* If you click here and scroll down, you’ll see that the growth of COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions have started to slow a bit during the past week or so. The governor was asked today if he thought Illinois is nearing the peak of the current surge…
I’ve been asked this the last 48 hours as you can imagine, we all watch the numbers very closely. And when they start to flatten out, that’s always good news. Always good news.
The fact is that I think we’ve all lived through this long enough now to not jump the gun and say, oh, gosh, it’s flattened out, everything is so much better.
We’ve got to really see the curve heading downward. But I’m very hopeful of that.
But I would also encourage you to take a look at hospitalization numbers over the last week. They have been going up, though, a smaller number each day. And when I say hospitalizations, I want to be clear what I’m talking about: new people entering the hospital, because you can have people that have been in the hospital for some time leaving the hospital, that doesn’t tell you very much about where the disease is, how rampant it is. But new hospitalizations just recently started flattening, which is great. And again, I’m very hopeful, and I pray for it every day that we can head back down and fewer mitigations and everybody getting back to a more normal way of life.
But I do want to encourage anybody that’s not been vaccinated, now is the time to do it. This variant is more dangerous than any other that we’ve seen during the COVID 19 pandemic. […]
So, again, I’ll watch numbers like you will, you’ll ask me that question again soon, no doubt. And I hope we’ll be able to say, yeah, things are headed in the right direction.
* I’m not sure this will be a great campaign issue for the ILGOP, but go for it…
* Related…
Republican gubernatorial candidate for Illinois Paul Schimpf joined this week’s 4 The Record. […]
Schimpf is running on something called a “parents bill of rights” when it comes to masks in schools and vaccines for kids.
He also argued recently that the requirement of vaccines for polio and the measles for kids is different from COVID-19 because there isn’t a serious risk for kids.
* I know Chicagoans who would be great and dedicated firefighters and paramedics but are on an ever-lasting waiting list for a job. Just sayin’…
The union that represents Chicago firefighters and paramedics has voiced its opposition to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s vaccine mandate.
“I’m 100 percent opposed to the mandate; it should be a personal decision,” Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 President Jim Tracy told the Sun-Times on Monday.
Last week Lightfoot announced that all city workers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 15.
“It’s the carrot and the stick, and it drives me crazy when you always use the stick,” said Tracy.
* More…
* Coronavirus vaccines work. But this statistical illusion makes people think they don’t.
* Council requires masks in most settings in Carbondale, vaccines for city workers
* Illinois church camp and conference led to 180 COVID-19 cases, likely fueled by the delta variant, CDC report says
* When COVID Deaths Are Dismissed Or Stigmatized, Grief Is Mixed With Shame And Anger
* DuPage County anticipating the need for mass COVID-19 vaccine sites again when booster shots become available
* 20 Chicago Businesses Cited During First Days of City’s Indoor Mask Mandate: Officials
* Arlington Heights school loses state recognition over masks
* Masks, nerves and trying to social distance: How the first day went in Chicago Public Schools
* Vaccine Refusers Don’t Get to Dictate Terms Anymore: People who opt out of shots shouldn’t expect their employers, health insurers, and fellow citizens to accommodate them.
* Steinberg: Americans were scared of polio vaccine too
* Florida withholds funds from two school districts requiring masks — despite court decision against state ban on mandates
- Norseman - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 12:40 pm:
The death cult continues to push its venom. Attacking vaccines and masks may play to their ignorant self-interested base, but it is horrific for the health and well-being of the kids.
- Chambananon - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 12:46 pm:
== “It’s the carrot and the stick, and it drives me crazy when you always use the stick,” said Tracy. ==
I am flummoxed as to how 6+ months of “encouraging” vaccination, up to and including life-changing amounts of money being given out in lotteries to incentivize vaccination, doesn’t qualify as a whole lot of “carrots”. Could it be that this is simply a ridiculous position? /s
- Cheryl44 - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 12:47 pm:
Being seen as in favor of tossing people out into the streets is such a good idea./s
Why not, I don’t know, so something that helps landlords hang on to renters they would like to keep?
- ChuckIL - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 12:48 pm:
Republicans are bound and determined to maintain their minority status in Illinois.
- Back to the Future - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 1:14 pm:
We remain consistently above average in deaths per 100,000 compared to other states.
Our vaccination rate is high, but other states like Wisconsin and Missouri are doing better in deaths per 100,000.
