have more people in the hospital and more people dying if they don’t follow the path of gradual reopening.
* The governor of Pennsylvania warned yesterday that counties who disobey state directives and reopen earlier than as the orders have been set up, which states, a lot of withholding of federal aid to those municipalities to those counties. Is that something you would contemplate?…
We would consider that.
You would consider the pass through function of the state to provide federal assistance to local municipalities, or to local municipalities cities, counties, if they don’t follow these orders?…
The state already provides a lot of support for cities and counties. And so I would just suggest that there are a number of enforcement mechanisms that are available to us. And I don’t want to utilize those. I have asked people to do the right thing and I want to point out that the vast majority of people in Illinois have been doing the right thing and I’m so very proud of that. And these people that you’re referring to are the outliers.
These people do not follow science or data. They’re just listening to you know partisan rhetoric, perhaps, and following their own instincts, but no science.
* Have you determined when state employees will be required to return to work from their normal work locations and not from home. And when that happens, will there be special requirements imposed, such as wearing masks, or maintaining business and in their offices?…
Well just in the same way that we looked at the non essential as we’ve referred to the businesses that will come back and phase three people who work in offices for example, and insurance companies or other consulting firms or other businesses that require an office.
We want to make sure that we’re doing the proper social distancing for state government workers too. And so we’re considering all the ways to do that we have teams of people were reviewing how that will work for state employees just as it will, how it will work from industry to industry. It is in those teams that were determining what the best practices are using the advice of our epidemiologists, and outside epidemiologist to make sure that we’re getting it right.
The governor then said that, “As of today, 68,000 Illinoisans have accessed the new PMA portal that since yesterday morning when it launched over 50,000 applications have been filed.” He was then asked a question which was actually a federal UI eligibility issue.
* In some of our downstate communities where of course we have public facilities like prisons mental health facilities congregates them and. Yesterday you said, I do see is that testing prisoners upon release because they would likely show symptoms in the days or weeks leading up to their release yet other states are finding huge percentages of asymptomatic people when widespread testing is done inside of prison is the state’s plan for testing at these facilities of staff inmates residents individuals being released, considering that these facilities could be an undetected source of spread and rural community that. And with that and as we move towards the next phase and reopening the state suddenly starts aggressive testing. It seems that that could also provide an adverse impacts our metric. Why not move to get a better handle on those now considering the status only posted about 2% of inmates?…
Well, I certainly if we have some limited tests available we would be testing absolutely everybody, every day.
The fact is that we have to make decisions about how to use those tests the ones that we have, because as Molly is pointing out when we’re testing even 29,000 is reported today or 20,000 on average, the fact is that there’s no way that you could test enough to know exactly whether somebody, leaving a congregate setting or in a congregate setting, from one day to the next might not, or might contract over at 19. What we are doing though is using all the best practices that the CDC has offered us to make sure that we’re following whether people are symptomatic whether if they’re asymptomatic following them for a number of days taking temperatures, you know, checking on their well being. And even if, as they leave, even if you’re tested somebody, as they were leaving a facility that alone wouldn’t actually tell you whether that person might turn up to have COVID-19 in the days for, so I would just suggest that you know we’re what we’re doing, within the prisons, is to try to make sure that we’re containing the virus. And keeping our staff, very importantly, our staff safe as well as those who have comorbidities who may be prisoners or staff.
But, you know, we’re managing this as best we can and when we have more testing, we will be expanding the amount of testing that gets done. All across not just congregate settings, but remember as you open up the economy. It’s important for us also to test people who are going to work, and make sure we have the ability to test people when we think that they may have been exposed. you know, several days.
* Have you spoken to Speaker Madigan and President Harmon and told them the General Assembly should return. If not, will you have the date been set, or even a week of session been set should it be before the end of May?…
I have spoken with all four leaders about getting the legislature back together. I have spoken with President Harmon as you asked and with the Speaker of the House, and encouraged them to do so. And yes I think it would be best if they could get together before the end of May, so that we can get the very necessary things done like our budget.
* You announced the peak for COVID-19 may not happen until June. The McLean County drive thru testing facility was supposed to be open until the end of May there. It was just announced that it’s closing early…
It’s important to note that there are multiple locations that have been available to people in Bloomington. It’s one of the reasons though there were only about 26 people a day going to the drive thru that these drive throughs in the rest of the state were getting 500-600 cars a day. And so we want to make sure that the most effective locations are chosen, and make sure people have the ability to get tests and since Bloomington does have a number of locations already available. We want to make sure that we find other drive thru settings that will allow us to capture more and more tests.
