[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Employers in Illinois provide prescription drug coverage for nearly 6.7 million Illinoisans. In order to help keep care more affordable, employers work with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), who deploy a variety of tools to reduce prescription drug costs and help improve health outcomes. In addition to helping employers, PBMs also work with the Illinois Medicaid program in the same way to help control costs. Over the last five years, PBMs have saved the state and taxpayers nearly $340 million.
Today, Illinois faces a multibillion budget shortfall as more Illinoisans are relying on Medicaid to help meet their health care coverage needs. As legislators work to address these challenges, one way to help ensure continued cost savings is by strengthening the PBM tools that the State and employers use, which are poised to save employers, consumers and the State $39 billion over the next 10 years. These are meaningful savings that will help continue to contain costs, ensure consumer access to medicines and drive savings in public health programs.
Amid a pandemic and economic challenges, now is the time to strengthen, not limit, the tools that employers, consumers and the State rely on to manage costs and ensure consumers can access the medicines they need.
Learn more
Comments Off  
|
More like this, please
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is the sort of person the state needed to begin with at IDVA. A veteran with actual management experience over actual veterans’ homes. My goodness, what a strange concept for Illinois…
Gov. Pritzker Announces 31-Year Navy Veteran Terry Prince to Serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker named Terry Prince, a 31-year United States Navy veteran with experience leading veterans homes in Ohio, to serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.
“Having served as the Superintendent of Ohio’s veterans’ homes, Director of the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps and Force Master Chief of Navy Medicine, Terry Prince brings to Illinois exemplary experience in caring for our veterans and their families, and I’m deeply proud to welcome him to Illinois as Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As the proud son and grandson of Naval officers, it’s my mission that Illinois will provide every possible support for our military men and women, their families and our veterans, and I have complete confidence in Terry’s ability to advance that mission on behalf of those who have made sacrifice upon sacrifice for the nation we proudly call home.”
“I’ve dedicated my life to serving those who’ve served us, and as a veteran myself, I know the value of compassionate and meaningful support centered around our nation’s greatest heroes and their families,” said Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs Terry Prince. “I’m honored to return to the State of Illinois, where my wife and I have previously served in uniform, with the chance to bring my experience in veterans’ affairs and healthcare to the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. I want to thank Governor Pritzker for the opportunity to serve and empower Illinois’ veteran community through every stage of life.”
Prince is a senior executive leader and 31-year United States Navy veteran. Most recently, Prince served as Superintendent of the Ohio Veterans Homes where he oversaw three facilities, including the nation’s 5th largest skilled nursing home and an independent living community. Previously, he served as Force Master Chief and Director of the United States Navy Hospital Corps. In that role, Prince served as a senior advisor to the Surgeon General of the United States Navy and a member of the Navy Medicine’s Executive Steering Committee. Prior, he served as Senior Enlisted Leader at the Defense Health Agency and at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Prince began his military career in 1986, serving in the Dental Technician and Hospital Corpsman ratings. Prince has received a number of awards including the Legion of Merit, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Joint Meritorious Service Medal and many more. He retired from the military in July 2017. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Chapman University and is a graduate of the Navy Senior Enlisted Academy, Command Master Chief Program and the National Defense University Keystone Fellowship.
9 Comments
|
Get the lead out
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Michael Hawthorne at the Tribune…
More than 8 of every 10 Illinoisans live in a community where brain-damaging lead was found in the tap water of at least one home during the past six years, a new Chicago Tribune analysis found.
The alarming results are from a limited number of samples collected under federal regulations by the state’s 1,768 water utilities. Depending on the number of people served by each utility, only a handful or a few dozen homes are occasionally monitored, but when combined the tests provide snapshots of a widespread threat to public health that for decades has been largely ignored. […]
The U.S. EPA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stress that lead is unsafe to consume at any level. More than 400,000 deaths a year in the U.S. are linked to the toxic metal. Even tiny concentrations can permanently damage the developing brains of children and contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney failure and other health problems later in life.
Yet federal regulations allow the vast majority of water utilities to hide the hazards from customers. Once a year, water bills include a brochure that almost always declares tap water is safe to drink. […]
Earlier this month the Biden EPA suspended regulations adopted during the last days of the Trump administration that effectively delayed lead service line replacements for up to three decades and, in some cases, allowed cities to keep toxic pipes in the ground indefinitely.
Not to mention the apparent connection between lead poisoning and increased violence. This needs to be fixed. Pronto.
Go read the whole thing.
…Adding… Press release from last month…
Illinois Rep. Lamont J. Robinson (D-Chicago) has introduced the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act (HB 3739), a bill creating a feasible and equitable plan, funding, and timeline for Illinois water utilities to identify and replace all lead service lines—the most effective way to eliminate toxic lead in drinking water. Illinois Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) will file a Senate companion version.
No amount of lead is safe to consume, yet for decades lead was used for water service lines, the pipes that bring drinking water into our homes. Congress banned the installation of lead service lines in 1986, but most lines installed before then were never removed. At least 686,000—and potentially many more—remain in Illinois, the state with the most lead service lines in the nation. In addition, Black and Latinx Illinois residents are disproportionately affected by exposure to lead.
“Lead service lines are as common in Illinois as they are dangerous, but that danger isn’t borne equally across our state,” said Rep. Robinson, chief House sponsor. “A disproportionate number of these lead service lines are found in predominantly Black and Brown communities, displaying yet again the legacy of environmental racism at work in our most vulnerable communities.”
Even low levels of lead exposure can lead to learning disabilities, stunted growth, lower IQ, impaired hearing, and behavioral issues in children. Adults who have been exposed have higher risks of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and kidney and reproductive problems. These serious health problems come with staggering costs that accrue to all of us. For example, in 2017, 1,470 Illinoisans died prematurely from heart disease that was attributed to lead exposure, costing nearly $28 million in hospitalization costs alone.
“Illinois children live in a state with the largest number of lead service lines, increasing their risk of neurological and behavioral abnormalities due to lead exposure. That is unacceptable,” said Sen. Bush, chief Senate sponsor. “Given all we know about the severity of lead exposure, particularly among children and expecting parents, it should go without saying that the state of Illinois has a clear mandate to responsibly plan for the replacement of toxic lead service lines.”
The Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act would require all water utilities to find and replace their lead service lines while setting forth a feasible timeline based on national best practices. The bill would also establish a funding source to aid utilities in creating an inventory and replacing lead lines for all affected communities.
“The reality is that Illinois is out of time. A decade ago the United Nations declared safe, affordable, accessible, clean drinking water and sanitation a human right—essential to the full enjoyment of life. Illinois must step up and take action to replace the thousands of contaminated pipes throughout the state, particularly in Black and Brown communities that are struggling with countless other crises like health and a lack of community-oriented economic development. Babies, pregnant mothers, seniors—all residents have a right to clean water,” said Naomi Davis, founder and CEO, Blacks in Green.
Replacing all of Illinois’ lead service lines could also help put Illinoisans back to work by generating thousands of good jobs in the skilled trades. Over 20 years, lead service line replacement could create some 11,225 jobs per year and over $1 billion in related economic activity, according to an analysis by the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC).
“On behalf of the union plumbers and pipefitters of the Illinois Pipe Trades Association, we pledge our support in addressing the growing public health crisis of lead in our drinking water. We urge the Illinois General Assembly to take immediate action to resolve the issues of our state’s aging water infrastructure. Millions of Illinois citizens are impacted by unsafe levels of lead in drinking water, disproportionately affecting our poorest communities and our most vulnerable citizens. Without action this year, the human and financial toll will only continue to grow,” said Rick Terven, Jr., legislative and political director, Illinois Pipe Trades Association.
The bill includes numerous provisions to ensure equity. Establishing a funding source is one important component to leveling the playing field.
“In communities within close proximity to industrial facilities, it is imperative to mitigate cumulative exposures to toxins such as lead. Mandating lead service line replacement would reduce exposure to the risk of lead in the water, bringing some sense of security to the Black and Brown communities disproportionately impacted by environmental harms. Equitably funding lead service line replacement is critical to ensuring that those most vulnerable to exposure can access any resulting program and attain clean and safe drinking water in their homes,” said Brenda Santoyo, policy associate at the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.
In addition, utilities would be required to prioritize replacement at facilities used by high-risk populations, such as preschools and daycares. Also, a portion of the fund would provide water rate assistance for low-income families.
“This bill gives every community in Illinois the resources they need to replace the legacy infrastructure in their communities,” said Josh Ellis, vice president, MPC, which recently did an analysis showing that Black and Latinx residents in Illinois are twice as likely as whites to live in communities with the most lead service lines. “This is especially important for Black and Latinx Illinoisans, who are not only the most likely of Illinois residents to live with lead service lines, but who also are disproportionately exposed to other sources of lead, such as paint and soil.”
“Lead service lines demonstrate the direct connection between environmental policy and public health,” said Colleen Smith, deputy director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the already urgent need for action. All Illinoisans must have access to safe, clean water.”
