We write today to share new policies for the University of Illinois System and its universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield, all designed to protect the health and welfare of our students, faculty and staff amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The proactive policies are focused squarely on doing our part to help curb the virus. Fortunately, there have been no confirmed cases among our faculty, staff and students. But such cases have been increasing in Illinois and our experts say early intervention is the best option to limit the spread.
Our policies will adopt best practices endorsed by state and national health officials by minimizing face-to-face exposure in classrooms and other types of large gatherings, and by limiting international and domestic travel. They were developed with guidance from the leading-edge healthcare experts across our universities, who have been consulting daily with a leadership team composed of the president, the chancellors and the provosts from all three universities. We will continue to monitor the outbreak and stay in constant contact with the Governor’s Office, the Illinois Department of Public Health, local health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other universities around the state and the nation.
The new policies were carefully crafted to safeguard our students, faculty and staff without compromising the world-class education and the groundbreaking research discovery that are synonymous with the U of I System. They are:
Instruction
Courses at each of our three universities will immediately begin migrating to online or alternative delivery mechanisms to provide the social distancing that helps limit transmission of the virus, with a goal of completion by March 23. Classes will be held at their currently scheduled times.
Online and other alternative learning methods will continue until further notice, but our expectation is that it will be temporary and students will be updated regularly via email and updates on system and university websites.
Students have the option of studying remotely from home or from their campus residence after spring break.
Our campuses will remain open and ready to serve students, including residence and dining halls.
Each university will provide specific guidance for their students regarding both academic and housing arrangements.
Faculty and staff will continue their work on campus, including research, and human resources offices will provide guidance for work conditions that foster safety and for employees who suspect exposure or infection and must self-quarantine.
Events
Events with more than 50 attendees that are university-sponsored or hosted by registered student organizations will be suspended indefinitely, effective Friday, March 13.
Events may occur via livestream or other telecommunications, or be postponed to a future date.
Please check with each university for specific guidance.
Travel
All university-sponsored international travel is prohibited, along with non-essential domestic travel until further notice.
Personal international travel is strongly discouraged, and we urge caution and the exercise of good judgment for personal domestic travel.
Leaders of our three universities will share further information for how these policies will be implemented to address the specific educational and safety needs of their campus communities. UI Hospital and clinics will provide additional protocols to address the unique needs in providing care for their patients.
We recognize the many challenges this will create for our students, faculty and staff. We pledge to do everything in our power to support you during this temporary move to safeguard your health and the health of people in the communities we call home.
Our policies are rooted in our expert scientific knowledge base and exhibit an abundance of caution to take care of each other until the COVID-19 outbreak eases. We are all in this together, and appreciate your support and understanding.
Sincerely,
Tim Killeen, President, University of Illinois System
Barbara J. Wilson, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Illinois System
Robert J. Jones, Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Michael D. Amiridis, Chancellor, University of Illinois at Chicago
Susan J. Koch, Chancellor, University of Illinois at Springfield
Illinois State University is extending its spring break for students until Monday, March 23.
All faculty, staff members, and graduate assistants will resume their normal work schedule the week of March 15. There will be no classes in any format that week to allow faculty, staff members, and graduate assistants involved in instruction to make the adjustment to alternative instruction.
When instructional activities resume March 23, the University will transition from face-to-face teaching to online instruction and/or other instructional modalities through at least April 12. That timeframe may be subject to change depending on evolving circumstances. […]
University-operated housing is currently closed. ISU students should remain at their permanent home residences until further notice, and students now living in residence halls, Cardinal Court Apartments, or University-owned apartments should return to their permanent home residences. Accommodations for those who cannot return home will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Students will be informed regarding procedures for retrieving needed items from their University housing rooms. […]
Throughout this pandemic, Illinois State is attempting to contain or limit any spread by recommending, whenever possible, following the CDC’s social distancing guidelines, which include not being within six feet of someone for longer than 10 minutes.
Effective March 23, events at Illinois State with 50 or more anticipated attendees are postponed through at least April 12. All gatherings should practice social distancing guidelines. More information will be provided regarding the status of specific events.
…Adding… Meanwhile…
BREAKING: CME will close its Chicago trading floor at the end of the day Friday “as a precaution” due to coronavirus. The company will evaluate when to reopen it as “more medical guidance on the coronavirus becomes available.” https://t.co/vpyWbVRRy9
* The governor has been talking about this for a couple days or so, and now here’s the press release…
Today, Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced they are taking additional steps to support workers and families impacted by COVID-19. The administration will file emergency rules this week to clarify that individuals unemployed due to COVID-19 can generally qualify for unemployment benefits to the full extent permitted by federal law.
