*** UPDATED x1 *** COVID-19 roundup
Monday, Dec 21, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* CNN…
The chief scientific adviser for Operation Warp Speed explained Sunday that an unpredicted “two-day lag period” is the reason why many states have not received the number of vaccines promised.
“We all made the error or mistake of assuming that vaccine that’s actually produced and being released is already available for shipment, when, in fact, there is a two-days lag between the time at which we generate a lot of data that shows this vaccine vial is actually safe and right and the time we can ship it,” Moncef Slaoui told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” when asked about the delay. […]
Slaoui’s comments on Sunday about the two-day lag come a day after Gen. Gustave Perna, the chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, apologized for miscommunicating the number of vaccine shipments to states.
* Tom DeVore was recently interviewed by the Edgar County Watchdogs…
Q: Before we get off to the county cases. When you look at some of the other states across the country that have been into their Supreme Court months ago. What is it with the Illinois judicial system that seems to be so slow compared to other states?
A: You know, I don’t know that the judicial system itself is that slow. I think that the cases that have been filed in the way that they’ve been managed by the, and again I’m a part of that and there’s reasoning for it, they’ve not been pushed that fast. So, you know, again, without talking about my clients’ strategies too much, there’s been reasoning for that. I don’t know again that anybody’s pushed those issues really fast and again I have my reasoning for that and why I haven’t for my clients but. But again, I don’t know that I could put that on our judicial system I just think it’s the nature of the cases that are present in our state right now.
Translation: He’s been trying to keep these cases out of the supreme court’s hands for months.
*** UPDATE *** Effingham radio…
Oral arguments in the matter were to be presented Monday in Springfield, but Bailey’s attorney, Thomas DeVore of Greenville and Assistant Attorney General Thomas Verticchio, representing Pritzker, contacted trial judge Raylene Grischow. The attorneys requested the oral arguments be waived, and asked the Court issue a written opinion based on the Governor’s written submissions.
Judge Grischow agreed to issue a written opinion and email it to DeVore and Verticchio when it is completed.
* There’s been some misinformation spread by elements of the far right about hospital bed availability during the past couple of months. As with most such claims, they lack context. The Tribune’s Joe Mahr and Lisa Schencker crunched the actual numbers…
This year, Illinois hospitals reported they built out roughly 10,000 more beds, up from about 25,000 before the spring surge.
That effort led to some odd statistical moments. Over the summer, Illinois hospitals were reporting they had more beds open than they did a year earlier, at a time when there was no pandemic to drive up demand. At one point, roughly 7,000 more hospital beds were available than the previous year. And yet, hospitals also reported they were busier than the year before, treating roughly 2,500 more patients at that point in time, or a 14% higher patient load, according to a Tribune analysis of state figures.
The number of open beds being reported to the state has since shrunk — in part because of staffing issues. Worried that hospitals might not be able to staff all of the beds they said they had available, state regulators in November tightened the rules on what qualified as an open bed, which erased nearly 2,000 open beds overnight.
Meanwhile, the fall surge was putting more people in the hospital. Now, the number of Illinoisans hospitalized — for any reason — is approaching 25,000 a day, about 6,000 more than last year at this time.
* Speaking of misinformation, former state Rep. Jim Sacia spreads a ton of it in his most recent column, including this…
I’m allowed to attend Mass if there is space available to what? Ten percent of the church capacity.
There are no state crowd limits on religious services.
* Let’s flash back to November 27th…
[St. Clair County] had a seven-day average 12.8% positivity rate on Friday, up from 8.2% on Nov. 1. Before this month, the county had never seen that number reach double digits.
December 3rd…
On Dec. 1, Westmiller reported [St. Clair County] was averaging 113 cases per day and had a 14.5% positivity rate. It was also averaging about 900 tests a day.
December 18…
St. Clair County officials called Friday the “best day” the county has seen since Nov. 6, COVID-19-wise, at a daily briefing Friday.
According to officials, St. Clair County had a daily COVID-19 positive rate of 6.9%, the lowest its been since Nov. 6. No new deaths were announced Friday, and 127 new COVID-19 cases were reported, down from Thursday’s total of 224.
The county’s seven-day rolling average was 10.1%.
St. Clair County has done an amazing job. Mitigations work, public education works. But they’ve successfully lowered their positivity rates before, only to shoot back up again when mitigations were eased.
* But not everyone in the county was spared, of course. A heartbreaking loss…
A longtime educator, community leader and the “Dean of Politics” in East St. Louis has died. He had been fighting the novel coronavirus, according to those who knew him.
Eddie Lee Jackson Sr. served in the Illinois House of Representatives for eight years after retiring from a lengthy career as a science teacher and administrator in East St. Louis School District 189. He sat on the East St. Louis City Council for 20 years and is the father of Emeka Jackson-Hicks, the city’s former mayor.
Jackson, 71, died early Friday morning.