The bill would prevent a practice known as partial replacement, in which only the utility’s side of the lead line is replaced, while the portion of the line that runs under a private property remains. This practice can disturb the lead material in the remaining pipe, actually increasing the risk of lead leaching into drinking water.
“The federal government has yet to take meaningful steps to address lead in our drinking water, and it’s more critical than ever for Illinois’ legislature to step up and take bold action,” said Jeremy Orr, senior attorney, Safe Water Initiative, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “Illinois must mandate full lead service line replacement, ban the dangerous practice of partial replacement, and establish an equitable revenue source that ensures individual homeowners and ratepayers won’t have to shoulder the burden of paying to replace these lead pipes.”
12 Comments
|
* He’s getting in front of the city on some workers and allowing for others to be vaccinated at the same time they become eligible in Chicago on March 29th…
As the state continues to utilize every available dose of vaccine, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced new essential workers that will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming days, ahead of the universal eligibility on April 12. This comes as the state reaches 100,000 COVID-19 vaccinations each day with weekly shipments of vaccine projected to surpass one million doses in April.
Beginning Monday, March 22, higher education staff, government workers, and media will be eligible for vaccination at the more than 900 location in the state’s provider network. Beginning Monday, March 29, food and beverage workers, construction trade workers, and religious leaders will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
“From the very beginning of our COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Illinois has ensured our most vulnerable residents receive first access to these life-saving doses, from our healthcare workers and long-term care residents and staff, to our 65 and over population and those living with pre-existing conditions, to frontline essential workers who are more exposed to COVID-19 at their workplaces,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Before Illinois expands eligibility to all residents 16 years and older on April 12, I’m proud to announce expanded eligibility for additional groups of more vulnerable populations. With weekly shipments to Illinois surpassing one million doses in April, we are on track to save lives and bring this pandemic to an end.”
“As more vaccine becomes available in the coming weeks and months, we will continue to make sure we are reaching people who are at greater risk of exposure to the virus or from suffering severe illness due to COVID-19,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “While we will continue to prioritize individuals who are 65 years and older, as well as health care workers and individuals with underlying medical conditions, we want to maintain our momentum going forward and continue to increase our march towards herd immunity.”
Date - Eligible Groups
December 15, 2020 Healthcare workers and long-term care facility staff and residents
January 25, 2021 Frontline essential workers (including first responders, K-12 teachers and other public-facing industries) and residents age 65 and up
February 25, 2021 Residents with high-risk conditions or disabilities, age 16 and up
March 22, 2021 Higher education staff, government workers, and media
March 29, 2021 Restaurant staff, construction trade workers, and religious leaders
April 12, 2021 Any resident age 16 and up
Since its first day in office, the Biden Administration has nearly doubled weekly vaccine distribution to states from 8.6 million to over 16 million this week. The first delivery to Illinois in December was about 109,000 doses, a figure that has grown to more than 800,000 the week of March 15 and is projected to surpass one million doses per week in April.
For more information on COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, go to https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/vaccination-plan-overview. To find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you, visit the coronavirus.illinois.gov website for vaccination locations. Individuals who do not have access to online services or need assistance navigating online services to make an appointment can call the Vaccine Appointment Call Center at 833-621-1284.
This means legislative staff will soon be eligible. But state and federal workers who live in the city and in any suburban county that hasn’t moved beyond 1B yet will have to find their doses elsewhere until the 29th.
13 Comments
|
* These new cases represent a 65 percent increase over the past two weeks with approximately the same number of reported tests. We’re essentially back to where cases were three weeks ago. We’re down about 200 hospitalizations in the past three weeks, but up about 200 hospitalizations from two weeks ago. Deaths (a significant lagging indicator) are down 78 percent from three weeks ago and down 64 percent from two weeks ago. Keep wearing those masks and get your shots…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,380 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 12 additional deaths.
Cook County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
Dewitt County: 1 male 70s
DuPage County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
Kankakee County: 1 female 70s
Lake County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
LaSalle County: 1 female 70s
Morgan County: 1 male 40s
Rock Island County: 1 male 90s
Whiteside County: 1 male 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,218,470 cases, including 21,034 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 92,161 specimens for a total of 19,481,259. As of last night, 1,132 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 242 patients were in the ICU and 105 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 12-18, 2021 is 2.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 12-18, 2021 is 2.8%.
A total of doses of 5,251,055 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 5,665,955. A total of 4,510,696 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 359,850 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 102,775 doses. Yesterday, 135,525 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
10 Comments
|
* I’m curious if Rodney has noticed during his trips to Chambana that the UIUC campus has lots of Asian and Asian-American students who are helping that place thrive. CNN…
Yeah, that’ll work well in a statewide general.
* IDCCA…
Following public reports highlighting Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis’ defense of offensive remarks from his colleagues regarding violence and racism against Asian-Americans, President Kristina Zahorik of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) released the following statement.
“Inflammatory and xenophobic language from elected officials is part of the problem. Our organization has said it before and we will say it again: words matter, particularly from those who were elected to lead by example. Rodney Davis’ decision to double-down on offensive and dangerous rhetoric while the country mourns and confronts violence and discrimination against Asian-Americans is troubling. Rodney Davis should apologize, and work to set an example for his constituents by being part of the solution and not part of the problem.”
Davis’ remarks came in defense of Texas Congressman Chip Roy who referenced hanging criminals from a tree — lynching — during a House Judiciary Committee Hearing on the rise of anti-Asian American violence and discrimination. Per CNN, Davis said the “relation between rhetoric and hate crimes against Asian Americans is ‘all political correctness.’ Davis instead said phrases like ‘Kung flu’ or ‘China virus’ are no different than saying ‘UK variant.’”
…Adding… DPI…
The following statement is from Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, in response to the comments made by Congressman Rodney Davis in which he likened condemnation of hate speech to mere “political correctness.”
“It is offensive for Rep. Rodney Davis to dismiss condemnation of hate speech as ‘political correctness.’ Eight people are dead, Asian Americans throughout our country have experienced an increase in hate crimes in the last year and our fellow citizens are traumatized. Rodney Davis has to choose if he is going to be part of the solution or will he continue to contribute to the problem? Let’s stop with the reckless and hateful rhetoric.”
50 Comments
|
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The US is surging ahead on clean energy while Illinois falls behind. The Path to 100 Act (HB 2640 / SB 1601) was introduced more than two years ago to address the crisis facing renewable energy in Illinois.
Since then:
• Illinois Power Agency ran out of funding for renewable energy and stopped approving new projects
• More than 3,000 solar projects have been placed on waitlists and won’t be built unless the general assembly acts
• Illinois’ solar industry lost an estimated 3,500 jobs
• California, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Washington and Virginia all passed 100% clean energy legislation – and pulled renewable energy investment and talent away from Illinois
• President Biden campaigned and won on a promise to decarbonize the electricity sector by 2035
If we don’t fix Illinois’ renewable energy policy this session, we will lose thousands more wind and solar jobs and be left behind as the rest of the country gets to work building to clean energy. Take action at www.pathto100.net.
Comments Off
|
It’s just a bill
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Speaker Chris Welch’s weekly email to his constituents…
“Yesterday was a phenomenal day for the Illinois House. When we adopted rules for remote legislating, we promised to get to work quickly and diligently—and that’s exactly what we did yesterday. I thank all of my Reps. Lilly, Ramirez and Stuart for getting these critical pieces of legislation across the finish line. This is just the beginning of our work to deliver for Illinois residents and I look forward to collaborating with our counterparts in the Senate,” said Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.
The COVID-19 Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program Act (HB 2877), led by Rep. Delia Ramirez, offers a holistic approach to address the unprecedented economic instability for renters, homeowners and landlords caused by the pandemic. Provisions of the bill include:
• codifying measures of the federally funded emergency rental assistance program that will roll out this year,
• temporarily halting foreclosure proceedings for homeowners and small landlords, alleviating pressure for them and their tenants,
• protecting tenants from the long-term consequences of eviction records, and
• prohibiting rental tenant screening companies from sharing sealed eviction court records.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Health Care and Human Service Reform Act (HB 158), led by Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, will address disparities in medical care and other services in Black communities. As one of the pillars of the Black Caucus’s ‘Black Agenda’, it will:
• implement a hospital closure moratorium to address Illinois’ long-standing health inequities,
• create an Anti-Racism Commission that will identify and propose statewide policies to eliminate systemic racism and advance equitable solutions,
• require implicit bias training for medical professionals,
• create a Community Health Worker Certification to improve relations between medical professionals and the specific community they serve, and
• allow Medicaid reimbursement for doulas – non-medical professionals who reduce racial bias in health care by providing individually tailored and client-centered care and advocacy for pregnant and postpartum women.
The House also passed HB 1871, led by Rep. Katie Stuart, to sustain curbside and mail-in voting. The bill calls for allocating federal funds from the Help America Vote Act to establish ballot drop boxes around the state. It expands curbside voting as well and reduces postage barriers for mail-in voting.
* Press release…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul applauded committee passage of his legislation to expand and strengthen Illinois’ Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) to include protections for survivors of human trafficking. The ACP is administered by the Attorney General’s office and currently provides survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, and members of their households, with a substitute address to use as home, school and work addresses.