“The state of Illinois faces unique challenges as we work to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19,” said Gov. Pritzker. “To protect people across the state, it’s imperative that all workers stay home if they’re feeling sick or have come in contact with someone who has COVID-19. In order to overcome the unique challenges we’re facing, we’ve had to come up with innovative solutions and hope the federal government will support this endeavor as we continue to grapple with this public health crisis.”
If an individual is off work through no fault of their own, they can seek unemployment insurance benefits from IDES. The emergency rules, once filed, will provide assistance to individuals who may be restricted in the type of work they can perform due to COVID-19. The administration is also asking Congress to waive interest on any federal loans that Illinois and other state Unemployment Trust Fund accounts might require due to added strain from the outbreak, as well as maintaining the full federal unemployment tax credit for employers in states that may require those loans.
These measures accompany those Governor Pritzker has already taken to help ensure the health and safety of communities across the state, including the declaration of a state of emergency earlier this week that will release State Disaster Relief Fund assistance and ongoing requests for additional COVID-19 testing kits from the federal government.
* Secretary of State Jesse White’s spokesperson Dave Druker just called to say all Statehouse tours have been canceled. This includes the traditional school trips to the state capital. Tour guides won’t be laid off, he said.
Druker said the office has “put a hold on lobbying days, association gatherings, rallies.” He said they’re reaching out to lobbyists to ask them to ask their clients to limit or even eliminate their gatherings.
“We’re not closing the building,” Druker said. “I want to stress that. It’s large groups we want to limit.”
Druker said has office has consulted IDPH and the General Assembly and they’re both “comfortable with this.”
The SoS is also doing a deep-cleaning of the building, by the way.
…Adding… Press release…
The Illinois Secretary of State’s office is taking a number of precautionary measures to limit the possibilities for the exposure of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) at the State Capitol.
Permits for all scheduled tours of the Illinois State Capitol Building and all events scheduled to take place at the Capitol Building have been canceled. In addition, lobbyists who have lobby days or other events at the Capitol Building are being encouraged to alert them to these cancellations.
…Adding… Press release…
After careful consideration due the COVID-19 virus the following events hosted by nursing organizations have been cancelled: Illinois Association of Nurse Anesthetist Lobby Day on March 24th, ANA-ILlinois annual Student Nurse Political Action Day on March 30th, the Illinois Coalition of Nursing Organization’s legislator reception scheduled for the evening of March 30th, and Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing and ANA-Illinois Nurses Lobby Day on April 1st.
…Adding… Press release…
The Illinois Gaming Board meeting at the Bilandic Building in Chicago scheduled for March 12, 2020 at 9AM is postponed. More information regarding rescheduling will be forthcoming.
* Gov. JB Pritzker said today at his now-daily news conference that 6 new novel coronavirus cases have been discovered, bringing the total to 25, although some have recovered.
The governor asked Illinoisans to vote by mail instead of voting in-person.
And Pritzker said the CDC released guidance yesterday recommending against events of 250 or more. He said he urged people to “think critically” before attending any large gathering.
This post will be updated.
…Adding… The new cases include a Lake County resident in his 50s. The other five cases are in Chicago and Cook County. They are all in isolation, either at a hospital or at home.
…Adding… The governor said his office has been talking to sports team owners and has reached out to the various leagues to see what they were doing. He also said this…
We’re considering all options here. I think if you look back at previous epidemics or outbreaks, that’s always been something that’s considered. So we’re taking a very serious look at that. I mean, as you know, the million people that would have gathered for St Patrick’s Day was something that had to be addressed right away. We have the opening days of various teams coming up in the next couple of weeks. And so we want to make sure that we’re not only considering all of the options here, but considering what those opening dates are and how it might affect those teams and leagues and the public, most important to me, of course, is the safety of the people of our state and their health. And so I’m continuing to have these conversations and decisions are being made.
…Adding… He was also asked about the Thompson Center…
We’re also looking at not just the Thompson center, but other state facilities. For the time being, we haven’t issued guidance around that. I do think it’s worthwhile for us all to pay attention to the the guidance by the CDC in the concentrations issue, buildings that have hundreds and even thousands of people in them, aren’t necessarily buildings that need to close. It’s really a question of proximity of people to one another. As you know there’s this rule of six feet and 10 minutes. And so we’re looking at what that would look like for the Thompson center and evaluating that we’ll make some decisions around that and and all the other facilities that we operate.
IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike was also asked about the Thompson Center…
I don’t think the space itself is the problem it’s just they are communal gatherings where there are large numbers of people in the very small space at the same time, that could promote transmission. That’s what we’ll be looking at, people in their cubicles, you know, those are appropriately spaced away that they’re not in direct contact with their employees. … If you had a meeting that assembled, you know, 250 or 300 people. That’s what we’re concerned about not so much people in their, in their offices.
…Adding… Asked if he will support a bill in the hopper to mandate paid leave, the governor said…
Well I am supportive of paid sick leave in general, but I will say that we’re looking right now, because waiting for action by legislature is perhaps waiting too long. And so, when people run out of their sick time. What we’re looking at is emergency rules through JCAR to activate and delve into our unemployment benefits in the state. We’re also seeking from the federal government, the ability to get a waiver from the ‘able and available’ rule in our unemployment insurance. I think they should be doing that for the entire country. But we’re seeking it for the state of Illinois and also asking them to perhaps consider declaring a state of emergency or disaster for the nation around coronavirus which would open up that ability, building on that.
…Adding… Pritzker went off again on the federal government’s response…
I’ve spoken with other governors who are deeply concerned about this. Here’s what’s happening. We’re not getting enough tests. We’re not getting enough test kits, we’re not getting enough RNA extraction kits which is part of the process of doing a test or the reagent there is a nationwide shortage of this reagent. There is one producer of the reagent. Now this is a result of the CDC having made a decision early on to not let the best research, hospitals and institutions around the United States, develop their own tests, they decided, essentially to reject the ability. Early on, they’re now loosening that up because they realize they created a problem. But as a result of the early decision. There was dependence upon this one reagent this one test method. And the result is that we have a limited number of tests now we’re using them appropriately. As you know, we test people when they come in with symptoms, they get tested for flu, and for other things before we resort to if they test negative on these other items, but still have the respiratory challenges and the fever. Then we’ll go to testing them for COVID-19.
But, the fact that we only have a few of these and need more is indicative of a behavior on the federal government level that is unacceptable to me. So, we’re pressing hard. I believe the federal government is hearing it. But I haven’t yet seen a reaction here’s one of the frustrations for me. Last week, they said to us in response to this question that I posed that by Friday of last week that one of the commercial laboratories, would be starting to issue and produce provide perhaps millions of tests and make those available commercially. And then on Monday. Another of the major testing companies would be doing the same. Well it’s now Wednesday. And as far as I can tell it in the state of Illinois, we have none of that. It’s not being seen across the nation.
We need a lot more help and you hear very little yesterday, I put in calls to people at the federal government level. And I made sure they understood what my call was about. And I got no return phone call from at least two major officials that I reached out to. Now, I know they’re busy and you know I often have heard well, someone’s in the Situation Room, or someone’s in an important meeting and they can’t call the Governor of Illinois back on this subject, but I’m being as loud as I can on the subject and I think that they are going to be reactive to it. I know that many other governors are speaking the same language that I am.
…Adding… He was asked about President Trump…
Well number one that he’s taking this seriously because I have not heard that from the President of the United States. There are other people at the federal level who are taking it seriously. And in fact when you go to levels down, you know you talk to the people are actually doing the work. They understand.
But when the President, you know, wears his, you know, red hat in a CDC facility and talks about his own brilliance around being able to do research to determine an answer to this problem. I mean he’s not taking it seriously and you see what he tweets about this. His people in his administration have called this a hoax.
We need people to take this seriously. I hope that when he gives an address… that he speaks to the concerns that people all across this nation have, and especially to those of us who are trying to provide the care and take care of the health and safety of the people of our states. Tell us what you are going to do to make the situation better.
This rush transcription is done by Otter, by the way. Sorry for any errors. Moving quickly.
* Meanwhile, you may have seen this graphic online…
The ideal goal in fighting an epidemic or pandemic is to completely halt the spread. But merely slowing it — mitigation — is critical. This reduces the number of cases that are active at any given time, which in turn gives doctors, hospitals, police, schools and vaccine-manufacturers time to prepare and respond, without becoming overwhelmed. Most hospitals can function with 10 percent reduction in staff, but not with half their people out at once.