* Your plan requires regions to have downward trends and positivity rates for 14 days and downward trends and hospitalizations for 28 days. Why must that region begin on May 1 if a region has already met those conditions? Why must it wait? Please explain the science…
Well, two things that I would respond to but here. One is that actually we don’t require downward trends we require stability.
So, that’s what we looked at and as to the 28 days versus 14, and May 1 as a start date. Remember we changed a lot in our stay at home order on May, 1. We opened up, parks, we opened up golf courses again with guidance and safety conditions to make sure that people are safe in those settings we opened up elective surgeries in all across the state. And we also allow retail to provide delivery and provide curbside pickup and such. So there were a number of changes that were in that stay at home order, and we wanted to make sure that we had a solid baseline.
I also would point out that that if we had followed, as I said earlier in this conversation, if we followed the guidelines that were set up in the White House plan and then have been adopted in some other states and required a downward movement of all those numbers, we might not be reopening some parts of the state, or any parts of the state really until perhaps the middle of June or later, but instead we looked at the hospitalization numbers we looked at the hospital capacity, said that if we could maintain stability, we would have some comfort that we would be able to absorb any surge that might take place in any if we move into phase three and I expect that we will move into phase three for most of the state on May 29.
* Has the state received any more equipment for quick COVID test results either from Abbott or its other competitors? When will the state see greater available availability of tests especially these rapid tests, since your restore Illinois framework in part, depends on the expansion of testing?…
The expansion of testing is hugely important and people don’t give these machines away very often just to be clear. When we’re acquiring machines they’re expensive to acquire. The federal government did provide us with 15 of these rapid ID now testing machines. And so we’re deploying those in the appropriate locations. We weren’t given the cartridges that are required, only about 100 or so, 120 I think cartridges for 15 machines. And so we had to go acquire many more of those, so that we could use those machines, there was another problem with those machines that I wanted to point out, it was just resolved over the last week or so and I spoke with Dr Birx who’s worked with the President and others, and Dr. Fauci. But Dr Birx and I spoke about what was happening with the ID now machines was there was a kind of a lot of false positives and false negatives coming from it because people were not instructed to use it in the way that would be most effective really those machines need to not have people providing a sample and then having that sample transferred in VTM to another location you really want to do it in the location that the machine is in and not use viral transport medium, because that has an effect on these tests that wasn’t a problem for a little while. That was a problem nationally. I spoke with governors all over the country. We’re having that issue. It has been cleared up by Abbott, and so those machines are nowmuch more useful for us, and more reliable.
I want to also add that you don’t have to buy multimillion dollar machines, or millions of dollars of machines, necessarily, if you can arrange partnerships with those who own the machines and operate them as we have with hospitals like literary and and others because they have capacity. They often buy machines so that they have them on site so they can use them in their hospital for their patients or before COVID-19, they weren’t really taking a lot of outside tests and running them. In this era in this crisis, it’s critically important that we use all the capacity that we have that we had before was no supplies and no help from the federal government to get supplies. Now we’ve been able to get supplies on our own mostly, and we use those supplies in partnership with the hospitals, using their capacity to get testing done addition to all of that again for spinning up for testing. There have been companies like Red Lotus that have expanded significantly there in Pekin Illinois we talked about them the other day and one of our daily updates, as well as other private labs that have expanded provision of tests, and again we’re partnered with them to make sure that they’re getting the swabs and specimens, so that they can run those tests. We really have done I think our team has done a good job of using the available capacity, without getting help with supplies, we’ve been able to spin up the supply chain and make those partnerships ourselves.
* They’re getting a lot of calls in Peoria asking what the current rules for dental offices are. What types of services are they allowed to offer right now?…
We just issued over the last couple of days new guidance for dental offices and they’re able to do quite a lot under that guidance. I would direct you to the IDPH website for an issuance of that guidance that just came out.
* Restaurant owners are asking why the general public can walk into grocery stores touch produce walk around but can’t social distance at a restaurant at 30% capacity, what’s your reaction?…
It’s a great question. Remember that grocery stores are open because they’ve been deemed by the Department of Homeland Security as essential purposes. So are pharmacies.
And I know that people look at that and say well gee I see a lot of people in a grocery store. But how come we can’t have a lot of people in xyz retail or other business.