Senate Bill 593, which passed out of the Senate Human Rights Committee, was initiated by Raoul and sponsored by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton to allow survivors of human trafficking to apply for the protections the ACP provides. The legislation also strengthens protections for all participants by preventing participants’ addresses and phone numbers from being disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, ensuring participants can obtain a Real ID driver’s license using the program’s substituted address, and clarifying the process for participants to register to vote. The legislation passed unanimously and will move to the full Senate. Similar language is also included in House Bill 625, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Keicher and Rep. Terra Costa Howard, which unanimously passed out of the House Judiciary Criminal Law Committee earlier this week and will move to the full House.
“For survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, the Address Confidentiality Program can help provide peace of mind, and this legislation will provide that same protection to survivors of human trafficking,” Raoul said. “Abusers can be incredibly manipulative and committed to finding survivors, and the provisions in the legislation recognize this and add layers of protection to prevent this from happening. I appreciate the support from the Senate and House committees and encourage full passage of this important measure.”
“Survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking deserve to feel safe in their communities,” Glowiak Hilton said. “This legislation gives survivors that measure of comfort and security and ensures that they are protected from their abusers.”
* Related…
* Vote-by-mail, curbside voting expansion passes House
* Health care reform legislation passes state House: The bill is also subject to appropriations, which Lilly said will result in Democrats working with Republicans to determine what parts of the bill will be fully funded, and what provisions will see a cut when it comes to negotiating the state’s operating budget.
3 Comments
|
President Obama Wants Lawmakers To Stop Gerrymandering
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Are we going to continue with political maps hammered out in backroom deals or are our lawmakers ready to strive for the ideals set out by President Obama?
“The movement for fair maps will determine the course of progress on every issue we care about for the next decade.” - August, 2019
“I think people don’t completely appreciate how much gerrymandering affects the outcome [of elections],” Obama said. “You can draw a district that almost guarantees one party is going to win instead of another because you have voter histories and you have a sense of where people are typically going to vote.” - September, 2020
“I’d love to see changes at the state level that reduce political gerrymandering.” - January, 2015
“Regardless of our party affiliations,” he says, gerrymandering is “not good for our democracy.” - July, 2018
“We have to end the practice of drawing our congressional districts so that politicians can pick their voters and not the other way around.” - January, 2016
Learn more at CHANGEIL.org.
Comments Off
|
* Press release…
Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch officially launched the new “Democrats for the Illinois House (DIH)” political committee, which will serve as the new campaign arm of the House Democratic Caucus. The following is a statement from Speaker Chris Welch:
“Today, I am proud to announce the creation of our new caucus campaign committee, Democrats for the Illinois House (DIH). DIH’s mission will be based on our united effort to work across the state to elect a diverse coalition of Democrats to the Illinois House and continue our caucus’ work on behalf of middle-class families and communities of color in every single corner of our state. These next few years are critical to shaping our state’s future, while reversing the damage done by the Trump Administration that put a dangerous, extreme agenda ahead of meaningful solutions for pandemic recovery and building a more equitable state. I am excited to get to work with our Democratic allies and partners across the state to support and elect Democratic candidates who share our values and commitment to building a stronger state for all Illinoisans.”
The DIH will also include a Fundraising Committee to lead the caucus’s fundraising efforts year-round:
Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, Chair
Rep. Jay Hoffman, Vice Chair
Rep. Carol Ammons
Rep. Kam Buckner
Rep. Deb Conroy
Rep. Theresa Mah
Rep. Bob Morgan
Rep. Delia Ramirez
Rep. Mike Zalewski
Click here for more info.
…Adding… Sun-Times...
The new speaker said the new committee will be a lot more inclusive and will have a lot of input from members in the caucus and “we’re going to be working together to raise money.
“It won’t just be the Chris Welch Show, there will be other Democrats out there helping me raise money on behalf of our caucus, this will be a total team effort,” Welch said. “It’s important that we work together, in collaboration and in partnership. When we work together we can achieve some great things.” […]
“I think it’s important when a new leader comes into a position as important as this one that we don’t just ponder about it being a new beginning and a fresh start, we take action, and I believe that this was one of the actions we are taking or have taken to show that this is a fresh start. It’s also a promise that I made to my caucus members that we’re going to do things in a different way.”
A fresh committee is a fresh beginning, Welch said when asked about why he chose to create a new fund instead of just renaming the old one.
The new start will allow Welch and the House Democrats he now leads to distance themselves from Madigan, who has the cloud of a federal investigation looming over him after federal prosecutors brought a $1.3 million bribery case against ComEd that implicated the former speaker last July.
2 Comments
|
* WBEZ…
The Illinois House Thursday censured downstate Republican Rep. Chris Miller for attending the Jan. 6 “Save America” rally that preceded the fatal insurrection of the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Miller was in Washington, D.C., with his newly elected congresswoman wife, U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, and told Facebook followers after the Trump rally he was devoted to waging “a great cultural war” to avert “the tyranny of socialism and communism under the dangerous Democrat terrorists that are trying to destroy our country.”
Images of the state lawmaker’s pickup truck, parked at the Capitol that day, also circulated on social media and showed a rear-window decal with the emblem of the Three Percenters, a far-right anti-government militia group implicated in the insurrection.
The resolution by Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, condemning Miller alleged his words and actions violated his oath of office and “created an environment that potentially threatens not only the sanctity of the Illinois General Assembly but also the safety of the members and their staff.”
The measure was adopted by the House on a partisan 57-36 vote, with five members voting present and 19 others not voting. It carries symbolic weight but doesn’t impose consequential penalties against Miller, like expulsion.
The full resolution is here. Roll call is here.
* Tribune…
During House debate on the resolution Thursday, Miller said he went to his wife’s congressional office after the rally on Jan. 6 and remained there throughout the lockdown that occurred when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.
“I had no part in the violent events at the Capitol that day, and I condemn any and all violence,” Miller said. “I can assure you that my dedication to the safety and security of our state and our country’s citizens is second to none.”
Many Democrats continued to be unswayed by Miller’s explanations.
“How many times do we have to hear Rep. Miller call Democrats ‘terrorists’ or ‘the enemy’ before we can start taking his words seriously?” state Rep. Daniel Didech of Buffalo Grove said. “How many times does Rep. Miller have to ‘accidentally’ find himself supporting the overthrow of the United States government before we can stop pretending we don’t see what’s going on here?”
* Sun-Times…
Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin rose to oppose Miller’s condemnation, saying that the resolution’s “bold, broad claims, and conclusions” could not be supported and that it was the role of the legislative inspector general to investigate Miller. […]
After the vote, state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, accused the Democratic majority of “libel” for condemning Miller.
“You uttered a lot of the words you did today precisely because you know that Chris Miller has enough grace that he is not going to retaliate against you. He’s not going to try to do you harm, which, of course, undermines the whole theory of the motion,” she said.
“How many of you have the courage to go say what you said today to Chris Miller, in his home on his farm? Where maybe the consequences of your words would actually have consequences.”
Rep. Mazzochi seems to be developing a knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
36 Comments
|
Sen. Sims chased by alleged gunman
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SJ-R…
A Chicago lawmaker says he feared for his life after being threatened with a gun while driving this week in Springfield.
Adding to the trauma and loss of sleep, state Sen. Elgie Sims said Thursday, was the fact that the man who allegedly threatened him Monday night was released from the Sangamon County Jail the next day after posting $15,000 bail.
“By him being released on bail, he’s free to do this again,” Sims said.
Sims was the Senate sponsor of legislation that will eliminate the state’s cash-bail system in two years. The legislation, which Gov. JB Pritzker signed in February, is designed to eliminate what many Democratic lawmakers call a bail system that unfairly benefits people with means and penalizes people for being poor because they often can’t afford to post bail.
Sims, 50, a Democrat, told The State Journal-Register that he thinks the man who threatened him would have been detained and remained behind bars if the court system, as the new law will require, had to perform a more thorough analysis on whether releasing a suspect would pose a risk to public safety.
I told subscribers about this story the other day. You really gotta click here and read the whole thing. Sen. Sims went through some harrowing stuff.
29 Comments
|
* WBEZ…
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration cut off the flow of COVID-19 vaccines to the West Side’s Loretto Hospital on Thursday, hours after hospital administrators admitted for the second time this week that they made “mistakes” in allowing people who were not eligible yet to have access to vaccines.
Loretto admitted Thursday it made a mistake — its second admission in a week — after WBEZ reported that 13 Cook County Circuit Court judges were given the opportunity to get coronavirus vaccines at the hospital in the Austin neighborhood on March 8.
It followed Loretto’s mea culpa after Block Club Chicago first revealed that the health-care provider wrongly gave COVID-19 vaccines to workers at the Trump Tower in downtown Chicago, far from the hospital that serves mostly Black and low-income patients on the West Side.
The hospital promised to prevent a repeat of those scenarios, but it was apparently too late to avert the city’s dramatic response to the alleged favoritism in vaccinations by Loretto. […]
On Thursday, though, Loretto’s president and CEO, George Miller, issued a statement erroneously claiming that judges were allowed to get vaccines under a section of phase 1b in the city of Chicago’s “vaccination plan,” which allows for shots to go now to city elected officials.