* Small protest outside governor’s mansion…
Keith Loukinen has had perhaps the best view of the Illinois Governor’s Mansion of any restaurateur since opening his fine dining establishment across the street in 2017.
But on Saturday, Loukinen, in his full chef uniform, made the short walk to the front of the mansion to join about 100 bar and restaurant owners, employees and patrons to protest the mitigations put in place by Gov. JB Pritzker and enforced by Sangamon County public health officials. […]
“We’re at a crossroads because keeping them closed is hurting more people than catching a disease,” said Ward 10 Ald. Ralph Hanauer. “I think we’re close. I’m hoping that we’re close. And I think that it would be nice if the governor would come out and do it and take the pressure off these counties and the cities as well.”
In addition to Hanauer, elected officials in attendance included state Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, Reps. Mike Murphy, R-Springfield, and Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, and Ward 1 Ald. Chuck Redpath.
Perhaps Ald. Hanauer and the others could spend Christmas week volunteering at a local hospital’s COVID-19 ward…
In recent months, Aaron Curtis didn’t always wear a mask in public, and he went with his wife to Springfield-area restaurants where people at nearby tables also weren’t wearing masks.
“He didn’t think it would happen to him,” Aaron’s wife, Dia Curtis, told The State Journal-Register.
Aaron, 46, a throat-cancer survivor, now struggles to find the strength to walk to the bathroom in his Waverly home. He’s recovering from damaged lungs caused by a bout with COVID-19.
Aaron’s view of the virus changed after he spent almost three weeks last month in an intensive-care unit at Springfield’s HSHS St. John’s Hospital.
“The moment of reality for me,” he wrote in an email, “was when you are seeing people being wheeled out daily in body bags.”
* Tribune live blog headlines…
Second stimulus bill would give airlines $15 billion more, bring back 32,000 furloughed airline workers
Vatican tells Catholics it’s ‘morally acceptable’ to get COVID-19 vaccines based on research using fetal tissue from abortions
COVID-19 fills winter break with angst and uncertainty for families about 2021 reopening plans
With hospitals short on workers, those remaining feel pushed to the edge by COVID-19
City distributing grab-and-go activity kits for kids, teens at parks, libraries
Some health care workers are getting the vaccine. Others aren’t. Who decides?
Clergy, doctors and activists take on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and access in Black and Latino communities.
First Chicago vaccine recipients report feeling “great” after historic shots.
A federal panel said people over 75, essential workers should be next in line for COVID-19 vaccine as Moderna shots began shipping out.
Here’s when Walgreens and CVS predict you’ll be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine through a drugstore.
* Sun-Times live blog headlines…
Community health centers must decide who to vaccinate first
Illinois surpasses 900,000 COVID-19 cases
Highlights of new COVID relief deal: Congress to vote on $300 jobless benefit, $600 direct payment and more PPP
This month, Illinois has logged nearly 3,000 coronavirus-related deaths, which is more than 19.4% of the state’s pandemic death toll of 15,202.
Countdown to anti-vaccine backlash
* NBC Chicago live blog headlines…
Chicago Hospital Prepares for Arrival of Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine
Illinois Surpasses 900,000 Cases of Coronavirus Since Pandemic Began
Lake County Jail COVID-19 Outbreak Infects 35 Inmates
Vaccinations to Resume at Suburban Hospital After Being Paused Due to Adverse Reactions (they were recovering quickly)
Gen. Perna Apologizes for ‘Miscommunication’ Over Available COVID-19 Vaccine Doses
Central Illinois Charities Facing Tough Obstacles Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Pritzker to End Daily Coronavirus Briefings; Will Hold Updates ‘As Needed’
Illinois’ Top Doc Says ‘We Did Not See the Significant Surge’ After Thanksgiving
Pritzker Says Tier 3 Mitigations to Continue Through Holidays, Despite Decline in Some Metrics
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* People are getting distracted by tangents in the Anjanette Young case, such as why a no-knock warrant was issued in the first place, or how guilty people often insist to the police that they’re innocent, or that the raid was “botched.”
The heart and soul of this story is that Anjanette Young was handcuffed naked by a group of sworn police officers for over 10 minutes, which must have seemed like an eternity. And then the city actually made things worse by fighting tooth and nail to prevent videos of the search from being released to the victim and to the public.
Press release…
The House Democratic Women’s Caucus stands in strong support of Anjanette Young and condemns the horrific and dehumanizing treatment she endured when a no knock warrant was mistakenly served at her home. Every woman can imagine the terror and pain she must have felt that night. Ms. Young deserves justice, accountability and answers – and every human being deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. We are committed to working with all of our colleagues toward that end.