The real reason is because remember when you put a stay at home order in place and you limit people’s ability to access businesses, it’s because you want people to stay home. Because you want people not to have those interactions or at least to limit the number of those. It is unfortunate that people were packing into grocery stores, not wearing masks sometimes and that’s still happening to some degree. There’s very little you can do except to have the grocery stores enforce six foot rules, enforce the mask requirement the face covering requirement. And it’s not to punish anybody else but, if Homeland Security had not said that grocery stores should be open, I’m not sure how people would be able to stay at home and provide meals for their family.
* Is this a new high for cases today?…
Dr. Ezike: Yes, in fact it is. We have not had in the 4000 range before, but we also have never had tests in the 29,000 range. So again, there is a functionality there that as you test more you’re going to get more positives from within those additional tests.
* Given baseball owners have a plan to start games in July, what do you tell Major League Baseball players want to haggle over salaries, even if all the safety precautions are taken?…
Well, I realized that the players have the right to haggle over their salaries, but we do live in a moment where you know the people of Illinois and the people of the United States deserve to get their pastime back to watch anyway on television if they’re able to come up with safety precautions, as has been suggested by Major League Baseball. That works. I hope that the players will understand that the people of our United States need them to recognize that this is an important part of the of leisure time that all of us want to have during the summer, to watch them play baseball, to root for our favorite teams. We need that back, that normalcy back. And I hope they’ll be reasonable as they negotiate. But I must say I’m disappointed in many ways that players are holding out for these very very high salaries and payments during a time when I think everybody’s sacrificing.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 4,014 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 144 additional deaths.
Boone County: 1 male 70s
Clinton County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
Cook County: 1 male 30s, 4 males 40s, 1 female 50s, 7 males 50s, 3 females 60s, 11 males 60s, 9 females 70s, 15 males 70s, 1 unknown 70s, 17 females 80s, 10 males 80s, 1 unknown 80s, 7 females 90s, 5 males 90s, 1 female 100+
DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
Iroquois County: 1 female 80s
Kane County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s
Kankakee County: 1 female 90s
Kendall County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s
Lake County: 1 female 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 3 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
Macon County: 1 male 70s
Madison County: 1 male 50s,
McHenry County: 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s
Ogle County: 1 male 80s
Randolph County: 1 male 60s
Rock Island County: 1 male 80s
Sangamon County: 2 females 80s
St. Clair County: 1 female 90s
Whiteside County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
Will County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 2 males 80s
Winnebago County: 1 female 40s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 83,021 cases, including 3,601 deaths, in 98 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 29,266 specimens for a total of 471,691.
We’ll start with the positivity rates statewide, which is 18%. It is important to note that the positivity rate is calculated on a seven day rolling average with a three day lag.
That means that for today, we looked at the number of positive and total tests reported from May 2 to May 9, and the three day lag also allows time for more complete data to come in and for us to ensure the accuracy of the numbers.
Trying to report the positivity rate each day would show varying fluctuations in the rate. For example, if test results were largely from congregate settings where we have been seeing higher rates of positivity, you would see a much higher rate than what you would see in a broader slice of the population. So we continue to work day in and day out to provide your data in a timely manner, but we also want to make sure that we are using it with you, the public to inform the actions that we need to take to reopen.
* More from Dr. Ezike…
Some people have had concerns about the number of COVID-19 deaths that have been reported. Some are concerned that the numbers are inflated. Others think that the numbers are reflecting under-reporting in Illinois.
We are reporting those deaths that have laboratory confirmation, meaning that they have been tested and a laboratory confirmed test indicates that they were COVID positive. As we learn more about the disease, there may have been less typical presentations of COVID-19 that were not appropriately attributed to COVID because there wasn’t a test done because the suspicion was not there.
There is also some additional deaths that happen in someone who happened to be COVID positive, but where he COVID infection had nothing to do with the deaths. So we are at IDPH trying to remove those obvious cases where the COVID diagnosis was not the reason for the concept. So, if there was a a gunshot wound, an acute gunshot wound, if there was a motor vehicle accident, we know that that was not related to the COVID positive status.
But in a case where someone was elderly or battling cancer, it is obviously less clear that the COVID 19 disease associated with the coronavirus didn;t actually play a part in hastening the death so those deaths [garbled, will check later].
Those who do test positive for COVID-19 and die with illnesses or complications caused by the illness are definitely COVID deaths and those continue to be counted in our count. We will continue to work to provide quickly and responsibly and accurately represent what we are, in fact, seeing here in Illinois.