In fact, city Public Health Department officials confirmed that the ongoing phase 1b does not include judges. Being a judge alone will not make someone eligible for COVID-19 shots until the next phase, which begins March 29.
So, aldermen can be vaxed, but not judges. Seems odd.
* SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Greg Kelley…
“While we understand the need to ensure that vaccine protocols are followed, as the union of frontline healthcare workers putting their lives on the line at Loretto Hospital and other facilities across the city, we strongly object the decision by the Chicago Department of Public Health to withhold vaccine doses from a safety net serving high-risk and underserved, majority black and brown communities.
“Instead, we call upon the Board of Directors to hold the individuals responsible for breaking vaccine protocols accountable. The dedicated frontline staff of Loretto and the Austin residents dependent upon Loretto in order to receive life-saving COVID-19 vaccinations don’t deserve to suffer as a result of the actions of two people.
“The vaccination program at Loretto, administered by its frontline staff, has already successfully vaccinated 90% of the hospital’s workforce and conducted crucial vaccine outreach to the community as part of the Chicago Plus program.
“Workers at Loretto have already sacrificed enough in their frontline roles at a safety net hospital in the high-needs Austin community during a pandemic. It’s crucial that the Board limit their corrective action to the two individuals responsible for this lapse in judgment–and not punish workers and the community they serve.”
Thoughts?
31 Comments
|
You can’t please everyone
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WBBM Radio…
A west suburban restaurant owner fighting state COVID restrictions says Gov. JB Pritzker’s phased plan to fully reopen the Illinois economy will do more harm than good.
KC Gulbro, owner of Foxfire in Geneva, says linking the full reopening to restaurants with vaccination rates is a needless delay, given the dropping rates of coronavirus infections.
Um, yeah, about that infection rate. He filed a lawsuit against the state in October when his county’s average positivity rate was 11.5 percent.
* Sen. Darren Bailey…
“This week it’s a bridge, tomorrow it’s a ferry, maybe next week it could be another flight to Florida for his family. Despite declining numbers of people who are sick and increasing numbers of those who are vaccinated, the Governor continues to drag his feet on the process of letting Illinoisans get back to work and live their daily lives. The Governor is continuing to make decisions behind closed doors that affect every part of people’s lives. He refuses to engage the legislature in the process or offer transparency about how he decided to set what seems like more arbitrary metrics. The Governor has spent the last year running the state alone through executive orders. It’s time for that to end and for Illinois to reopen.”
So classy to drag in the man’s family.
* But, hey, the notoriously grumpy Tribune editorial board was almost giddy…
But for the first time in months, the state and the city seem to be waking up. Making plans. Putting dates on the calendar.
Maybe it was the warmer weather last week, which quickly disappeared, as March in Chicago would have it. Maybe it was the restart of high school sports or the announcement that baseball is coming. Maybe it was higher vaccination rates giving the homebound more confidence to venture out. Maybe it was a few optimistic headlines.
Whatever it was, we’ll take it. And hope it lasts. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Mark today on your calendars, kids. You might not see the likes of this again soon.
15 Comments
|
Open thread
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Talk about anything you want, as long as it’s somehow about Illinois and you’re polite to each other. Thanks.
24 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
|
Comments Off
|
Question of the day
Thursday, Mar 18, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The governor’s first press conference question today was about the state’s new vaccine policy. Click here if you need to brush up on the particulars…
Q: The city of Chicago is not following the plan. So the state of Illinois is reopening [audio garbled] and the city is a big part of the state. And I’m wondering, are you OK, by getting rid of the phases, are you OK with perhaps a 25 year old healthy Lincoln Parker going ahead of a 55 year old with heart disease from Englewood?
A: Let’s be clear that we’re talking about three weeks, three and a half weeks hence that this change is going to take place. And in the meantime, as you know, not only have we done well with seniors 65 and over, we have an increasing number of people as we opened up Phase 1B+, people who have pre-existing conditions, to get vaccinated. And so we have a great deal of people who have already been vaccinated that are in these categories. And over the next three and a half weeks, increasing numbers of pods that are specifically focused on those populations.
So, as to the question of a 25 year old who’s in the city of Chicago, the city of Chicago gets separate shipments from the federal government separate from the rest of the state. It represents 21% of the population of the state of Illinois, the city of Chicago does. And it can make decisions on its own, it has the ability to do that. I hope that it will move expeditiously toward opening up even more. That’s what we’re doing across the rest of the state of Illinois. And I think that it will be hard for the city if people who can get vaccinated who live just beyond the city borders are able to get an appointment to go get vaccinated, but people who are within the city may not be able to because they haven’t opened that up. But again I think that’s up to them. And President Biden has set at absolute date of May 1 And I know that the city. This morning acknowledge that they were hoping to not only get there by May 1 But even earlier than that, so it’ll match up at some point you know between April 12th, and May 1st.
According to the state’s statistics, over 58 percent of Illinoisans ages 65+ have been administered vaccines. The state and the city combined are receiving more than 800,000 doses this week, with a million doses a week anticipated in April. And the J&J vaccine will only require one shot. Also, the state has allowed people with medical conditions to be vaxed for weeks, and that hypothetical person from Englewood currently qualifies for a vaccine at the United Center.
Given all that and given that the new vaccine availability won’t begin for a few more weeks…
* The Question: Are you OK with perhaps a 25 year old healthy Lincoln Parker going ahead of a 55 year old with heart disease from Englewood starting April 12th? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
online surveys
70 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
It’s just a bill
Thursday, Mar 18, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Crain’s…
Two consumer groups and a prominent environmental organization are joining forces to clamp down on utility practices that resulted in favorable legislation raising delivery rates for consumers and padding profits of Commonwealth Edison and downstate power company Ameren Illinois.
AARP Illinois, Illinois PIRG and the Environmental Law & Policy Center have formed a “Take Our Power Back” coalition. It’s advocating that ComEd reimburse consumers for the profits it gained through a nearly decade-long bribery scheme aimed at winning support from then-House Speaker Michael Madigan, the most powerful politician in the state at them time. ComEd admitted to the scheme in a deferred-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors in July.
* Capitol News Illinois…
Some Democratic lawmakers want to repeal an abortion law that requires girls under the age of 18 who are seeking an abortion to notify their parents at least 48 hours before the procedure, with some exceptions.
Under the current law, the notice requirement doesn’t apply if a minor is accompanied by an adult family member, such as a parent, grandparent, stepparent or legal guardian, or if an adult family member waives the notice in writing.
Additionally, there are exceptions for minors who are victims of physical or sexual abuse or neglect by an adult family member. Exceptions to the 48-hour notice requirement also apply in cases where the minor is married, divorced or widowed, if the minor has been legally emancipated, or if the health care provider determines that there is a medical emergency.
* Capitol News Illinois…
State Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago, reintroduced a bill on Wednesday that would offer emergency support to tenants, landlords and homeowners struggling to make payments in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
House Bill 2877, known as the Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Act, would create a process for allocating funding for rental support that was made available in federal stimulus packages since December. It would also expand the sealing of eviction records in the state through July of 2022.
Ramirez, who previously introduced the legislation during the lame duck session in January, said the new bill offers “a comprehensive approach” to addressing what she referred to as “a crisis of housing instability” as a result of COVID-19.
* WAND TV…
State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is reintroducing a measure that would require pharmacies to post a notice informing consumers that a consumer may request current pharmacy retail prices at the point of sale.
“Retail prices at pharmacies generally bear no relationship to the actual market prices of the medications,” Bennett said. “Patients deserve to know the ‘real’ price of the medication they intend to purchase so they can make an informed decision about where they buy their prescriptions.”
Under Senate Bill 1682, pharmacies would be required to post a notice informing consumers that they may request current pharmacy retail prices at the point of sale and must also provide customers directly with the retail price of a prescription drug, both in writing and electronically prior to purchase.
* Press release…
Today, leading advocates in Illinois launched Health is Health, a coalition campaign backed by more than 75 groups advocating for commonsense mental health and addiction care that everyone can agree on. The campaign comes on the heels of the Illinois General Assembly’s subject matter hearing on mental health in the state tied to proposed legislation SB697/HB2595, which would advance access and equity in mental health care. During the hearing, it became clear that this legislation is commonsense and would save lives.
“When I talk to pediatricians, they’re telling me they’re not seeing kids for physical health issues because they’re not getting sick, there’s no flu, there’s no cold because they’re wearing masks, but they’re seeing children every single day for mental health issues,” said Rep. Deb Conroy, D-Villa Park.
“With proper care, we have positive outcomes. We need to find a place in our society where we have no stigma when it comes to mental health and people can get the services they need when they need it so we can have those positive outcomes.” said Sen. Laura Fine
“The need for mental health care has never been more essential than it is right now.”
Currently, large inequities exist in how health plans cover mental health care. Many insurers use flawed and discriminatory guidelines to avoid paying for the mental health care and treatment services granted under existing federal law.