* And as far as bureaucracies go, this should be yet another wakeup call for the CPD, the city’s corporation counsel and the mayor…
“I’m resigning because of the firestorm around the whole tape thing,” [Chicago Corporation Counsel Mark Flessner] told the Tribune in a brief interview. “I’m being accused of trying to hide it, which is not true.” […]
On Sunday, Flessner said he was in his office Monday evening around 5:30 when one of his deputies entered and told him that a lawyer had violated the judge’s protective order in the case. The deputy said “they wanted to go in and make the judge aware that the protective order or the confidentiality order has been violated and I said yes,” Flessner said.
Flessner also said he wasn’t sure whether he reviewed the motion.
In a statement, he said his first involvement in the case was Monday.
Um, when you enforce a protective order on a hugely controversial video, that’s trying to hide it. And how this never got bumped up to Flessner’s desk is beyond me, but it certainly shows how human beings are treated like numbers on a spreadsheet by their own city.
Again, however, the core issue here is the gross indignity endured by Ms. Young…
“You don’t train that in the academy. We hire people who we think know right from wrong, and if they don’t know right from wrong, they don’t need to be police officers,” [Chicago Police Superintendent David] said at the same news conference.
Licensing police officers could help with that. Just sayin…
*** UPDATE *** Twelve…
* Coverage roundup…
Chicago’s top attorney resigns amid botched police raid fallout; Mayor Lightfoot to address resignation
* Mayor’s Office Withdraws Sanctions against Anjanette Young and Her Attorney
* Cuffed, naked and terrorized by the police
* Anjanette Young reminds Black women of their ancestors who stood naked on a slave auction block
* Lightfoot put police accountability, racial equity atop her agenda. Now she’s on an apology tour
* Pastors want answers on Chicago police raid that wrongly targeted woman
* Chicago Woman Terrorized In Botched Raid To Donate GoFundMe Money To Social Justice Efforts - “I want to be able to honor the code of being a social worker, advocating and supporting others, uplifting the community,” Anjanette Young said.
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* Some people have just plum lost their minds…
Yates told me I wasn’t asking the right questions. What I should have been asking was about how the coronavirus vaccine will implant people with the biblical “mark of the beast” from the Book of Revelation and allow them to be taken over by Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates.
* Catholic Conference of Illinois…
Recent days have brought hopeful news to the global fight against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by federal regulators, shipped across the country and used to inoculate front-line health care workers. Authorization of another vaccine appears imminent.
As a faith community concerned about the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, we realize that many may be questioning the moral permissibility of these vaccines. We, the Catholic bishops of Illinois, join entirely the document released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Moral Considerations Regarding the New COVID-19 Vaccines.” The document offers a detailed analysis of the origin of current vaccines and concludes that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are morally acceptable. We urge all Catholics to read this document.
We thank the dedicated health care workers who have tended to and comforted those afflicted by the coronavirus, as well as their families. We express our gratitude to the resourceful scientists who have produced vaccines in record time and offer encouragement to those pursuing additional remedies. And we pray for all affected by this global health crisis, be it from the death of a loved one, illness from the virus, financial hardship or isolation from families and friends.
* Press release…
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded a total of $9.709 million in federal funding to Illinois to provide critical COVID-19 public health infrastructure support, such as data monitoring capabilities, for vaccination distribution and administration. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will receive $6,691,329 for vaccine distribution, laboratory support, and other activities, and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) will receive $3,017,831 for these coronavirus response efforts.
* ABC 7…
Healthcare workers who treated the first COVID-19 cases in Illinois back in January at St. Alexius Hospital in Hoffman Estates are now getting inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine Friday.
“Today, I feel hopeful, because you know we’re able to get the vaccine now,” said Registered Nurse Claire Antemann.
The hospital made headlines almost a year ago when the second known COVID-19 case in the country walked through the doors and soon after, her spouse became the first person-to-person transmission of the virus in the U.S.
Friday, some of the frontline workers, physicians, nurses and more that helped care for that exact couple, is getting care themselves with a shot in the arm.
* C’mon, man…
Pfizer is pushing back on the Trump administration’s suggestion that the company is having trouble producing its COVID-19 vaccine, saying it’s ready to ship millions more doses – once the government asks for them. As the company spoke out, several states said their vaccine allocations for next week have been sharply reduced.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine:
“The Attending Physician of the Capitol notified all Members of Congress and staff that, consistent with Presidential Policy Directive, Congress and the Supreme Court – along with Executive Branch agencies – would be provided and encouraged administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to meet the requirements for continuity of government operations. Therefore, I received my first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination today. I trust our public health and medical experts and encourage everyone, in consultation with your personal physician, to do the same as the distribution process continues so we can collectively end this pandemic.”