…Adding… Gov. Pritzker…
I want to begin today by speaking about just the number of tests that were done in the last 24 hours because it’s worth noting. I don’t think Dr Ezike got to announce this number and it was 29,266. Although some of those are tests that were not recorded in a prior day, over 20,000 of those were performed in the last 24 hours. I’m so very pleased with the progress that we’re making on testing.
…Adding… * Is this a new high for cases today?…
Dr. Ezike: Yes, in fact it is. We have not had in the 4000 range before, but we also have never had tests in the 29,000 range. So again, there is a functionality there that as you test more you’re going to get more positives from within those additional tests.
Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The Illinois Kidney Care Alliance (IKCA) brings together health advocates and professionals, community and patient groups, health providers and businesses focused on raising awareness about patients who suffer from kidney disease.
The COVID-19 pandemic presents new challenges to the nation’s kidney health. Some 20 to 40 percent of I.C.U. patients suffering from coronavirus develop kidney failure and require emergency dialysis, the New York Times reported. Yet while this crisis unfolds, it remains crucial – indeed, vital – for dialysis patients to continue their treatments.
The increase in patients means a greater need for dialysis services, and some of those affected may need assistance getting to their appointments. During the commute, patients and transportation providers should take all necessary precautions – washing hands, wearing masks and sanitizing commonly used surfaces, including car seats and door handles. Individuals should also maintain and practice social distancing as much as possible during these rides.
IKCA urges dialysis patients to stay safe during these unprecedented times. To learn more about the Coalition, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or visit our website.
Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust families and businesses in Illinois into crisis and put a spotlight on the costly and chaotic outcomes from delay in addressing global threats.
Illinois is hurting, families are in mourning, and people who have the least have been hit the hardest. Communities of color are bearing the brunt of the pandemic, suffering greater loss and greater financial strain.
We face unprecedented times, but Illinois is strong and will be ready to lead us through recovery with solutions that put the state back to work. As we emerge from this crisis, new and good-paying jobs will be key to the state’s recovery.
Our recovery will be strengthened by the diversity of the many voices and communities that make our state strong and resilient. Equitable job creation for all Illinois residents, in particular for those who have been hit the hardest during this crisis, will be critical to building a strong economy and strong communities.
The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition is committed to helping Illinois recover and building a better, cleaner, and more equitable future for us all and for generations to come.
East St. Louis was financially struggling before the coronavirus crisis but now things are worse. It is no longer getting tax revenue from its biggest source of income, the Casino Queen.
The city received some $700,000 from the casino. But the boat is now closed along with most of the businesses in the city because of the measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.
For East St. Louis, the situation is dire. It closed the city hall and changed work schedules to save money.
The city of Rock Island is losing more than $347,000 per month in gaming revenue from the closing of Jumer’s Casino and Hotel due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Since the pandemic, Joliet’s revenue resources have dried up at an alarming rate, city officials have said.
The two casinos, Harrah’s and Hollywood Casino Joliet, generate $1.38 million in gaming tax revenue for Joliet’s monthly coffers. Both casinos have been shut down since March 16.
“I figure as of today, the casinos have lost over $100 million just in revenue, not counting virus-related expenses,” Illinois Casino Gaming Association Executive Director Tom Swoik said April 30. “The state has lost over $50 million in casino tax revenues, and the local communities where casinos are located, over $10 million in casino tax revenues.”
The uncertainty has likely upended plans for new casinos, too, says a Springfield insider who has worked on gaming issues for nearly a decade but is not authorized to speak publicly.
“Any new project just trying to get off the ground, especially if it relies on existing gaming revenues from other locations, is likely looking at a delayed timeline, if it can move forward at all this year,” he says.
JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff [slammed] Gaming & Leisure Properties for reducing the first-quarter dividend (Heaven forfend!) but praised it for “taking practical steps to work with its tenants on rent relief.” One of those tenants is GLPI’s own Casino Queen in East St. Louis, whose rent was waived. Boyd Gaming and Pinnacle Entertainment leases are on the table right now and are expected to be slightly reduced, in light of current events. Eldorado Resorts‘ master lease re-sets in October, with or without Caesars Entertainment, so what happens there will clearly depend on the state of the economy come autumn.
Cannily, GLPI may trade rent waivers for greater equity stakes in its tenants. “GLPI’s primary goal currently is getting properties re-opened (when permitted) and ramped, after which the Board could revisit the dividend and potentially look at M&A opportunities,” adds Greff. Revenue of $283.5 million missed Greff’s $292.5 million estimate, largely due to the closures of wholly owned Hollywood Perryville and its Baton Rouge casino. Despite that disappointment, where its tenants are concerned, GLPI is clearly in the driver’s seat.