“Mental health care is health care, period,” said Bill Smith, Founder of Inseparable, a Health is Health coalition member. “The cost of mental health care should not be your life savings. Yet, large inequities still exist in how health plans cover mental health care. We need to pass SB 697 and HB 2595”
“Fifty-three percent of adults report that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacts their mental health, yet nothing about the current reimbursement process is based on Generally Accepted Standards of Care and clinical best practices that are rooted in evidence and science. That is why we need to take action,” said David Applegate, Director of State Policy at The Kennedy Forum Illinois.
* And…
5 Comments
|
* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,325 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 34 additional deaths.
- Champaign County: 1 female 80s
- Cook County; 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Cumberland County: 1 male 60s
- DuPage County: 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 1 male 90s
- Kane County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Lake County: 1 male 70s
- Madison County: 1 male 60s, 2 males 90s
- Rock Island Cunty: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 70s
- Vermilion County: 1 male 70s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
- Will County: 2 males 60s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,216,090 cases, including 21,022 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 89,817 specimens for a total of 19,389,098. As of last night, 1,120 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 252 patients were in the ICU and 100 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 11-17, 2021 is 2.4%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 11-17, 2021 is 2.7%.
A total of doses of 5,172,415 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 5,587,315. A total of 4,375,171 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 359,041 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 99,210 doses. Yesterday, 91,684 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
3 Comments
|
React to Pritzker’s new vaccine/reopening plan
Thursday, Mar 18, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* CFL…
Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter released the following statement regarding the announcement of new reopening guidelines by the Pritzker Administration:
“We applaud the Pritzker Administration for taking steps today to continue the safe reopening of our economy as vaccines become more readily accessible and eligibility expands. For more than a year, union workers have sacrificed their health and safety to keep our city, county, state, and nation moving. These workers put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. Meanwhile, thousands of workers sacrificed their livelihoods as entire sectors of the economy were shut down, especially in the hospitality and tourism industries. These skilled workers struggled to put food on the table, pay their bills, and keep their healthcare. The pain and hardship endured by so many can never be forgotten, and the debt we owe these heroes may never be repaid.
“Now, thanks to the heroic efforts of so many, we are finally ready to move closer to reopening our economy and returning to normal. Having a pathway toward reopening helps both workers and their employer plan a more defined path forward. To continue on this pathway to reopening, the health and safety of workers remains an absolute priority. To continue the progress toward reopening and to protect worker safety, continue to follow guidance from the Illinois, Cook County, and Chicago Departments of Public Health. That includes wearing a mask and following all capacity and social distancing guidelines. And when it’s your turn, get vaccinated. Let’s stay committed, stay masked up, and move past this pandemic once and for all.”
This post will likely be updated.
* IHLA…
The Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association released the following statement regarding the plan outlined by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to ease capacity limits and further reopen Illinois over the next several months:
“The plan outlined by Governor Pritzker is a step in the right direction, and we appreciate him understanding the need for a roadmap to allow hotels and convention centers to hold larger meetings and events. This underscores the importance of providing clarity to event planners, supports our shared goal of getting people back to work safely, and illustrates why the Governor’s announcement reflects his desire to serve as the chief marketing officer for the state,” said Michael Jacobson, President and CEO, Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association
* ICCVB…
The following is a statement from Jayne DeLuce, Board Chair of the Illinois Council of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (ICCVB) and President & CEO of Visit Champaign County:
“Governor Pritzker’s announcement today that Illinois will progress toward reopening as more people continue to become vaccinated, coupled with last week’s news that conventions will likely re-start this summer under safe guidelines, is exactly the kind of action needed to jumpstart recovery for our state’s tourism industry.
“This is a sign that Illinois is on track to safely welcome visitors and with that comes revenue for our state and municipalities, customers for our small businesses, and jobs for our workforce.”
* Sen. Sara Feigenholtz…
“The testimony provided to the Tourism & Hospitality Committee by leaders from the industry likely had a great impact on some of the Governor’s decisions today. Planning and discussing a path moving forward is the only hope we have to bring jobs back and keep this sector alive.”
“With infection rates dropping and the vaccine more widely available, the Governor messaging that Illinois will soon be open for business was urgently needed to keep conventions and visitors on the books.”
* Chicagoland Chamber…
The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce released the following statement in response to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s announcement regarding additional steps to ease restrictions and reopen Illinois:
“Gov. Pritzker’s announcement of reopening steps provides important guidance that will allow businesses to prepare for greater capacity over the next several months. As the economic engine of the state, Chicago’s businesses require consistency in order to plan how to reopen further, rehire workers and bring employees back to the worksite. This guidance is especially important to small businesses and our tourism, conventions and hospitality industries, which have been devastated by the pandemic with thousands of businesses closing their doors, resulting in tens of thousands of people losing their jobs. While the road to recovery is long, we applaud the governor for outlining metrics and creating a path forward for the business community to get people back to work and jumpstart our economy,” said Jack Lavin, President & CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.
* Harmon…
Illinois Senate President Don Harmon welcomed news of expanded vaccine access and plans to re-open the state’s economy.
“We’ve made it to this point thanks to modern science and the personal sacrifices of people all across this state. You’ve followed the rules and kept each other safe until a vaccine was widely available. Thank you.
“I urge everyone to remain patient and vigilant as we head into what is hopefully the final phase of this horrible pandemic.”
* NFIB…
NFIB State Director Mark Grant released the following statement today in response to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s revised reopening plan:
“Small businesses appreciate Governor Pritzker’s plan to increase capacity limits as more people receive the COVID-19 vaccine. It’s been a frustratingly difficult year for small business, and today’s announcement is another sign the worst is behind us.
“However, given everything they’ve endured over the past 12 months, small business owners can’t look away from the threat of a $900 billion tax hit if the governor succeeds in decoupling Illinois’s tax structure from the federal changes enacted specifically to help small businesses recover from the pandemic. This misguided proposal not only hurts employers but creates barriers to rehiring many of the workers who lost their jobs when businesses had to scale back or shut down.”
* Affordable Assisted Living Coalition…
“AALC welcomes the announcement today from Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (DPH) Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike on the implementation of a metrics-based, vaccination informed framework for Illinois to fully reopen. We also want to applaud the outstanding work our Supportive Living Program communities have done to vaccinate residents and staff, which has contributed to the state’s ability to move toward normalcy and phase 5 of the Restore Illinois reopening plan, ” said Karin Zosel, Executive Director of the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition. “We encourage all eligible populations to get vaccinated as soon as possible so that we can visit with loved ones, return to normalcy and live a healthier life.”
6 Comments
|
* Press release…
Governor Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike today announced a metrics-based, vaccination-informed framework for Illinois to advance to Phase 5 of the state’s Restore Illinois Plan, our new normal. In recognition of an increasing national vaccine supply and the state now averaging 100,000 vaccine administrations per day, Governor Pritzker also announced that all Illinois residents age 16+ will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 12th, with additional announcements to come about populations who will be made eligible prior to universal eligibility.
Currently, every region of the state is in Phase 4 of the five-phase Restore Illinois mitigation plan, with Phase 5 comprising a post-pandemic normalcy as detailed here. The newly announced metrics offer Illinois a bridge between the state’s current Phase 4 restrictions and the “new normal” operations of Phase 5. This “Bridge Phase” will serve as a transition period with higher capacity limits and increased business operations, without prematurely embracing a reckless reopening before the majority of Illinoisans have been vaccinated. All regions of the state will move through the Bridge Phase and ultimately to Phase 5, together. The state’s mask mandate will continue in accordance with current CDC guidance.
“COVID-19 has not gone away, but the light we can see at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter as more people get vaccinated,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “It’s time to begin to cautiously move toward normalcy, and it’s imperative that we do so in a way that maintains all the progress we’ve made to date. With projections from the Biden Administration indicating that weekly vaccine deliveries to Illinois will surpass one million doses in April, it is fully in our power to turn the page on this dark and devastating chapter even as we race a tough clock: the new variants. I invite all Illinoisans to join me in wearing your mask and getting vaccinated when it’s your turn. Step by step, we can get out of this the same we came into it – together.”
“We want and need to move forward, but we must be measured and cautious in the approach,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Rather than flipping a switch and saying we’re now in Phase 5, we’re looking at it more like a dial – dialing back some of the capacity restrictions that helped reduce transmission, and ultimately the number of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. We don’t want to move too quickly and risk a significant reversal of our progress.”
“We are proud to have worked alongside IDPH and our industry partners to craft guidelines that will allow a safe return for some of the biggest economic drivers in our state,” said Sylvia Garcia, Acting Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). “This measured approach to reopening under Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan will help support a sustained economic recovery for our businesses and communities.”
METRICS AND GUIDELINES
As Illinois moves towards our new normal, the administration is outlining clear metrics that will allow the state to continue progressing in the battle against COVID-19 without sacrificing the gains made over the last twelve months.
The bridge to Phase 5 allows for higher capacity limits at places like museums, zoos and spectator events as well as increased business operations. As with all mitigations the administration has implemented to combat the virus to date, the Bridge Phase is based on science and was developed by health experts.
