* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 1,173 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 6 additional confirmed deaths.
Cass County – 1 female 90s
Cook County – 1 female 70s, 1 male 90s
DuPage County – 1 male 70s
Peoria County – 1 female 100+
Will County – 1 female 50s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 162,748 cases, including 7,301 deaths, in 102 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 34,598 specimens for a total of 2,279,109. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from July 13 - July 19 is 3.0%. As of last night, 1,410 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 308 patients were in the ICU and 133 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The governor said today that he was frustrated about how hospitalizations and the positivity rate are both staying level, rather than decreasing.
* Press release…
IFT President Dan Montgomery and educators and school staff from around the state today called for remote learning this fall in Illinois’ schools, colleges, and universities. […]
With infection rates becoming unstable and rising in some regions of the state, the union and our members are gravely concerned about the safety of students, educators, and staff. According to a recent Kaiser Foundation study, nearly 24 percent of educators are at high-risk due to underlying health conditions, which further bolsters the need to begin the year with online learning. […]
Though the union believes some types of in-person instruction can be achieved with health and safety mitigation, in the absence of a practical safety plan that includes clear guidance like the union has provided, a return to in-person instruction right now is too great a risk. Too many schools and campuses cannot currently achieve critical safety benchmarks.
Included in the IFT’s guidance for an eventual reopening of schools:
• A call for all school districts and institutions to negotiate safe, effective learning plans with their unions, students, and parents.
• The right of teachers to determine the best mode of instruction.
• Required social distancing and a limit of 15 students per classroom in PreK-12 schools.
• Temperature checks or health screenings for all students, staff, and visitors.
• Adequate testing availability, especially in rural communities.
• Required two-week quarantines for students or staff who test positive or have high-risk exposure to COVID-19.
More here.
* The Southern…
Community colleges in Southern Illinois are preparing for the start of an unusual fall semester with plans to offer a mix of online, in-person and hybrid courses. Though the formats and degree to which in-person classes will be offered vary somewhat from campus to campus, the plans that have been outlined thus far are similar.
The colleges said they are following guidance put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Illinois Department of Public Health and local health departments and the Illinois Community College Board. They also noted that their plans are flexible and include the ability to rapidly shift to distance learning-only platforms if necessitated by the spread of COVID-19.
* May 15…
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is threatening to use local law enforcement and state police against businesses that reopen in defiance of his policies.
The governor gave the stern warning on the same day Madison County officials have gone against the governor’s public health orders and started to reopen.
The Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing posted this statement to the department’s Facebook page today:
“It has been very frustrating to watch this public health issue cause the many problems that we face today. I know many of our residents are struggling with the restrictions we are facing from the state. I will always side with our residents Constitutional Rights regardless to what consequences I may have. I was elected by the residents of Monroe County and I will continue to provide the highest level of public safety as long as I am Sheriff!”
* Yesterday…
A county sheriff in southwestern Illinois has tested positive for COVID-19, according to officials.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department said Sheriff Neal Rohlfing has been in quarantine since he had symptoms earlier this month. He received a positive test on Wednesday, according to a department statement.
“The sheriff has been lucky and has experienced very mild symptoms,” the statement said.
Glad to hear that he’s going to be OK.
* Tribune’s live blog…
Wisconsin’s largest teachers unions call for online school due to the coronavirus pandemic
Residential buildings to set guest limit at 5 as part of new COVID-19 restrictions announced Monday
COVID-19 took a big toll in Illinois. Will deaths surge again?
Opioid overdoses skyrocket in the face of COVID-19 pandemic; stronger drugs, scarce treatment blamed
The risk of drownings has rarely been higher as Chicago endures a pandemic and one of its hottest summers
Sticky notes on the bathroom door and wipes by the coffee pot. Employees find new rules as they return to the office.
* Sun-Times live blog…
UK COVID-19 vaccine prompts protective immune response in early trial
What we don’t know about how COVID-19 affects kids
‘A dangerous environment’: As churches reopen, coronavirus outbreaks are sprouting and some are keeping doors shut
Even with patrons spaced far apart, moviegoing feels safe and communal
In Arizona, more than 2,000 people went to an ER with coronavirus symptoms on a single day, July 7.
- Just Me 2 - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 2:40 pm:
=== The governor said today that he was frustrated about how hospitalizations and the positivity rate are both staying level, rather than decreasing.===
There would have to be a change in behavior to lead to a change in results. Just sayin. Might have to settle for being happy it is staying level until Phase 5.
- Hello Friend - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 2:46 pm:
Just Me 2:
Right on.
On one hand, my shopping trips on Saturday had pretty much everyone wearing a mask, and correctly wearing it. It gave me hope.
Fast forward to Sunday where I see a burial outside and nobody is wearing a mask.
- DownSouth - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 2:58 pm:
Suffice it to say things here in Region 4 are not looking great at the moment…Am I horrible person for thinking “Karma” about the Monroe County Sheriff’s situation?
- Back to Work - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 3:04 pm:
JB is “frustrated”??? Confused. While Illinois may be doing ‘well’ ummmmm, this thing isn’t going away and people aren’t quarantining, sooooo… Does he believe Illinois will become
COVID free? We’re not an island.
- cermak_rd - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 3:27 pm:
Back to Work,
Well I have been looking to New York and Massuchusetts with envy. They are also not islands and seem to have better stats thus far post our first wave covid experiences.
- 1st Ward - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 3:41 pm:
“The governor said today that he was frustrated about how hospitalizations and the positivity rate are both staying level, rather than decreasing.”