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…
Non-compliant counties won't be eligible for federal stimulus discretionary funds.
Instead, those funds will be allocated to counties working to stop the spread of #COVID19.
— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) May 11, 2020
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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
At this point, a number of states have begun lifting stay-at-home orders and allowing nonessential businesses to reopen, with the hope that they can start unthawing their economies even if the coronavirus hasn’t been fully contained.
But the defrosting process seems to be going slowly—at least if you judge by the number of people brave enough to eat out. At restaurants that use OpenTable’s booking software, the number of diners in every state where the company tracks data was still down by 82 percent or more through Sunday, compared with a year before. That includes early reopeners like Georgia (down 92 percent), Utah (down 91 percent), Nebraska (down 90 percent), South Carolina (down 89 percent), Tennessee (down 87 percent), Texas (down 83 percent), and Oklahoma (down 82 percent). […]
One important reason that restaurants aren’t full yet in states that have started reopening is that, well, they’re not allowed to be. In Georgia, dining places are only allowed to seat 10 patrons per 500 square feet. In Texas, they can only operate at 25 percent capacity in counties that have recently had more than five coronavirus cases; in Tennessee they’re limited to half-capacity. Many restaurants have chosen not to open at all due to these restrictions, because they don’t think it will be profitable. Or they’re just sticking to takeout.
Meanwhile, some states are opening in stages, so all of their restaurants haven’t necessarily had a chance to welcome guests. In Tennessee, dining rooms started opening back up on May 1. But Nashville only joined in on Monday.
Florida is down 89 percent, but the Miami area is still closed. Remember, though, these are only restaurants which use OpenTable.
Major League Baseball has formalized its plan to return to the field, with teams agreeing Monday on a proposal to send to the players’ union for an 82-game season that would start without fans in early July. The plan would include an expanded playoff field and the designated hitter for all games, even those in the National League, where it is not typically used.
The plan must clear major obstacles to become reality. Even if the union accepts the structure of a truncated season, the sides would also have to agree on a salary structure for players. The league would also need to have enough tests for players and employees without depleting the public supply, and agree with the union on working conditions, including protocols in case of positive tests. […]
The designated hitter — adopted in the American League in 1973 but never used for games between National League teams — would be implemented across the majors because of the significant number of interleague games and to lower injury risks to pitchers. Teams would carry expanded rosters, perhaps up to 50 players per team, with at least 30 available for each game. Teams were originally expected to have 26 active players on each roster this season.
The postseason — a lucrative revenue source for owners — would expand to 14 teams, from 10, with two additional wild cards in each league. The team with the best record in each league would earn a spot in the division series, while the wild cards and other division winners would stage best-of-three series to determine the rest of the division-series field.
* The Question: Do you support this plan? Explain.
To advance through the phases, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will be monitoring the COVID-19 positivity rate, the percent of COVID-19 positive tests out of the total number of tests performed, in each region. The 20% positivity rate is an average over the last 14 days. The region will be required to have a positivity rate of 20% or less and an increase of no more than 10% over a 14-day period, among other factors, to advance to the next phase. A positivity rate climb to more than 20% for a region does not indicate an automatic return to the previous phase, but it would be one of a set of multiple factors IDPH would look at to make the recommendation to return to a prior phase. […]
Restore Illinois requires a region to experience a downward trend in test positivity rates for 14 days, a downward trend in hospitalizations for COVID-like illness for 28 days, and a specific hospital surge capacity. If a region is able to meet those metrics outlined by public health experts, they can move to the next phase.