Some commentators have argued for getting the outbreak over with quickly. That is a recipe for panic, unnecessary suffering and death. Slowing and spreading out the tidal wave of cases will save lives. Flattening the curve keeps society going.
Both curves add up the number of new cases over time. The more people reporting with the virus on a given day, the higher the curve; a high curve means the virus is spreading fast. A low curve shows that the virus is spreading slower — fewer people are diagnosed with the disease on any given day. Keeping the curve down — diminishing the rate at which new cases occur — prevents overtaxing the finite resources (represented by the dotted line) available to treat it.
Think of the health care system capacity as a subway car that can only hold so many people at once. During rush hour, that capacity is not enough to handle the demand, so people must wait on the platform for their turn to ride. Staggering work hours diminishes the rush hour and increases the likelihood that you will get on the train and maybe even get a seat. Avoiding a surge of coronavirus cases can ensure that anyone who needs care will find it at the hospital. […]
The difference between seasonal flu and coronavirus is that many people have full or partial immunity to the flu virus because they have had it before or were vaccinated against it. Far more people are vulnerable to coronavirus, so it has many more targets of opportunity to spread. Keeping people apart in time and space with social distancing measures, self-isolation and actual quarantine decreases opportunities for transmission.
* And here’s how it worked in real time more than a hundred years ago…
There is a reason for canceling public gatherings. In a pandemic, don't be Philadelphia (held a parade in 1918 when cases started to come up, downplayed cases), be St. Louis (canceled gatherings). More here: https://t.co/KE7RYbxDGM@mlipsitchpic.twitter.com/wyrHx0nOLA
* Pru Plaza coronavirus case confirmed - Tenants at One Two Pru have been told a worker at the massive complex is ill with the virus. It’s believed to be Chicago’s first confirmed case at a major downtown office building.
The GA was scheduled to come back for three weeks and then take two weeks off for spring break. They ought to just cancel everything until May, do a budget and some cleanup legislation on cannabis and infrastructure and whatever else and get outta town.
…Adding… As expected…
Illinois Senate President Don Harmon today announced the cancellation of next week’s Senate session days as part of a public health initiative to limit exposure and hopefully slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Senate President Harmon’s statement:
“When the state association for emergency doctors cancels its Capitol visit citing public health concerns, it should give us all reason to re-examine our schedules and priorities.
Given the recommendations for social distancing as a safeguard to slow the spread of this virus, the Illinois Senate is going to do its part. The Friday, March 20 session day had already been cancelled. The Senate will also cancel the March 18 and 19 session days.
We will constantly monitor the situation and make future decisions based on best practices and advice from the state’s public health and emergency preparedness professionals.”
The buy is a little over 400 points plus some cable. The buy is likely to be increased by the end of the week.
Script…
Michael Cabonargi and Richard Boykin. Two politicians out for themselves.
On the Cook County Board of Review, Cabonargi gave nearly a billion dollars in property tax breaks to powerful insiders. He got corrupt contributions and you got higher property taxes. Boykin helped Mitch McConnell try to keep the Senate Republican.
Iris Martinez, a progressive fighting for women’s health, raising the minimum wage and coverage for pre-existing conditions. Iris Martinez for Cook County Clerk, a woman standing up to corruption.
You may have heard about the incident at the University of Chicago that has gone viral.
Former Congressman Sean Duffy’s daughter Evita Duffy participated in a voter participation initiative. She was photographed with a whiteboard on which she wrote, “I vote because the coronavirus won’t destroy America, but socialism will.”
The backlash against her was swift. She’s received threats and personal attacks, just for declaring that she was a conservative on a college campus.
Please make a donation today to stop this kind of hatred from the radical left.
They attacked Evita and they will come after me and my family. But we are ready. Like Evita, and the Ives Family is All In for this fight. It is a small price to pay to preserve the rule of law and equal protection before it; the freedom to choose our professional pursuits and how we pursue them.
My opponent Sean Casten uses hate to direct people’s attention away from his assaults on our freedoms and free enterprise system.
Casten tweeted that the GOP was the party of pedophiles. And when asked to identify a leader he looks to for guidance, Sean Casten selected a virulent, profane bigot named Dan Savage who has called evangelical Christians “pieces of sh*t” and said of Republicans, “I wish they were all f**king dead.”
Sean Casten doesn’t disavow such language, he doubles down on it as he did when he compared the President of the United States to Osama bin Laden.
Casten doesn’t want to make American better. He wants to make it bitter.