* More…
* Kids Count COVID-19 Analysis Points To Illinois’ Racial Inequties
* State Labor Board Rejects CTU Request To Delay School Reopening
* Sangamon Co. judge dismisses restraining order sought by cannabis license winners - Decision will allow state to move forward with revamped licensing process
* Warehouse And Factory Workers Make Their Case For Priority Access To The COVID-19 Vaccine
* EEOC guidance: Yes, employers can require the COVID-19 vaccine
* Lake County hospitals administer first coronavirus vaccinations: ‘I feel like I’ve just exhaled, and I’ve been holding my breath for 9 months’
* Trypanophobia is real
* The Case for Vaccinating Prisoners: For example, a study of the Cook County Jail in Chicago early in the pandemic found that inmates going in and out of the facility accounting for 55 percent of the variance in case rates across zip codes in Chicago and 37 percent in Illinois. Neighborhoods where prisoners were being released, in other words, had higher rates of infection.
* FDA Expected To Authorize Moderna Vaccine For Emergency Use
* Uber to offer 10 million free or discounted rides to people getting COVID-19 shots
* ‘Feel Like I’ve Aged 20 Years’: COVID Long Haulers Continue To Experience Symptoms Months Later
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* Sorry, Tribune editorial board. Not happening…
*** UPDATE *** Politico this morning…
The real power move happened earlier this week on the Democratic side of the House. Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch won the majority of votes among Black caucus members to join the House leadership team.
That puts him in a powerful position if things really go south for Madigan. Welch, like 21 of 22 members of the Black Caucus, remains loyal to Madigan and wouldn’t likely run for speaker unless he is out of the race. But if Madigan does make an exit, the calculation changes.
For now, all eyes remain on Madigan and his ninja-like powers to outmaneuver opponents. Madigan doesn’t have 60 votes but he knows no one else does either. There’s widespread speculation that he will broker a deal with some of his 19 Democrats critics, agreeing to step down in two years. He could then direct the remap and exit on his own terms (depending on how much the ComEd scandal continues to spiral). Such a scenario would allow the reformers to say they helped bring down his reign.
Then there will be a new battle for the speakership, with Welch, House Majority Leader Greg Harris, and Reps. Stephanie Kifowit, Jay Hoffman, Jehan Gordon-Booth and Kelly Cassidy lining up for a shot at the gavel.
That rumor about two more years for Madigan has been circulating for more than a month. But she’s not wrong about Welch.
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* From the Tribune’s LaSalle Veterans’ Home hearing coverage…
Rep. Jeff Keicher, a Republican from Sycamore, called for agency officials to accept more responsibility for the deadly outbreak, setting off a testy exchange with Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Linda Chapa LaVia.
“I haven’t heard why it took two weeks, in the midst of an explosion of this virus in the surrounding community, to screw down on these protocols tighter, to make sure that these obvious issues in hindsight were taken care of,” Keicher said.
“What I’m curious about is, when is someone going to own this?” he asked. “We all feel bad, we all are devastated at the loss of these 33 individuals, but I keep hearing dodges, I keep hearing explanations. I don’t hear ownership.”
Chapa LaVia said she is ultimately responsible for the department, and referenced the ongoing investigation. “If there’s another idea, please bring it forward right now. These are the resources and tools I have to investigate my own department and to see what went wrong,” she said.
We hear this a lot from this administration: If legislators have ideas, they should offer them. But legislators legislate and oversee implementation. The executive branch executes. That branch is responsible for making sure things get done. And things obviously weren’t done properly at the LaSalle home or a quarter of the residents wouldn’t have died.
* This absolutely has to change. No way are local health departments up to this task…
In response to questions about the immediate response from state and local agencies to the outbreak, Hart said the LaSalle County Health Department is the first line of defense.
“(Local department of public health officials) are the people who actually notify IDPH of the outbreak and send updates to IDPH, and I cannot speak for the local health department. But I am aware that they provided extensive guidance to the La Salle Veterans’ Home in the very early days of the outbreak on a number of topics, including how to manage the cohorting of the residents, how to handle the PPE, etc. So there was an active intervention by the local health department in that very early phase,” Hart said.
Hart said an IDPH team visited the home on Dec. 14 to review the infection control practices put in place since the onsite visits.
That health department can’t even convince local elected officials to enforce the mitigations, a topic we’ll get to in a bit.
* As we saw with the Quincy debacle, an accurate, complete timeline is vital…
But the committee wants a specific timeline of events, like when did state health officials do an on-site visit at the LaSalle home? Who requested it and when? How long did it take? How about federal VA officials?
* I asked the governor yesterday why IDPH didn’t send anyone to the hearing. They did send a consultant, but…
A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Public Health said department officials sent consultant Dr. Avery Hart, but he couldn’t answer all the questions posed by committee members.
“I wasn’t in the mix at that point so I don’t think I would comment,” Hart said. “I know there’s an independent investigation by the inspector general to clarify the timeline.”
Hart had to leave the nearly four-hour meeting early.
Unacceptable. IDPH needs to come clean with the General Assembly about its role.
* And while other states are having these very same problems, that doesn’t excuse Illinois one bit…
At the 150-bed Bill Nichols State Veterans Home, one of Alabama’s largest individual hot spots, 96 residents have tested positive for coronavirus and 46 deaths have been attributed to Covid-19.