* So, how are each of the four regions doing? The latest IDPH report says all regions are on track to move to the next phase except the Northeast Region, which includes Chicago, the suburbs and some exurbs. And just one metric, the positivity rate (with the three asterisks) is holding that region back, which is why the collars and exurbs want out of the region…
Northeast Region
Positivity rate: 22.3%***
Positivity change past 14 days: -0.8%
Hospital admissions change since May 1: -18.6%
Med/Surge bed availability: 17.8%
ICU bed availability: 18.8%
Ventilator availability: 64.3%
North-Central Region
Positivity rate: 9.1%
Positivity change past 14 days: -0.6%
Hospital admissions change since May 1: -35.8%
Med/Surge bed availability: 41.1%
ICU bed availability: 40.6%
Ventilator availability: 64.9%
Central Region
Positivity rate: 6.0%
Positivity change past 14 days: 0.2%
Hospital admissions change since May 1: -44.4%
Med/Surge bed availability: 52.4%
ICU bed availability: 44.2%
Ventilator availability: 74.6%
Southern Region
Positivity rate: 10.5%
Positivity change past 14 days: -1.4%
Hospital admissions change since May 1: -54.3%
Med/Surge bed availability: 45.8%
ICU bed availability: 28.0%
Ventilator availability: 80.7%
* This is an Ogden & Fry poll. I don’t always run its polls, but it seems to be in line with other polls and I’m told the mobile to landline split was 50/50. Also, the small business response was too interesting to pass up…
Q1: Do you approve or disapprove of the job Donald Trump is doing handling the Coronavirus outbreak in the United States?
Q3: Do you support or oppose the current stay at home order in place here in Illinois?
STRONGLY SUPPORT 49.4%
SOMEWHAT SUPPORT 21.0% [70.4%]
SOMEWHAT OPPOSE 10.3%
STRONGLY OPPOSE 15.5% [25.8%]
DON’T KNOW 3.8%
Q4: Are you concerned that states might lift their stay at home orders too quickly, or too slowly?
TOO QUICKLY 54.9%
TOO SLOWLY 29.6%
DON’T KNOW 15.5%
Q5: Do you believe that small retail businesses should be allowed to open immediately, as long as they follow the same social distancing requirements that big box stores have to follow?
YES 75.3%
NO 12.2%
DON’T KNOW 12.6%
Q6: Do you believe that religious institutions should be allowed to open immediately, as long as they follow the same social distancing requirements that big box stores have to follow?
YES 54.2%
NO 34.5%
DON’T KNOW 11.3%
Q7: Thinking about the race for State Representative in November, if the election were held today, would you be more likely to vote for the Republican candidate or the Democratic candidate?
Ogden & Fry conducted a seven-question poll for Get Illinois Right on Thursday May 7th, statewide regarding favorability of candidates and approval of executive handling of the Coronavirus Pandemic with 537 respondents. Respondents were selected by random sampling of likely 2020 General Election voters. The margin of error for this poll is +/- 4.32% at the 95% confidence interval.
Get Illinois Right is a political action committee run by GOP Rep. Keith Wheeler. Reps. Mark Batinick and Ryan Spain are proposing legislation to allow small businesses to reopen under social distancing guidelines.
*** UPDATE *** An April 27-May 4 Washington Post-Ipsos poll found that 71 percent of Illinoisans approve of Gov. Pritzker’s handling of the crisis. Just 27 percent disapproved.
The poll also had bad news for Georgia’s governor. 39 percent approved and 61 percent disapproved of his handling of the pandemic. That governor is trying to open faster than most others…
Abbott, DeSantis and Kemp face blowback for reopening their states on a faster schedule. Nationally, 56 percent of Americans say their state government has handled restrictions on businesses “about right,” with 28 percent saying restrictions have been lifted “too quickly” and 16 percent saying they have not been lifted quickly enough. But nearly half of Floridians (48 percent) and majorities in both Texas (59 percent) and Georgia (65 percent) say their state government is “lifting restrictions too quickly.”
The Georgia sample size was quite small, however, at just 219.
Since he's gone ahead and spilled the beans, we may as well tell you that "Worse than the Disease" is Governor Rauner's 2022 Campaign slogan. https://t.co/KlOH4XQOF1
People are dragging former Governor Rauner for this but we should all remember that he has first hand experience being a cure that's worse than the disease. https://t.co/mIuGFZ4jk3
* Emily was one of the early voices of opposition in the social services community…
Bruce, you didn’t give a crap about lost opportunities for children when you held them hostage to your personal political agenda during your manufactured crisis so spare us. Oh, and thanks for dismantling human services and hollowing out state gov’t. Super helpful. Enjoy Florida. https://t.co/8B0NLIS0lMpic.twitter.com/Y7rYbEXZsF
Term "infectious disease" appears just once in our state budget–tied to program called Local Health Protection Grants. In his first budget in FY15, Rauner said we couldn't afford to fund county health depts & cut program from $17.1m to $14.7m. But we know that's how he rolled.
* The former governor also spouted plenty of hyper-partisan conspiracy theories…
“Keeping economy shut (is a) Trifecta for Dems: justification for income tax hike in November, justification for federal bailout of states, (and a) horrible economy for Trump’s re-election,” the former governor said.
