* IDPH is reporting 5,238 covid hospitalizations as of midnight. That’s down 29 percent from January’s peak of 7,380 set on the 12th. That gives us a seven-day rolling average daily decrease of 3.11 percent, which is significantly improved from Friday’s average daily decrease of 2.04 percent.
ICU usage also continues its decline. The seven-day rolling average daily ICU decrease is 2.74 percent. ICU bed usage is down 23 percent since its peak on the 12th.
* Daily Herald…
The St. Charles Public Library will remain closed for in-person visits following a near altercation between patrons Thursday afternoon as well as phone calls threatening staff and patrons over the library’s mask policy.
“Our number one goal is the safety of our patrons and our employees,” library board President Robert Gephart said during a virtual board meeting Saturday. “Late Thursday afternoon, we narrowly avoided a patron-on-patron altercation. Afterward, the library started receiving phone calls threatening the health and safety of our staff and patrons. Looking at social media amplified our level of concern. At that time, with the cooperation of the St. Charles Police Department, it was determined that it was in the best interest of public safety to close the library.”
* Daily Herald…
The DuPage Children’s Museum’s COVID mitigation policy for children drew scores of protesters to its Naperville address Saturday.
Protesters, including parents with young children, lined the sidewalk in front of the museum at 301 N. Washington St., many holding signs calling for allowing children to “play.” […]
“A significant number of our guests are under age 5 and not yet eligible to be vaccinated. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends that the best way to protect these young children is to ensure all eligible people around them are vaccinated.” [the museum’s statement read]
The museum anticipates ending the policy when hospitalizations and infections dip below Illinois threshold metrics.
* Tribune…
More than 250 demonstrators sent a message Sunday in Port Clinton Square in downtown Highland Park saying people should be free to choose whether to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or wear masks as a preventive measure. […]
People opposed to the Highland Park mandate were carrying signs saying “My body, my choice,” and “Passports for travel and not for tacos.” Another sign compared Dr. Anthony Fauci to Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz concentration camp doctor.
Rachael Wachstein of Highland Park, who helped organize the counterprotest, said Illinois Against Tyranny has presented ideas at rallies in Arlington Heights and other suburbs comparing mask and vaccination mandates to policies in Nazi Germany.
“When you do that you trivialize the Holocaust and the millions who were murdered,” Wachstein said. “Believing that is disrespecting the 6 million who were killed and that is a form of antisemitism.”
* Crazies gonna crazy, but that Holocaust comparison is so awful and disgusting…
*** UPDATE *** Statement from Chris Kennedy on his brother’s statements about the Holocaust…
The use of this analogy diminishes the horror of the Nazi regime, the Holocaust of the Jews, and the loss of more than 400,000 American men and women who served our country, millions of allied troops, and two of our own uncles.
America fought a justifiable war against the Nazis. To make a comparison between the Nazis and our government is to suggest that there is a justifiable war against the government of the United States, and there is no place for such a call to political violence in our democracy.
Nazis perfected the use of fake science and real lies to commit atrocities — those same elements that are being used to stop people from getting vaccinated. It was wrong then, and it is wrong now.
I love my brother but could not disagree with him more. He is wrong about vaccines and even more wrong to make such an analogy. I hope he withdraws it.
* More…
* 2 years ago, Illinois’ first COVID-19 case was diagnosed. 2.8 million (and counting) followed.
* CPS says change in COVID case reporting wasn’t intended to mislead public
* CPS’ top education, health officials leaving as CEO announces major shakeup in leadership team
* A Very Simple Way to Get America Boosted: Nudging people toward third shots with financial incentives may be one of the lowest-hanging fruits in pandemic policy making.
* Walgreens Preparing for First Stores to Offer Free N95 Masks Friday
- wowie - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 12:57 pm:
Just a reminder that in 2017 RFK Jr was appointed by Trump to be chair of a panel on vaccine safety and scientific integrity.
Can’t make this stuff up.
- Peanut Gallery - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 1:02 pm:
sadly I’ve seen multiple comparisons to mask wearing to the Holocaust on Facebook. There are no words.
- TheInvisibleMan - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 1:02 pm:
The library and museum situation were both caused by the same group, and are behind a significant number of the 145 lawsuits against school district mask policies.
People need to start paying attention now, as it’s a near certainty this group will be putting someone up for a school board seat in YOUR district in the next election.
They will be trying for library board seats too, because this is also the same group getting upset about what books are in libraries.
- TiredOfIt - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 1:05 pm:
If Irvin wins primary does Covid go away come July?
- Donnie Elgin - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 1:06 pm:
I’m a big supporter of libraries. Sending good wishes to the St. Charles Library staff, they are simply following the indoor mask mandate and don’t deserve this treatment. Hat tip to all libraries that have been dealing with difficult decisions on how to offer services like in-person programs, storytimes, voter registration, notary service, faxing, and the like and how to do it safely.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 1:15 pm:
===If Irvin wins primary does Covid go away come July?===
There’s an “in-law uncle” Facebook group for these questions.
The reason some governors, all governors actually, are facing blowback to any (or none) restrictions is that there’s a disconnect to trust and the idea of what facts, agreed to or otherwise, say to next steps.
Since Friday I’ve had 4 people I know or related to catch Covid, 2 are unvaccinated, and each has a different take to the infection and what it all means. The problem is framing any of it in political parameters
- JS Mill - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 1:21 pm:
=If Irvin wins primary does Covid go away come July?=
Maybe if we stop testing it will./s
Quoting Dr. Fauci- “moron”.