In New York, a government-run veterans home had the third deadliest reported outbreak in the state, with 72 confirmed and probable Covid deaths. Massachusetts’ Holyoke Soldiers’ Home was linked to more deaths—at least 76—than any other facility in the state as of late October, leading to criminal charges against two former managers, who both pleaded not guilty.
In New Jersey, the top two nursing homes for Covid deaths were both state-run veterans facilities, including the Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home, which a Wall Street Journal investigation found is perhaps the deadliest home in the country, with 101 Covid-linked deaths.
* And let’s hope that IDVA has learned its lesson before this current Quincy problem gets even worse…
December 16, 2020
To residents, families or responsible parties, and staff of the Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy:
Since our last COVID-19 update there have been five (5) additional cases of COVID-19 among residents at our home, for a total of seventy-five (75) COVID-19 cases among residents since the start of the pandemic. To date, thirty-eight (38) residents have recovered from COVID-19. Unfortunately, One (1) resident who tested positive for COVID-19 has passed away since our last update, with four (4) residents total having passed away due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
Additionally, since our last COVID-19 update there have been four (4) additional cases of COVID-19 among employees at our home, for a total of one hundred thirty-one (131) COVID-19 cases among employees since the start of the pandemic. To date, one-hundred and nine (109) employees have recovered from COVID-19.
*** UPDATE *** I asked Gov. Pritzker today if he still has confidence in IDVA Director Linda Chapa LaVia…
I want to know everything that occurred here and that’s why the investigation that is ongoing is going to be extraordinarily informative and, again, I’m going to hold accountable people who deserve to be.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Read past the scary headline
Thursday, Dec 17, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This Tribune headline got a lot of attention, but the practice is actually national protocol [click here] when there’s a severe staffing shortage due to a COVID-19 outbreak and the infected employees are either working with already-infected residents or are confined to areas where they can’t spread the virus to others. If you read past the scary headline, you’ll see that both happened at LaSalle…
State VA official acknowledges employees with coronavirus allowed to work at LaSalle home where 33 veterans died
* Scroll down…
Staff members at LaSalle were not required to work after testing positive for the virus, but some chose to do so, Tony Kolbeck, chief of staff for the state VA department, said after being asked by legislators at a state House committee hearing whether employees were pressured to stay on the job.
“There were occasions in the overnight shift in which an individual was alerted that they were positive, they were in the COVID unit already,” Kolbeck said during the nearly four-hour House Veterans’ Affairs committee meeting. “They were asymptomatic and they chose to stay the rest of the shift. If they had not, there may have been a concern about not the proper staff being there in that overnight shift.” […]
For one staff member, Kolbeck said, “we were talking 2 o’clock in the morning, 3 o’clock in the morning, and they had exhausted all other avenues when she agreed to stay.”
He also detailed an instance when a maintenance worker came in “at the tail end” of a 14-day quarantine after testing positive to operate HVAC systems because other employees who operate those systems were out. He said the employee came into the work area through a separate entrance, had his own bathroom and did not leave the work area. [Emphasis added.]
This is the first of at least three posts I’m working on about LaSalle today.
*** UPDATE *** This is also old news. From Hannah Meisel’s December 4th report for NPR Illinois…
During that hearing, officials said five staff members who tested positive for COVID-19 volunteered to return to work despite their diagnosis. Centers for Disease Control guidelines do allow for healthcare personnel to return to work after testing positive for the virus to avoid staffing shortages, so long as they are fully donned with PPE and return to care for only patients who are already infected with the virus.
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* Press release…
Residents struggling to stay healthy and pay their bills amidst the pandemic and worst recession in our lifetimes joined Illinois legislators for a press conference. Together, they urged Gov. Pritzker and the legislature to close corporate tax loopholes to preserve education, healthcare and other essential community services. Watch (and rebroadcast) the press conference on Facebook: https://fb.watch/2reqkK1lRS/
Jose Serna, a college student and grocery store worker from Bloomington, talked about lost wages and mounting medical bills. Serna’s mother works as a travelling nurse and does not get paid when she is unable to work due to COVID exposure. They are two months behind on rent and just learned his mother’s car will be repossessed.
“I had to come home early from college because of an undiagnosed illness. I have insurance, but already the bills are piling up from my multiple ER visits and four-day hospital stay,” said Serna. “I have a job at the local grocery store, but I haven’t been able to work because of my mom’s exposure to covid and my illness. We are past our breaking point in terms being financially afloat.”
Tina Hammond is a child care provider from West Englewood and a member of SEIU Healthcare Illinois. “The child care industry was in crisis before the pandemic. Parents couldn’t find affordable child care, and providers - mostly Black and Brown women - were not being paid our worth, with many of us making way below the minimum wage”, said Hammond. “It took a pandemic for many to recognize how important our work is to our communities – and our economy – but even still, the recognition as ESSENTIAL did not mean much. During this time, many providers had to shut their doors, some permanently. Some had to let go of staff or spend more on PPE and cleaning supplies to keep our doors open.”
