Good news and not so good news
Monday, May 3, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Marni Pyke…
Illinois could ease more COVID-19 restrictions as soon as next week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday if health metrics continue in a positive direction.
That would mean the state shifts to a “Bridge Phase,” that increases capacity at festivals, social events, concert and other activities.
“It looks to me like we’re on a decent trajectory. I can’t say exactly what day that is,” Pritkzer said. “It looks to me, if you look at all the hospitalization admissions data, we’re in decent shape and moving exactly as I would hope toward the Bridge Phase.”
After a decline in COVID-19 infections in February through mid-March, cases and hospitalizations started to climb bringing fears of a significant surge although metrics have been inching back down.
* Peter Hancock…
The Illinois economy shrank by 4% in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on many of its sectors, although there were signs of a recovery taking place late in the year.
Those preliminary numbers, released last week by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, showed that the leisure, hospitality and food service sector was the hardest hit by the pandemic, reporting a nearly 30% drop in economic output for the year. […]
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, real gross domestic product decreased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2020. Utah, with a 0.1% shrinkage rate, fared the best, while Hawaii’s state economy shrank 8%. The average shrinkage rate for the U.S. as a whole was 3.5%. […]
When the numbers are broken out on a quarterly basis, however, the biggest drop in economic output occurred during the 2nd quarter, April-June, when Illinois was under the most severe economic restrictions. The economy began to pick up in the 3rd quarter, and by the 4th quarter was growing at an annualized rate of 3.5%.
- JB13 - Monday, May 3, 21 @ 5:16 pm:
– the biggest drop in economic output occurred during the 2nd quarter, April-June, when Illinois was under the most severe economic restrictions –
They clearly forgot to add: “because of the virus. Only because of the virus. The restrictions didn’t actually matter at all.
Only. Virus.”
- Because… - Monday, May 3, 21 @ 5:55 pm:
— That would mean the state shifts to a “Bridge Phase,” that increases capacity at festivals, social events, concert and other activities…
2 words: STATE. FAIR.
- Cool Papa Bell - Monday, May 3, 21 @ 7:34 pm:
He addressed the fair today and with it being in August that’s a long way out to project.
But with New York and the rest of the region set to crack open. It’s gonna be hard to keep a lid on anything here moving forward.
- Southern Dude - Monday, May 3, 21 @ 7:46 pm:
Other than school events, everything has been back to normal where I live since March. Some people still wear masks, some don’t. People aren’t waiting for the Governors permission to resume life.
- EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 4:41 am:
==He addressed the fair today and with it being in August that’s a long way out to project.
But with New York and the rest of the region set to crack open. It’s gonna be hard to keep a lid on anything here moving forward.==
I agree, once we enter the Bridge phase I think it will be a repeat of last summer, more cases. Despite further along in vaccinations but I think that’s starting to ebb. Maybe something with 250-500 people spaced out, but I can’t see how it would be safe to have large-scale events like the State Fairs again this year.
I do know that I don’t want to ever attend a large-scale event ever again even long after this pandemic is declared over. No big league ballgames, concerts, street festivals, etc. And especially not the State Fair.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 6:34 am:
===He addressed the fair today and with it being in August that’s a long way out to project===
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/pritzker-looking-forward-to-illinois-state-fairs-this-summer/2501180/
“I am very much looking forward to the Illinois State Fair,” Pritzker said. “We’ve obviously been doing all the planning that’s necessary for it. Barring some highly unusual event that would prevent a large gathering….I think we’re gonna have a lot of fun this summer.”