If Evita Duffy can stand up, so can we. Stand with Evita and Jeanne against Sean Casten, Nancy Pelosi and the viciousness of the radical Left.
* On to the presidential…
This raises questions about whether Biden will still hold his campaign rally that was scheduled for Chicago this Friday night. No location was announced when the rally notice went out. Any update @kbeds? https://t.co/5wTHO70DYc
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Across Illinois, communities are struggling to stay above water. Meanwhile, clean energy jobs in our state are growing faster than the rest of our economy. The question now is, who will benefit?
Hundreds of low-income and people of color are already in good-paying jobs because the state is funding training programs that make sure everyone shares in the new clean energy economy. The popularity of these programs and the demand for clean energy jobs continues to grow.
This spring, Gov. Pritzker and the General Assembly can choose to double down on equity in our energy economy by passing transformative legislation that will create good jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities in communities of color and communities too often left behind.
The Clean Energy Jobs Act is the only comprehensive, equitable energy bill that puts Illinois on a path to 100% renewable energy, lowers electricity costs, and reduces transportation pollution.
We need to take bold action on climate and create economic opportunities in communities that need them the most.
It’s time to pass CEJA now! Visit ilcleanjobs.org to learn more.
The Illinois Civil Justice League (ICJL) is warning voters to be wary of judicial candidates with Irish surnames who are otherwise unqualified for office. An analysis of candidates running in the March 17th Illinois Primary Election, which falls on St. Patrick’s Day, reveals two judicial candidates of Irish descent playing the role of a stalking horse, trying to siphon votes from other candidates.
“Candidates with Irish surnames have long had a political advantage in cities with large Irish-American populations like Chicago, Boston and New York. You don’t have to look further than names like Daley, Kennedy, and Moynihan to prove the point,” said John Pastuovic, president of the Illinois Civil Justice League. “While those running at the top of the ticket are usually established and well vetted, many running at the bottom of the ticket, particularly those running for judge, are unknown. It is in these campaigns for judge that political bosses or others attempt to use the anonymity of these bottom of the ticket races combined with a candidate’s Irish American heritage to game the system to either benefit or block another candidate,” he continued.
In an effort to better educate voters about choices for judge, the ICJL today released the ratings of judges running for election in the March 17 Primary Election. The ICJL retention recommendations are a part of the most complete and comprehensive voter education initiative of its kind, designed to assist voters in making informed decisions about the judicial candidates on their ballot. The initiative called Judges: Good and Bad-You Can’t Afford to be Indifferent can be found at illinoisjudges.net.
During its analysis, the ICJL has revealed that a good number of judges have earned the voters’ trust and vote. “That good news, however, is mitigated by the fact that two judicial candidates appear to be stalking horse candidates, using their Irish surnames to siphon votes from other credible Irish-American candidates to benefit the candidacies of Cook County Democratic Party insiders,” Pastuovic stated.
Maureen O’Leary is running for the Neville Illinois Appellate Court vacancy against Cook County Circuit Court Judge Carolyn Gallagher and the Democratic Party chosen candidate Cook County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hyman. Circuit Court Judge Sandra Gisela Ramos is also in the race.
Bonnie McGrath is running for Mary Anne Mason’s Cook County Circuit Court vacancy against Jennifer Callahan and the Democratic Party chosen candidate Chris Stacey. Three other candidates are also in the race.
“The O’Leary and McGrath campaigns have much in common. Both used many of the same paid circulators to gather signatures for their nominating petitions and both have reported zero campaign expenditures or fundraising as of earlier this month. Additionally, news reports suggest that their opponents haven’t seen either O’Leary or McGrath at campaign events and neither has campaign websites,” Pastuovic said.
Judge Carolyn Gallagher recently said she sees Maureen O’Leary as a likely sham candidate given her Irish name, her complete lack of qualifications for appellate court, that she’s never attended any candidate functions and that she didn’t disclose payments for her 13,000-plus petition signatures.
“While the actions of Maureen O’Leary and Bonnie McGrath aren’t necessarily illegal, their actions are clearly unethical and for those reasons, both candidates are Not Recommended for Judge by the ICJL,” Pastuovic concluded.
Two candidates for state representative on Chicago’s Northwest Side say they - one a survivor of domestic abuse and the other of sexual violence - have been subjected to false and deeply personal attacks from their opponent that they’ve found to be far more hurtful than just “politics as usual.”