“We can’t ask working and middle class people to accept cuts to essential community services and government responsibilities in the midst of a pandemic and the biggest recession of our lifetimes,” said State Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-4), Secretary, House Progressive Caucus. “Millions of our residents are at the breaking point, so I will not talk about cuts or regressive taxes when we still have an opportunity to pass progressive revenue.”
“My children attend one of the most underfunded school districts in the state, and we cannot make any more cuts to education without causing great harm,” said State Senator Andy Manar (IL-48) from Bunker Hill Illinois.
“We have to address our state’s finances in a way that’s fair to everyone,” said Rep. Dan Didech (IL-59) from Buffalo Grove. “That means reforming our state tax code so we aren’t giving preferential treatment to wealthy corporations. They don’t need our assistance to be successful, and that have become even wealthier during this pandemic.”
“The state has already instituted cuts in 2011, 2017, and at other times over the past decade,” said Sen. Ram Villivalam (IL-8) from Chicago’s northwest side and suburbs. “The meat has been cut. We are talking about cutting the bone now and that is unacceptable.”
“People in Illinois are in extreme pain,” said State Sen. Robert Peters (IL-13),Chair, Senate Black Caucus, whose district stretches from Chicago’s loop to the Indiana border. “While so many people struggle, 651 billionaires saw their combined wealth jump over a trillion dollars during this pandemic. They are so rich that they could give every American $3,000 and still have more money than they had at the start of the pandemic. It’s time for those that have made money hand over fist to pay their fair share.”
The following legislators joined to urge their colleagues to support the closure of corporate loopholes:
State Rep. Will Guzzardi (IL-39), Co-Chair, House Progressive Caucus
State Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-4), Secretary, House Progressive Caucus
State Sen. Andy Manar (IL-48)
State Rep. Dan Didech (IL-59)
State Sen. Robert Peters (IL-13), Chair, Senate Black Caucus
State Sen. Ram Villivalam (IL-8)
Rep. Lakesia Collins (IL-9)
Rep. Elect. Dagmara Avelar (IL-85)
The press release did not include a list of their specific proposals.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability calls cuts inevitable without federal assistance…
On Tuesday, Governor Pritzker announced $711 million in General Fund spending cuts to address a portion of what is now estimated to be a $3.9 billion budget deficit for FY 2021, which is the state’s current fiscal year. And while some $300 million of those cuts constitute reductions in spending on general government services, a significant portion of the cuts-over $200 million or 28 percent-will result in reduced expenditures on human services, while another $71 million impact public safety.
If a substantial relief package for state and local governments isn’t passed by the federal government during the first few months of the Biden Administration, you can expect more General Fund spending cuts to be implemented before the current fiscal year ends this coming June 30th. Make no mistake, these spending cuts harm people and communities across Illinois, given that over $9 out of every $10 dollars of General Fund spending on services goes to the four core areas of education, healthcare, human services, and public safety.
The Pritzker Administration was put in the unenviable position of being forced to cut spending on human services during a pandemic, because the state’s fiscal condition continues to deteriorate. This deterioration has had three primary drivers. First is the short-term revenue loss which Illinois, like all 50 states, is experiencing because of the decline in economic activity caused by the pandemic. As things stand today, Illinois’ revenue loss from the pandemic could exceed $6 billion over the course of Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022. Second is the estimated $1.2 billion revenue shortfall for the current fiscal year caused by the failure of voters to ratify the Fair Tax initiative during the November election. But third, and ultimately of more long-term importance, is the structural deficit caused by the state’s flawed tax policy, which fails to generate adequate revenue growth from year-to-year, because it simply is not designed to work in the modern economy.
Illinois’ tax policy is so flawed that, even if there never was a pandemic, total General Fund revenue this fiscal year would have been less than it was two decades ago in FY 2000, after adjusting for inflation-and Illinois would have had a General Fund deficit of almost $8.4 billion by the end of FY 2021. For context, this means the state would not have had enough revenue to cover roughly 30 percent of all current spending initially appropriated to cover education, healthcare, human services and public safety this year - if COVID-19 never happened. After factoring in the impact of COVID-19, as well as the failure of the Fair Tax, that year-end deficit is now projected to reach $13.6 billion, or almost 50 percent of all current General Fund appropriations for services.
In case you are wondering, overspending on public services is definitively not driving Illinois’ fiscal problems. In fact, after accounting for the $711 million in cuts just announced by the Pritzker Administration, General Fund spending on services this year in real, inflation adjusted terms, will be at least 22% - or $7.97 billion - less than it was in the year 2000 under Republican Governor Ryan.