- Club J - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 1:32 pm:
The library and museum situation were both caused by the same group, and are behind a significant number of the 145 lawsuits against school district mask policies.
This group was active all weekend on social media and are big followers of Tom DeVore. They have started @awake_IL a non profit organization collecting some donations to put on organized protests. From reading their social media comments they don’t have one concern about the virus. It’s unmask the children and give them their due process. Whoever gets hurt along the way so be it. They challenge all authority because DeVore has taught them that is the only way to fight tyranny. I feel sorry for the employees at the library and museum.
- Keyrock - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 1:35 pm:
I was disappointed when Kennedy was given gentle, respectful treatment when he testified at a legislative hearing in the state Capitol maybe 7 years ago. It was already very clear his talking points were not grounded in science. People who gave him a platform can now see where it has led.
- Amalia - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 1:50 pm:
these anti vax groups do damage beyond their anti covid advocacy. Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor considers them a form of terrorists.
- Rudy’s teeth - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 1:52 pm:
Do some parents not realize that masks protect teachers and allow students to be in school. When teachers are sick, they’ll stay home. There is a shortage of teachers and substitutes before Covid.
It would be wise to mask up to prevent the spread of variants within schools. When school systems cancel in-person instruction because of insufficient staff, parents might rethink their stance on masking.
- Chicago Blue - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 1:52 pm:
This taking over of school and library boards is funded and pushed by the same ideological “thought” leaders who want to privatize every public service. They’ve just lucked out to find imbecilic cretins motivated by absolute lunacy on Facebook willing to do the heavy lifting for free.
- thechampaignlife - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 1:52 pm:
===A Very Simple Way to Get America Boosted: Nudging people toward third shots with financial incentives may be one of the lowest-hanging fruits in pandemic policy making.===
I have been saying this since last July when the new doses administered number dropped. Mandates-to-participate and cash-for-shots are both trying to accomplish the same thing, but the latter is much more effective with much less resistance.
- Pundent - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 1:59 pm:
=If Irvin wins primary does Covid go away come July?=
Something tells me that Irvin would be just as happy not talking about Covid as Pritzker. That is of course unless he has a deep desire to align or alienate himself with the anti-mask, anti-vax crowd.
- Arsenal - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 2:00 pm:
==If Irvin wins primary does Covid go away come July? ==
Well, it was supposed to go away when Trump lost, but here we are.
==the latter is much more effective==
I had assumed this was true when several states tried it last spring, but the data indicates that it didn’t make much of a difference.
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/vaccine-incentives-best-answer-hesitancy-experts/story?id=78695407
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 2:01 pm:
Great to see hospitalization rates dropping, and think we will have a better handle on things in the near future, with better vaccines (targeting variants) and drugs to prevent serious illness. It’s a real relief to have studies show the booster is solid against Omicron hospitalizations and fatalities.
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 2:09 pm:
Do you think we should tell him that Anne Frank was captured and murdered, or would that just make things worse?
- Rudy’s teeth - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 2:15 pm:
Does no one in Naperville have a basement for their children’s activities? Before children’s museums, we all played in the basement, roller skated, played ball and just made do with what we had in our homes.
- Gruntled University Employee - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 2:18 pm:
I was no fan of our last President but I did always defend him against the Hitler comparisons, there is no place in our political discourse for that. Besides, Hitler had much bigger hands and hated the Russians.
- Roman - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 2:25 pm:
RFK Jr. ended any doubt about whether he’s a shameless grifter a few months ago when he and his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, held a house party and required all guest to be vaccinated. Too bad his family can’t legally strip him of his name.
- New Day - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 2:43 pm:
RFK, Jr. has long been crazy with some extreme views. Good for his brother calling him out.
- thechampaignlife - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 2:48 pm:
===the data indicates that it didn’t make much of a difference===
That article focuses almost exclusively on lotto-based incentives. Those were terrible incentives. People are not motivated nearly as much by a miniscule chance at a windfall as they are cold hard cash in hand. Just like 50% of alcohol is consumed by 10% of drinkers, the number of people that are heavily motivated to play the lotto are far out outnumbered by those who casually play or do not play at all. Give them a $1000 stimulus check as they walk out the door, and I guarantee the apathetic and even many of the deliberate holdouts will show up for payday.
===Anne Frank was captured and murdered===
Spoiler alert. He has not gotten to that chapter yet.
- Langhorne - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 3:11 pm:
W: “Participating stores will have signage indicating mask availability.”
I called my local Walgreens on Saturday, to see if they had N95 masks available. The automated phone message said they were not accepting phone calls to say whether or not they had the masks in stock. I mean, €¥£§[^\€.
- Team America - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 3:11 pm:
===It’s a real relief to have studies show the booster is solid against Omicron hospitalizations and fatalities.=== Maybe. Another way to look at it is that we are now seeing the lagging deaths and hospitalizations caused by Delta, and once those run their course - assuming Omicron is all that’s left - things could start looking really good.
- Shytown - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 3:13 pm:
Wo. RFK Jr. doesn’t deserve the honor of carrying that name.
- here we go - Monday, Jan 24, 22 @ 3:14 pm:
Good for Chris Kennedy to challenge his brother’s crazy COVID views. Chris and his siblings just finished battling Bobby Kennedy Jr on the Sirhan Sirhan parole issue as well.