This goes back to what is the goal here? ensure there is capacity in the hospital system? If yes, the Governor has stated what the acceptable hospital bed utilization is already through his re-opening plan. We have been largely flat for the past month after having 3 - 4x more hospitalizations due to covid. This certainly could change. Its good that the positivity rate although slightly increasing is low on a statewide basis 2.5% -3.0% especially comparing to other states.
If the goal is to get to below 2% or 1% positivity and do everything in our power to eradicate the virus prior to a vaccine. This is a different goal requiring different mitigation steps.
Each reopening step is going to level off, slightly increase, or at best lower the downward slope for these benchmarks from where we were previously theoretically. Based on the numbers and original goal it appears we are balancing this correctly.
Positivity rates remain low, hospitalizations remain low, deaths are low. We should monitor carefully like he and lightfoot have but i don’t see a need to be overly frustrated outside of the local bar(s) and certain age brackets being lax with the guidelines.
- Surounded by covidiots - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 3:43 pm:
It’s amazing how in a few short days, rural Clark County went from having practically no cases to having the highest per capita rate of new infections in the state. We’re #1! /s
- Candy Dogood - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 3:49 pm:
===The governor said today that he was frustrated about how hospitalizations and the positivity rate are both staying level, rather than decreasing.===
Do we have a mask mandate?
At the moment even with all of the guidance out there I still get the feeling that in public the masks are concerned voluntary.
We’ve had major firms like Wal-Mart, known for their anti-worker and anti-competitive practices, step up to the plate to do more to protect their communities than many local officials have in their communities.
We’re in a reap what you sow sort of situation and we’re sowing pandemic. Never mind what happens when and if we return to school and we experience what could only happen at a school where localized R0 values in the spread are in the double digits.
- ChicagoVinny - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 4:06 pm:
If I could ask JB or IDPH a question it would be: how many contract tracers are needed with this level of case load, and whether the tests in IL are returning results fast enough to make contract tracing viable?
- Pundent - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 4:12 pm:
I see things like masks, social distancing, and occupancy limitations as effective countermeasures that ensure we don’t go back to where we were in April-May or a significant spike when schools reopen. I think the governor and his team did their part in guiding us through this in the early months. Now it’s on us to make sure that we don’t give up the ground we’ve gained. Florida, California and others have shown how quickly things can turn.
- JS Mill - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 4:13 pm:
The IFT guy is just wrong. Looking at the plans we just finished and those of other districts, we are easing into this pretty reasonably. If parents are uneasy most districts are offering an at home and in person option.
We have significant safety measures in place and need to try to get kids back in school within a safety first framework. I get the feeling the IFT is not real worries about student learning in any framework.
- Michael Feltes - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 4:34 pm:
“Positivity rates remain low, hospitalizations remain low, deaths are low. We should monitor carefully like he and lightfoot have but i don’t see a need to be overly frustrated outside of the local bar(s) and certain age brackets being lax with the guidelines.”
They need to be driven to near zero, not low. We are allowing ourselves to be content with mitigation when suppression is what’s required for genuine safety to return to work & school. We’re letting our expectations be pulled below the objective threshold that the characteristics of the virus dictate. Either nearly all of us do everything right every time or the virus spreads. There’s no negotiations.
We’re coming to the decision point on day care for our son. Here in C-U, I want to see at least one month’s worth of data once the students return before my wife and I will even be able to start assessing the risk properly, so we’re probably going to have to pay to keep his place so we can defer that decision. This is the least bad version of this problem because we’re insulated by our wealth, his being below kindergarten age, and being able to work from home indefinitely. Most other parents have much harder decisions to make.
- mama - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 4:47 pm:
“The governor said today that he was frustrated about how hospitalizations and the positivity rate are both staying level, rather than decreasing.”
I’m surprised but happy it is not increasing.
- Just Wondering - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 5:09 pm:
==IFT President Dan Montgomery and educators and school staff from around the state today called for remote learning this fall in Illinois’ schools, colleges, and universities. […]==
Yet Montgomery and IFT (and other unions especially SEIU) didn’t say a whimper when all Secretary of State employees returned to work June 1 upon the the state entering Phase 3. With no more options for remote work. (Some IFT members are SOS employees under the IFPE locals, although SEIU covers most SOS union workers). Then shortly thereafter a drivers’ facility employee in Schaumburg was diagnosed with COVID-19. A little hypocrisy here.
- 1st Ward - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 6:14 pm:
“They need to be driven to near zero, not low.”
Near zero meaning less than 1% or 2% positivity which my comment was stating. This is also a different goal then what was originally outlined. Do you not agree with the metrics JB is using?
“We are allowing ourselves to be content with mitigation when suppression is what’s required for genuine safety to return to work & school”
we can’t suppress if neighboring states and the majority of the country wants to mitigate. The goal was never suppression. If you believe in suppression schools should not open until there is a vaccine.
“We’re coming to the decision point on day care for our son”
If you believe in suppression there is no decision. You don’t send your kid back until there is a vaccine.
- The Dude - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 7:57 pm:
This might be America’s hardest winter ever.
- Thomas Paine - Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 9:01 pm:
Candy Dogood is correct.
We need a mask mandate.
- anon - Tuesday, Jul 21, 20 @ 1:05 pm:
Visited Starved Rock yesterday and hardly anyone was wearing a mask despite the narrow trails and staircases where close contact is unavoidable. We saw signs threatening people with prosecution if they went on a closed off trail. How about some large signs threatening them with prosecution for violating the mask order? People really think they don’t have to do it.