To advance into the Bridge Phase, the entire state must reach a 70% first dose vaccination rate for residents 65 and over, maintain a 20% or lower ICU bed availability rate and hold steady on COVID-19 and COVID-like illness hospital admissions, mortality rate, and case rate over a 28-day monitoring period. To advance to Phase 5, the state must reach a 50% vaccination rate for residents age 16 and over and meet the same metrics and rates required to enter the transition phase, over an additional 28-day period.
To prevent a large increase in new COVID-19 cases, Illinois will revert back to an earlier phase if over the course of 10 days the state experiences an increasing trend in COVID-19 and COVID-like illness hospital admissions, a decrease in ICU bed availability, an increase in the mortality rate, and an increasing case rate.
In an update to current Phase 4 mitigations and the capacity limits of the bridge to Phase 5, individuals with proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test (PCR) 1-3 days prior to an event or outing do not count against capacity limits. The mitigation plan announced today also includes additional adjustments to current Phase 4 mitigations, made in coordination with business leaders and health experts, to ensure mitigations reflect the latest science and are consistent across industries.
As regulations are rolled back gradually in the weeks ahead, Illinoisans should continue practicing the public health guidelines that have kept us safe during the pandemic, including wearing face coverings and maintaining social distance.
“Today’s announcement provides what retailers across Illinois have been seeking: a clear path forward to a full re-opening that will help stem the devastation the pandemic has inflicted on the industry. This will also help bring some financial stability to state and local governments that rely on the vital revenue stream retail generates. With the expanding availability of vaccines – including those offered at hundreds of retail pharmacy locations across Illinois – we are hopeful the pathway toward a full re-opening will be a short one,” said Rob Karr, President and CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association.
“The plan outlined by Governor Pritzker is a step in the right direction, and we appreciate him understanding the need for a roadmap to allow hotels and convention centers to hold larger meetings and events,” said Michael Jacobson, President and CEO, Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association. “This underscores the importance of providing clarity to event planners, supports our shared goal of getting people back to work safely, and illustrates why the Governor’s announcement reflects his desire to serve as the chief marketing officer for the state.”
“While we still have a long way to go, today’s announcement is an important step towards recovery,” said Sam Toia, President and CEO, Illinois Restaurant Association. “We have urged Governor Pritzker to set a path to allow for expanded events with extensive safety measures in place, and this pragmatic approach to loosening restrictions will greatly enhance business opportunities for restaurants, event companies, conventions, and culinary tourism — all of which are critical to Illinois’ economic engine.”
COVID-19 VACCINE AVAILABILITY
Since the COVID-19 vaccine was first made available in Illinois last December, the state has administered over 4.3 million doses. Through partnerships with local health departments, pharmacies, community health centers and other care providers, the state is currently administering an average of 100,000 vaccines each day. So far, the state has administered the COVID-19 vaccine to more than 1 in 4 Illinois adults over the age of 16, including over 58% of Illinoisans ages 65 and over.
Since coming into office two months ago, the Biden Administration has taken the weekly vaccine distribution to states from 8.6 million when it came into office to over 16 million this week. Back in December, the first shipment that came into Illinois was about 109,000 doses. This week, including the federal government’s allocations for pharmacy partners, community health centers, the United Center and the City of Chicago, more than 800,000 doses were delivered to Illinois. Based on current projections, the state expects that number to surpass one million doses a week in April.
Thanks to an increased allocation of vaccine doses from the federal government, all Illinois residents will be eligible to receive the vaccine beginning April 12th. At that date, all state-supported mass vaccination sites, local health departments, pharmacy partners – in short, every jurisdiction that receives vaccine from the State of Illinois’ allocation – will be instructed to move to widespread eligibility.
Currently, all vaccines are administered by appointment only. While vaccine eligibility is expanding on April 12th, making an appointment to receive a shot may take time. Information regarding vaccination locations as well as details on how to book an appointment to receive the vaccine can be found at the state’s COVID website, coronavirus.illinois.gov. Residents who don’t have access to or need assistance navigating online services can call the toll-free IDPH hotline at 833-621-1284 to book an appointment. The hotline is open 7 days a week from 6am to midnight with agents available in English and Spanish.
Illinoisans who are not currently eligible to receive the vaccine cannot schedule an appointment for a future date. Residents are encouraged to be patient in the days and weeks following April 12th as vaccination appointments may be limited.
To date, the FDA has authorized the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in 16- and 17-year-olds as well as adults. The Johnson & Johnson and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are currently FDA authorized for use in those 18 and older.
*** UPDATE *** I should’ve included these charts…
17 Comments
|
Unclear on the concept
Thursday, Mar 18, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Op-ed by Illinois Republican Senators Sue Rezin, Don DeWitte and Craig Wilcox…
Since the plan was created and publicized, rules, metrics and guidance have changed quickly and regularly, and the goal posts for returning to normalcy keep moving. But one thing has remained constant over the last year: Governor Pritzker still insists on unilaterally controlling every aspect of the COVID-19 response, and he refuses to allow for input from the legislative branch. The governor has issued 76 executive orders over the last year, and during that same time period, legislators have been offered exactly zero opportunities to weigh in on COVID-19 policy decisions.
Their beef is with the Senate President. His name is not mentioned once.
14 Comments
|
* Market Watch…
The number of new applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose to a one-month high of 770,000 in mid-March, reflecting some of the damage caused to the Texas economy by a winter freeze.
Initial jobless claims filed traditionally through the states increased by 45,000 to 770,000 in the week ended March 13, the government said Thursday.
Economists surveyed by Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal had forecast new claims would fall to a seasonally adjusted 700,000.
Another 282,394 applications for benefits were filed through a temporary federal-relief program. These numbers are unadjusted.
Combined state and federal jobless claims totaled 1.02 million last week. They’ve yet to fall below 1 million since the onset of the pandemic last year, underscoring the massive damage to the U.S. economy caused by the coronavirus.
* Duncan Black…
That makes 52 consecutive weeks of claims above the one week peak of The Great Recession.
* CBS 2…
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 74,630 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of March 8 in Illinois, according to the DOL’s weekly claims report released Thursday. […]
Illinois’ estimated claims make up nearly 10% of the estimated 770,000 filed across the country last week.
Despite a decline in COVID cases and reopening efforts, the latest unemployment numbers show the devastating effects of the pandemic on Illinois’ economy aren’t over.
5 Comments
|
* Post-Dispatch last year…
In Lincoln and Hazel LeFlore’s front yard, near the street, is what appears to be a fountain, poking out of the ground. It flows continuously, carving a trench that runs alongside their home and into the woods out back.
Look closer, though, and take a breath — and it’s clear this is no fountain, but rather an open pipe that leads to a sewer. Pressure popped the cap off years ago, allowing raw sewage to flow to the surface. The LeFlores said if they tried closing it, the wastewater would instead pour from their toilets, bathtubs and sinks. The same would happen at their neighbors’ homes.
For 15 years, sewage has been flowing in their yard, the couple says, despite their frequent complaints to local utility and city officials. They can’t sit outside. They can’t enjoy visits from family and friends. […]
Their situation is similar to that of dozens of residents of this town, which was ranked last year as the poorest in the United States, based on census data. Just 15 minutes from downtown St. Louis, Centreville was incorporated in 1957. In 1960 — when the area was full of steel, railroading, meatpacking and other industrial jobs — the city had nearly 12,800 people, 28% of whom were white.
Over the years, as factories closed and jobs left, white families moved away. Centreville is now home to about 5,000 residents; over 95% are African American. The median home value is $47,900. The main businesses are the few strip clubs and questionable massage parlors on the southeast edge of town. […]
In parts of the city, dirt trenches are used to drain runoff instead of storm drains. The trenches, however, have not been maintained. Clogged culverts under driveways prevent water from moving. The trenches fill with standing water, trash and swirls of colors, surrounding homes like moats, and breeding mosquitoes.
A system of above-ground pumps moves wastewater through the sewer system, but the motors often don’t work because they are overtaken by stormwater or overwhelmed by clogged lines. Some are cracked and covered in tarps after being struck by cars.
Wastewater bubbles out of manholes and into the streets, mixing with runoff. Many residents can’t flush their toilets and have to resort to using public restrooms.
* Post-Dispatch last August…
In a letter sent Wednesday to Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, a group of residents pleaded for the state government to enforce environmental laws and require repairs to the city’s failing wastewater and stormwater systems. […]
Residents have complained about sewage overflows, failing pump stations and leaking manholes for two decades. The letter accuses the state of not doing enough to hold local government agencies accountable.
The IEPA has been aware of the hazards since 2003, the letter states, yet little has been to done to require repairs. One couple has had an open sewer line continually flowing like a fountain in their front yard since 2007 or 2008.
* GovTech this week…
With the support of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who called the situation “a textbook example of environmental racism,” Centreville, Cahokia and Alorton hope to share $22 million through a FEMA BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) grant.
The grant will supply funds to repair and maintain sewage systems in the area that have long been neglected. Residents have, for decades, routinely experienced yards and houses flooded with sewage, with little or no help from officials. Residents filed a lawsuit last summer seeking help with the sewage and flooding issues. […]
Whether the cities are granted the money won’t be known until December.