Given how all the data show Illinois’ core fiscal problems have been driven by flawed tax policy, Governor Pritzker was justified in castigating those elected officials and wealthy individuals who opposed the Fair Tax, which would have helped modernize Illinois tax system and addressed some of its key flaws. Perhaps most galling, the anti-Fair Taxers not only opposed a rational approach to reforming state policy in a manner that would generate revenue needed to fund core services while correlating tax burden with ability to pay, but have as of yet failed to make any viable proposal for how to fund the core services covered by the General Fund, or failing that, which specific education, healthcare human service or public safety expenditures should be cut.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Illinois Chamber…
“In the wake of last week’s devastating unemployment claims it is unfathomable that we still have legislators who don’t understand that we are in an economic crisis,” said Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch.
“These legislators have conveniently not detailed which job providers they intend to raise taxes on. They need to have courage in their convictions and tell us what businesses they want to tax. For example, do they want to get rid of the research and development tax credits that help support life-saving medicines and vaccines? Or, will they eliminate many of the agriculture credits that help keep family farms afloat? Are they targeting incentives that help Illinois compete for good paying manufacturing jobs?
“According Opportunity Insights data, as of November 30, the number of small businesses open in Illinois has decreased by a third since January. Are we going to wait until they all close forever to recognize that state government needs to help job providers instead of punishing them with higher taxes? ”
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* Illinois Hospital Association…
Illinois hospitals are working around the clock in concert with Governor Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the entire state pandemic response team and local health departments with the shared goal of ensuring COVID-19 vaccines are appropriately administered in a timely manner.
That process is on track.
Hospitals and healthcare workers have been on the front lines of this pandemic for 10 months and are doing their part to execute on the vaccination plan. Critical to this effort is ensuring our hospitals have the necessary lead time to prepare for the vaccination of hospital staff within the 5-day timeframe before vaccine spoils. The 48-hour window of preparation is needed to ensure we can get vaccines into arms as quickly as possible and make sure no vaccine is wasted.
Reiterating my message from the Governor’s press conference on Monday, “We are urging calm and patience as the vaccination process plays out. Vaccination of the people of Illinois is going to require a thoughtful process that takes months, not days, and we’re committed to doing this right. The stakes are too high to rush through it.”
The extensive and logistically challenging vaccination process is rolling out now, as scheduled, and thousands of vaccines will be administered before the end of the week, as planned.
We are turning the tables on this virus, together.
* Help is on the way…
* The feds need to be more upfront about stuff, though…
Pharmacists have found a way to squeeze extra doses out of vials of Pfizer’s vaccine, potentially expanding the nation’s scarce supply by up to 40 percent.
The Food and Drug Administration said late Wednesday that those extra doses could be used, clearing up confusion that had caused some pharmacists to throw away leftover vaccine for fear of violating the rules the agency set last week.
And that’ll help mitigate the fact that dose shipments were cut in half this week.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Like I said, patience will be a virtue. The feds haven’t even sent the vaccine to Cook, Lake, Madison and St. Clair counties. From Jordan Abudayyeh
Vaccine distribution from the Illinois Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to Regional Hospital Coordinating Centers (RHCCs) that are a part of the state’s distribution plan received their allotted doses and local health departments have delivered them to hospitals in their region per the local health department’s vaccination plan.
**DuPage County, unlike other jurisdictions in the state, received Ultra-Cold Vaccine in the original Pfizer boxes with dry ice. DuPage County will not be distributing all of this vaccine today, but will be allocating the vaccine per their plan with their providers over the course of the coming days.
It is important to remember that four counties are receiving direct shipments of vaccine from the federal government: Cook, Lake, Madison and St. Clair. That shipment is expected to arrive before the end of the week.
* Also…
For those of you who have asked about the 7 counties that were allotted doses, but did not have hospitals within the county. Here is the breakdown of where those doses went:
Cass LHD (Original Allocation 70 doses) – Returned for distribution to the RHCCs.
Clark LHD (Original allocation 80 doses) – Returned for distribution to the RHCCs.
Cumberland LHD (Original Allocation 40 doses) – Returned for distribution to the RHCCs.
Jasper LHD – (Original Allocation 20 doses) – Directed the doses to Effingham Hospital (St. Anthony’s.) As this is the hospital that serves their population.
Monroe LHD (Original Allocation 85 doses) – Returned for distribution to the RHCCs.
Carroll LHD (Original Allocation 65 doses) – Directed the doses to Freeport hospitals in Stephenson County. As this is the hospital that serves their population.
Stark LHD (Original Allocation 15 doses) – Returned for distribution to the RHCCs.
In addition to the above, IDPH worked to ensure that RHCCs who were not in the top 50 counties for death per capita received an allotment of doses
St. John’s in Springfield received 705 doses. SIU Carbondale received 115, Carle Hospital got 460 and OSF St Francis received 975.