Could be “ fighting like “h••l” for Illinois”
actually meant a lot of more talk than action with particular failures in nursing homes and veteran facilities as examples of Team Pritzker not being focused.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 1:24 pm:
Paul Schimpf: ‘because there isn’t a serious risk for kids.’ And research has shown those kids do not pass Covid to their family members. How many kids in Carlyle are quarantined or positive?
- zatoichi - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 1:25 pm:
Anonymous at 1:24 is me. Sorry.
- Jocko - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 1:25 pm:
==there isn’t a serious risk for kids.==
The family in Buna, Texas (and countless others) might beg to disagree
https://tinyurl.com/52buc77d
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 1:30 pm:
=== “I’m 100 percent opposed to the mandate; it should be a personal decision,” Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 President Jim Tracy told the Sun-Times on Monday.===
No worries.
I’m sure there’s a list of folks willing to be fire fighters.
Maybe been waiting for a long time for an opening.
New blood, always good…. And vaccinated to boot
- Shytown - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 1:35 pm:
Keep it classy IL GOP
- thechampaignlife - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 1:52 pm:
===The IL Supreme Court, stacked with Madigan loyalists, extended the moratorium. We have a once in a generation opportunity in 2022 to take control of the state supreme court with a 4-3 majority so that rulings like this will be no more!===
Is there any indication that a 4R-3D court would have ruled differently? Was the extension approved by a 4-3 vote?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 1:58 pm:
===The IL Supreme Court, stacked with Madigan loyalists, extended the moratorium. We have a once in a generation opportunity in 2022 to take control of the state supreme court with a 4-3 majority so that rulings like this will be no more===
They still thinking that whole Kilbride thingy is still a win?
I’d guess no.
- Homebody - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 2:02 pm:
ILGOP projection as always: if a court rules against something, it must be because they are partisan loyalists. Help us install our own partisan loyalists[banned punctuation]
(reposting without banned punctuation)
- TheAardvark - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 2:03 pm:
Related, for those of you who saw the story about Anna-Jonesboro’s high school requesting to use ~$875,000 to pay for turf for the football field and some form of track resurfacing, ISBE rejected the application. They did not provide a reason why, but The Southern has submitted a FOIA for that information.
It has been sent back to the school to be “reworked” and resubmitted.
- JoanP - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 2:03 pm:
@thechampaignlife -
Not a ruling, a per curiam order amending the Court’s prior order. The order is here: https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/2b4b2bfe-70f7-4623-83ff-88461089bc41/083021-1.pdf
The amended order is actually *less* restrictive regarding eviction proceedings than the earlier order.
- Bruce( no not him) - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 2:23 pm:
== great campaign issue for the ILGOP,==
We will do our best to make sure you can endanger yours and your kids lives all you want.
we stand with your constitutional right to kill anyone you want. S/
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 2:28 pm:
Statewide, being anti-vax and anti-mask won’t be a winning formula…
Deciding “Freedom and ‘Merica” means winning in Illinois is like saying “Rod being a Trumpkin makes Rod more popular”
It’s the same circle of silly.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 2:49 pm:
The ILGOP has put itself in the precarious position of having to convince the majority of voters in this state that they’re right and the science surrounding Covid is wrong. Not exactly a winning formula.
- thechampaignlife - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 3:10 pm:
===Not a ruling, a per curiam order===
Sorry for the mixup. I saw the order, but as per curiam it does not indicate which justices agreed with the order. Is there any way to ascertain that? It could be split along partisan lines, unanimous, or some other way, which would support or refute the ILGOP argument that a 4R-3D court would have ruled any differently.
- JoanP - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 3:19 pm:
= as per curiam it does not indicate which justices agreed with the order. Is there any way to ascertain that? =
Since the order is issued in the name of the court, there really isn’t. But as far as I am aware, there have been no dissenting opinions filed with any of these orders.
I think it’s important to note that the Court’s orders with regard to the moratorium do not address the legality of the Governor’s executive order. They are procedural in nature, directions to the lower courts as to how to proceed in eviction cases.
- LakeCo - Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 3:49 pm:
=== “I’m 100 percent opposed to the mandate; it should be a personal decision,” Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 President Jim Tracy told the Sun-Times on Monday.===
Do you consider it a personal decision whether or not to fight a fire? Well, think of the pandemic the same way: a big public health inferno.