We’ve got a multi-billion-dollar capital program right here in Illinois. Why isn’t the state spending some of that money? Also, while the grant will be great, the IEPA obviously needs to step up enforcement. Perhaps the governor can address this, too.
* Turns out, some local elected officials are also making money off the sewer district…
A state senator from Centreville made nearly $58,500 last year for a position that doesn’t have a job description at a controversial water and sewer district.
Democratic state Sen. Christopher Belt is listed as superintendent of Commonfields of Cahokia Public Water and Sewage District in 2020 documents. He did not respond to the BND’s 12 phone calls, text messages and emails over more than a week requesting information about what he does there.
General manager Dennis Traiteur and district board chairman Curtis McCall Sr. both declined to talk about Belt’s role, citing a pending citizen lawsuit against Commonfields over years of flooding issues. Mark Scoggins, the Columbia attorney representing the district, did not immediately know about Belt’s role but confirmed he works there. […]
Belt is McCall’s brother-in-law. […] McCall is Centreville Township supervisor and is expected to become the first mayor of Cahokia Heights, a new city that will be established by the consolidation of Cahokia, Centreville and Alorton after the April 6 elections. McCall is unopposed.
McCall’s son, Curtis McCall Jr., is the current mayor of Cahokia. Commonfields paid McCall Sr.’s other son, Kerchavian McCall, $27,439 as a laborer who did maintenance and operated equipment for 752 hours, according to 2020 salary documents the BND obtained through the open records request.
[Alorton Mayor Jo Ann Reed] was on the Commonfields payroll as a cashier, clerk and board secretary, earning nearly $29,400 in 2020 for 830 hours.
McCall also chairs Sen. Belt’s campaign committee. Kelsey Landis, Deasia Paige and Kavahn Mansouri wrote that story for the Belleville News-Democrat. Really good stuff. Goes well beyond the usual “Somebody contributed $50 and that means corruption” crud that passes for muckraking.
Local voters have a chance to dissolve Commonfields next month. I’ll let you know what happens.
13 Comments
|
* Alexander County, which is in deep southern Illinois, has many, many problems. It’s lost 30 percent of its population since 2010. Its median income is less than $37,000. Almost a quarter of its residents, a third of whom are Black, live in poverty.
According to IDPH, less than 2.6 percent of Alexander County residents are fully vaccinated - 156 out of 6,060. That’s the worst in the entire state. And even though African-Americans make up a third of its population, just 20 percent are fully vaccinated while 64 percent of whites in the county are fully vaxed. At last check, the county is sitting on 180 unused vaccine doses.
* So NPR Illinois’ Hannah Meisel asked Gov. Pritzker yesterday why things are going so wrong down there. This is what he said…
So let me say, you know, there’s a wide range of capability among the 97 local public health departments. And we’ve tried to provide greater capability for those that may be less well staffed, for example, or have less resources. So you’ve seen us move the Illinois National Guard all across the state where we need to bring greater equity, or we need to add manpower, I have to say, woman power too. The Illinois, the Illinois National Guard, honestly, we’ve had such terrific, the men and women who have been at those sites, if any of you who have been to those sites, these are amazing people who are stepping in and doing life saving work. You usually think of them as going to war on our behalf or defending our nation outside our borders or handling a flood or some other challenge. But here, they’re you know, they’re literally saving people’s lives every day by vaccines. So we’ve sent them on in mobile missions across the state to areas, we have one coming up that attempts to address the areas that you were talking about in far southern Illinois, the southern seven region. And so that’s, you know, really what we’re doing is trying to measure capability and then add to the capability where it may not exist. Taking Adams County as a pretty good example, they’re very good at moving their vaccine into people’s arms. There are some other counties, even bigger counties, that have what they did with their vaccines is they handed them off to community partners. And then in some cases, those community partners put some of it on the shelves in inventory, thinking that they might have a need for them at a clinic that they might run two weeks hence. What we want is for everybody to get this vaccine into people’s arms right away. And at the Illinois Department of Public Health, it’s hard for us to track what the local public health department does with each of those doses, sending them to those local community partners. And so we rely on the LHDs to continually speak with their community partners to get that vaccine off the shelves and into people’s arms. And they’re doing a much better job today than they have ever before. And again, when you look at the top 10 biggest states in the country, we’re actually number two among those top 10 states at getting the vaccine from the delivery into people’s arms fastest.
Lots of words.
Also, you’d think that since the county has the worst vaccination rate in the state, Dr. Ezike would be more informed about what’s going on down there. But she didn’t appear to have any knowledge about what was happening when asked about the county in a Senate committee hearing earlier this week.
…Adding… Hannah…
*** UPDATE *** The governor’s office says that in addition to National Guard mobile teams…
The IDPH minority health office in partnership with the LHD this weekend will be on the ground in Alexander County providing additional access to vaccine for minority and hard to reach populations in Cairo, Mounds and Cobden.
45 Comments
|
* WGEM…
House Republicans unveiled their main goals for the spring session Wednesday. Caucus members hope to “reimagine Illinois” with significant reforms.
Republicans renewed their call for fiscal responsibility, job growth, public safety, and an end to corruption in Springfield. Members want to use the first year without former Speaker Mike Madigan to try and pass many of the proposals they’ve had for years.
They hope to ban lawmakers from lobbying while in office, allow citizens to petition for amendments to the state’s constitution, and give every lawmaker the opportunity for a floor vote on their proposals. Republicans also plan to pass bills requiring balanced budgets and complete transparency in the budgetary process allowing for public comment.
“This is important that people realize that House Republicans are not the party of no. We’re prepared to move forward,” said House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs). “We want this state to survive, we want this state to thrive. We want our kids and grandkids to have availability, we want them to have opportunity.”
The HGOP’s new website touting the ideas is here.
* Center Square…
The four pillars of the platform to improve state government include addressing corruption, fiscal responsibility, creating jobs, and ensuring public safety.
“Illinois used to be a powerhouse. We were not only a powerhouse in the Midwest, but in the entire nation,” said Rep. Mike Murphy. “We have lost our way. It is time to refind our way and that will come with Reimagine Illinois.”
The group did not hide the fact that it opposed new justice laws brought forth by the Illinois Black Caucus which include police reforms. State Rep. Avery Bourne said the laws are prompting would-be police officers to consider another profession or leave the state.
“We have to make the profession one where good people want to go in and they are able to do their job and protect the public without these problematic bills that have passed recently,” Bourne said.
House Republican leader Jim Durkin added the justice reform bill that became law is a mess and an inoperable disaster for the practitioners, judges and anyone else involved.
“It vilifies police officers,” Durkin said. “It creates new standards and duties upon law enforcement officers that were created for no other reason than to trip up law enforcement officers.”
* Capitol News Illinois…
Rep. Mike Murphy, of Springfield, chairs the initiative. At Wednesday’s news conference, Murphy said he was asked by Minority Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs several months ago to lead the group and “present a comprehensive framework of proposals that we believe resonates throughout the entire state.”
“I expressed some concerns about us being the party of ‘no’ a lot of times,” Murphy said in a podcast uploaded to the Reimagine website, reimagineillinois.com. “We need to do a better job of messaging rather than just saying what’s being proposed is bad.” […]
Durkin said he’s open to working with Democrats on anti-corruption and transparency measures, a notion that House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch has reciprocated in a departure from his predecessor, former Speaker Michael Madigan.
Madigan and his legacy were mentioned several times by Republicans on the Reimagine website and at their news conference as the reason many of the proposals are necessary.
* SJ-R…
Bourne said House Republicans have filed 81 bills to address the four areas. Specifically, they want to ban lawmakers from lobbying, allow citizens easier access to introduce constitutional amendments, tackle pension reform through either an amendment or the legislative process, reduce regulations on employers, reform gun laws and find a way to recruit and retain police officers.
“Our purpose is to present a comprehensive framework of proposals that we believe resonates throughout the entire state,” Murphy said. “These are not just talking points. We have legislation to back up these platforms.” […]
Democrats have proposed legislation similar to proposals by Republicans on some topics. Democrats have committed to pursuing ethics reform. Pension reform once received bipartisan support before the agreed upon constitutional amendment was struck down by the Illinois Supreme Court.
“At the end of the day, what matters is we have common-sense legislation,” Murphy said when asked if Republicans would back similar bills from Democrats.
* Sun-Times…
On the budgeting front, Bourne said the Republican platform focuses on making sure spending plans are “truly balanced, mandating transparency in the budgeting process,” including a 72-hour waiting period before the state begins spending money, saving the state’s pension system and tackling government inefficiency.
Bourne pointed to eliminating over-regulation and mandates, and creating better apprenticeship programs to train people for jobs as a way to build jobs in the state. On public safety, Bourne said there needs to be a “back the badge” program and either a reform or repeal of the state’s FOID system among other things. […]
Durkin said he’s already talked to Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Democratic House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch about taking up pension reform this session and conveyed that, should the Democrats want to address the state’s fiscal woes, they “will have a partner in the House Republicans.”