*** UPDATE 2 *** I’d be more willing to be more patient if the federal government wasn’t so amazingly messed up…
Officials in multiple states said they were alerted late Wednesday that their second shipments of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine next week had been reduced, sparking widespread confusion and spurring the company’s CEO to put out a statement saying it had millions more doses than were being distributed.
The changes prompted concern in health departments across the country about whether Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s vaccine accelerator, was capable of distributing doses quickly enough to meet the target of delivering first shots to 20 million people by year’s end. A senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans, said the revised estimates for next week were the result of states requesting an expedited timeline for locking in future shipments — from Friday to Tuesday — leaving less time for federal authorities to inspect and clear available supply.
But Pfizer released a statement on Thursday that seemed at odds with that explanation, saying the company faced no production issues and had more doses available than were being distributed.
“We have millions more doses sitting in our warehouse but, as of now, we have not received any shipment instructions for additional doses,” the statement read.
* Related…
* Pharmacist explains Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine side effects: “A lot of the other medications that we use that get approved… when they have studies, they have studies of 8,000 people, 6,000 people, and they get approved for their use. This study, in Pfizer alone, had 44,000 people, so the amount of data we have on the safety aspect is more than typical for the standard medication that would be perscribed by your doctor,” explained Laird.
* Twitter To Remove Or Place Warning Labels On COVID Vaccine Conspiracy Tweets
* A Real Shot: Doctor is first in Southern Illinois to receive COVID-19 vaccine
* First COVID-19 vaccines in Springfield given to workers at HSHS St. John’s Hospital: HSHS St. John’s Hospital intensive-care unit nurse SallyAnn Tamizuddin felt a wave of relief Wednesday after she and a St. John’s ICU doctor became the first two people in Sangamon County to receive COVID-19 vaccines.
* COVID vaccine: 1st shot in Will County, Illinois given to Joliet nurse
* Frontline healthcare workers receive first COVID-19 vaccinations in the Illinois Quad Cities
* FDA Panel Weighs Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine
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* Considering his background, it seems unlikely that Congressman Davis has ever been in the unemployment system, so this IDES reply to Davis is undoubtedly true…
This is indeed a national problem. Just click here for a sampling of news stories to see for yourself. California is worried that it’s been defrauded out of more than $8 billion.
* But it does seem particularly acute in Illinois as well…
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Central Illinois is working to track business scams and instances of fraud. Jessica Tharp, president, and CEO said they get roughly 15 calls daily regarding unemployment insurance scams throughout the 37 counties the BBB covers.
“Unemployment fraud has really taken a front seat in terms of scams being reported,” Tharp said. “It’s taken a twist where people are receiving benefits for jobs that they still have even or jobs that they don’t have. So, we’re seeing all kinds of things being reported and it comes down to many things, like identity theft.”
In just one day, the Peoria Police Department got 14 reports of identity theft, all involving fraudulent unemployment insurance claims. In almost every case, the victim received a letter, approving them for unemployment insurance benefits, from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The victims reported they had not filed for unemployment insurance.
“People don’t realize their information is compromised,” Tharp said.
* But then IDES poked the bear and Davis got all defensive…
He could try to help the state’s economy, but has argued instead for austerity. Also, the virus has shut things down, and Davis has not exactly been a leader on that front.
* Meanwhile…
State Rep. Mike Marron’s decision to stand in front of state of Illinois offices to draw attention to the problems caused by the Illinois Department of Employment Security has apparently at least opened the lines of communication.
Marron, R-Fithian, said around noon Tuesday he got a call from IDES Director Kristin Richards to schedule a meeting next week to discuss a problem where self-employed workers, gig workers and independent contractors are being notified by the state that they have gotten too much unemployment aid and would have to repay it.
Marron said he and other Republican legislators had become frustrated by IDES and the governor’s office not responding to calls asking for an explanation. […]
He has been receiving numerous calls from individuals saying they had been notified they have to return money given to them by IDES.
“A hairdresser in Oakwood shouldn’t have to take out a personal loan to pay back the state,” Marron said.
As we’ve discussed before, the state is required by the federal government to collect over-payments. Maybe Rep. Marron should also call Congressman Davis to make sure folks who didn’t commit deliberate fraud are spared this problem.
As I’ve said time and again, the federal government needs to act and IDES needs to get its act together.
The state has accurately said, for instance, that federal regulations forbid it from just hiring people off the street and put them to work answering IDES phones without extensive training and certifictation. Perhaps the state could ask for a federal waiver on some of those training mandates instead of just throwing up its hands. And perhaps Congressman Davis could help make that happen instead of getting all defensive on the Twitter.
*** UPDATE *** The governor was asked about the exchange today…
The congressman has been sniping without helping. The congressman goes to Washington DC and says to everybody that he’s helping, then goes and votes against the things that would be of assistance to us.
Remember that the federal government set up the programs. The federal government is responsible for making the changes that are necessary to these programs. And I’ve not heard a peep from him about what he’s going to do to help.
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