“It’s up to them,” Durkin said. “They have the agenda, it’s up to them whether or not they want to take on, and go back and address the pension disaster that we have,” Durkin said. “Out of every dollar, 25 cents of it goes towards our pension systems, and this is going to get higher and higher until we do something. It’s not going to be solved by putting a constitutional amendment forward that’s going to have a graduated tax that’s going to fund our pensions, it’s going to have to be reformed within the system.”
46 Comments
|
* Fox Illinois…
Legislation making its way through the Illinois House aims to add Asian-American history into the curriculum of public schools across the state.
The proposed legislation would specifically require lessons on events such as the internment of Japanese-American citizens in World War II and the contributions of Asian-Americans during that war. […]
“Empathy comes from understanding,” State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, said. “We simply cannot expect to do better unless we know better, and it starts with education.”
Gong-Gershowitz, who introduced the legislation, says she was first inspired to introduce the bill after not learning much Asian-American history until college.
The bill passed 14-9 through a House committee on Wednesday. It now heads to the House floor for a vote.
* WSIL TV
Student advocate Phong Nguyen said he wants society to recognize Asians have made such significant contributions to this nation’s uprising. The Lane Tech High School student said the Asian community shouldn’t “become a monolith,” as that image creates dangerous situations.
“I want society to recognize that Asians hold such diverse cultures and traditions amongst ourselves. I want society to recognize that Asians have made such important contributions to the uprising of this nation. Most of all, I just want society to understand,” Nguyen explained. “I want them to simply understand my community and me, the way I’ve spent almost 13 years of my life trying to adjust to and understand theirs. But, how can people understand if they don’t learn?”
Nguyen said House Bill 376 could allow thousands of Asian students to see themselves represented properly in United States history. […]
The measure requires the teaching of Japanese Americans’ wrongful incarceration during World War II under former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It also calls for instruction on heroic service of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regiment of the US Army. […]
“Inclusion is a choice. So is exclusion,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “The drafters of current American history chose not to include Asian Americans in teaching our shared history.”
* Not mentioned in either of the above stories was the unanimous Republican opposition. Representatives voting “No” yesterday were Bennett, Elik, Morrison, Reick, Wheeler, Bourne, Friess, McCombie and Severin. All were Republicans. Only Democrats voted “Yes.” Republicans did not explain their votes, according to the Daily Herald…
None of the Republican members of the committee voiced opposition to the legislation Wednesday, yet all nine voted no on the bill
* Wednesday press release…
Tomorrow, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will speak as a witness at the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties hearing on the discrimination and violence Asian Americans have faced both historically and since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. After multiple shootings in Atlanta last night left at least eight people dead, including six Asian American women, the need to address this past year’s surge in racist attacks against the Asian American community is as urgent as ever.
* WTTW…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday condemned a mass shooting a day earlier in Georgia that left eight people dead, most of them women of Asian descent.
Speaking at an unrelated event, the governor called the shooting “an attack on all of our communities,” saying it “reeks of racialized misogyny and comes on the heels of a year in which Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities experienced so much racist scapegoating for the COVID-19 pandemic (that) damages the soul of inclusion.
“We believe in the ability to live without fear of hate,” Pritzker said. […]
“While the investigation of this sickening events of Georgia are ongoing, I am certain of one thing – fully certain – Illinois stands with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community,” Pritzker said. “Ours is a welcoming state today and always, and our great obligation is to live up to our ideals to allow all of our residents to find safety, community and joy in who they are and where they come from.”
* Related…
* Cop Who Said Spa Shooter Wasn’t Racist Against Asians Had Promoted Racism Against Asians
* The Onion: Atlanta Police Rule Out Mass Shooting As Cause Of Death After Suspect Says He Didn’t Shoot Anyone
* Atlanta shootings a chance to speak out, say members of Illinois’ Asian American community. ‘We’re tired of being quiet.’: “Look at the Chinese Exclusion Act,” Morita continued, referring to an 1882 federal law prohibiting Chinese workers from entering the United States, the first and only U.S. legislation barring a single nationality from immigrating here. “Look at Japanese internment camps. We’ve had a long history of our government not speaking up for us.”
45 Comments
|
[This post has been bumped up from last night for greater visibility and to add fresh updates.]
* Confirmed…
*** UPDATE *** Pritzker public schedule…
Daily Public Schedule: Thursday, Mar. 18, 2021
What: Gov. Pritzker to join Dr. Ezike to give a COVID-19 update.
Where: James R. Thompson Center, 15th Floor, Blue Room, Chicago
When: 11:30 a.m.
Watch live: https://www.Illinois.gov/LiveVideo
* St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern…
What the governor’s office is saying is… the mitigations now are going to be hopefully rolled back based upon the number of people vaccinated. […]
So the governor will be rolling out percentages of here’s a number of people above this age limit that need to be vaccinated. If we meet that goal, then we’re able to start to roll back whatever mitigations are still remaining.
* WREX TV…
The new phase will rely on factors like the vaccination rate in each region and will allow more capacity at bars, restaurants and gatherings.
* Crain’s…
Gov. Pritzker will announce Thursday that on April 12, vaccine eligibility will expand to any Illinoisan 16 and over, according to two people familiar with the state’s plans. The sources could not confirm a Chicago Tribune report that the expansion will not apply to Chicago. The city receives a separate vaccine allocation from the federal government than the state. […]
The state is also expected to announce details tomorrow on a “bridge phase” between the current Phase 4 and the coming Phase 5. During the bridge phase, more pandemic restrictions will be lifted.
That interim phase will begin when 70 percent of people 65 and older have received at least one vaccine dose. Currently, 59 percent of seniors have received their first dose.
Phase 5 would begin when at least half of Illinois residents 16 and older have received their first dose. Currently, 18 percent of those between 16 and 64 have received theirs.
* Tribune…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday is expected to widely expand eligibility for the coronavirus vaccine starting April 12 to all Illinois residents 16 and older except those in Chicago, sources told the Tribune.
It’s part of a revised reopening plan that also includes slightly increased capacity limits for retail stores, theaters and outdoor venues, among other changes, sources said. […]
Pritzker said Wednesday he’s working with business interests and health professionals in developing an incremental reopening plan for Illinois that is expected to be released this week.
“We’re working with industry leaders, (and) we’re working with our doctors at (the Illinois Department of Public Health) as well as other experts in the state to make sure that the phased reopening is not only healthy for everybody but also good for the economy as we move it forward,” Pritzker said outside Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in downstate Lincoln.
* ABC 7…
The step between Phase 4 and 5 will allow for greater capacity limits for bars and restaurants, social gatherings, museums and zoos, etc., depending on whether they are indoors or outdoors. Bars in particular will be allowed 20% standing capacity, but the six-foot social distancing will still be required. […]
Suburban Cook County is expanding its eligibility starting Monday, March 22, as the county moves to Phase 1B+, which includes people younger than 65 with underlying conditions.
Cook County public health officials said the decision was partly made based on the promise of more vaccine doses on the way.
* Sun-Times…
The bridged reopening Pritzker is planning to announce on Thursday will allow for “a gradual increase in capacity limitations” as the state vaccinates more people and continues to monitor case numbers, one source said.
All of the state’s regions will move into the intermediate phase — there will be additional metrics to meet, involving new case numbers and the state’s positivity rate, to get to Phase 5, which is a full reopening, the source said. The state has been in Phase 4 since last summer. […]
Part of the challenge to lifting restrictions will be handling threats posed by newer, faster spreading coronavirus variants — but the governor suggested that was not an insurmountable hurdle to reopening.
“Let me be clear to everybody,” the governor said at a news conference in downstate Decatur. “I am more optimistic today than I have ever been throughout this pandemic, about where we are going and getting to the end of the pandemic.”
* WTTW…
President Joe Biden set a goal that all American adults be made eligible for the vaccine by May 1.
“We’re looking at following President Biden’s prescription for opening everything up for all comers who want the vaccine, and perhaps even earlier than that if we can do it,” Pritzker said.
Chicago’s public health commissioner, Dr. Allison Arwady, at a separate event on Wednesday, appeared dubious the city will be able to reach that mark
* Related…
* Chicago Walgreens stores aren’t consistently giving COVID-19 vaccines to people with health conditions. Why?
* Can state strike a balance for a more ‘normal’ summer? What officials say
* Navy Pier hotel to open Thursday, as the popular Chicago attraction prepares for crowds to return
* Trump Tower vaccine fiasco ‘absolutely can never be repeated,’ Lightfoot says
* Mass COVID-19 vaccination site in Batavia to open Friday
* ‘I’m ready to see people’: More than 6,000 vaccinated at Schaumburg Convention Center
* Despite reopening talk, Frontier Days organizers stand by cancellation
* Why Rockford’s real estate industry may be the most competitive in its history
22 Comments
|
Open thread
Thursday, Mar 18, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* One of the best follows on Twitter…
Keep it Illinois-centric and be decent to each other. Thanks.
6 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
|
Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
|
   
|
Hosted by MCS
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax
Advertise Here
Mobile Version
Contact Rich Miller
|