Joe Duplechin and Patti Vasquez are both running in the Democratic primary for state representative in Illinois’ 19th District, which encompasses parts of the Jefferson Park, Portage Park and Dunning neighborhoods, plus portions of the surrounding suburbs.
They’re challenging incumbent state Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, who was appointed to the office in July 2019 in a sort of musical chairs common to Chicago politics. LaPointe is now seeking her first full term, running a campaign that has sent several pieces of direct mail to voters in the district - four of which claim Duplechin and Vasquez are “backed by extremists.”
* It’s not the “extremist” part that’s particularly egregious, though. It’s this…
Duplechin is a Chicago police officer who most recently unsuccessfully ran for 39th Ward alderman. He said the mailers were particularly difficult for him because both his biological father and stepfather physically and verbally abused his mother for years when he was young - culminating in a traumatic altercation with the latter when he was 10 years old.
“Finally at 10, I stood up and I ended up getting beaten and my brother and I ended up getting knocked out a window,” Duplechin said. “It was my stepfather, and he ended up going to jail for six months for it.” […]
“It’s shocking that with everything we know now, with the Me Too movement, with everything that women have endured, sexual violence, workplace harassment and abuse - that she is willing to attack a victim,” Vasquez said in an interview on Tuesday, calling LaPointe “not fit to lead.”
The COVID-19 viral disease that has swept into at least 114 countries and killed more than 4,000 people is now officially a pandemic, the World Health Organization announced Wednesday.
“This is the first pandemic caused by coronavirus,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Eight countries — including the U.S. — are now each reporting more than 1,000 cases of COVID-19, caused by the virus that has infected more than 120,000 people worldwide.
“In the past two weeks, the number of cases of COVID-19 outside China has increased 13-fold, and the number of affected countries has tripled,” Tedros said.
As Washington state grapples with what may be the country’s worst outbreak of novel coronavirus, the absence of a COVID-19 emergency declaration from President Trump has hamstrung its ability to respond to the crisis.
The state would like to apply for a Medicaid waiver that would let Washington give people more options for where to receive care, so that it can lessen the pressure on its already overtaxed health system.
The problem for the state is that one of the types of waivers currently under discussion — a waiver known as 1135 — can be triggered only by the President declaring an emergency or a disaster under the Stafford Act, something he has notably failed to do, despite all signs indicating that the coronavirus outbreak stands to be a major public health crisis. […]
In past emergencies, Medicaid waivers, which could also be issued under 1115, have been useful tools for helping states to react to evolving situations.
The Bush administration approved Medicaid waivers to expand health coverage for New Yorkers after the 9/11 attacks and, after Hurricane Katrina, to streamline the process for Gulf coast states to cover people who had to evacuate from Louisiana.
Senate Democrats lead by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are preparing a letter formally calling for President Donald Trump to issue an emergency declaration to make more than $40 billion available to assist state and local governments’ coronavirus response, according to a Senate Democratic aide.
A prison watchdog said the Illinois Department of Corrections needs to make its plans for addressing COVID-19 public.
“Prison health is problematic on a good day,” the John Howard Association said. “In Illinois, ongoing litigation has both exposed and is working to remedy the unfortunate quality of and limited access to medical care available to people in our prisons. Court-appointed experts have submitted detailed reports pointing to the many inhumane and constitutionally violative practices around the medical care provided inside Illinois prisons.”
The statement included data from a poll done by the association from those who are in state custody and of 12,780 people who responded from 21 facilities between April 2018 and May 2019, 65 percent expressed dissatisfaction with medical care and 78 percent were dissatisfied with IDOC’s provisions of hygiene items such as soap and hand sanitizer.
“We are not medical experts and do not offer specific advice on disease prevention and treatment,” the statement said. “But as a prison watchdog and advocacy organization, we are concerned that the health of prisoners in the face of this new pandemic will not rank as a public health priority. […]
The Illinois Department of Corrections said Tuesday that no cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in prisons.
“The Department is modifying its current Pandemic Influenza and Continuity of Operations plans to ensure we are prepared for a potential outbreak of COVID-19,” IDOC spokesperson Lindsey Hess said. “People who are experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus, or who may have been exposed to the illness, may not be permitted to visit an IDOC correctional facility.”
Public health quarantine and isolation are legal authorities that may be, but rarely are, implemented to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Ill people may be isolated to protect the public by preventing exposure to infected people. Quarantine may be used to restrict the movement of well people who may have been exposed to a communicable disease until it can be determined if they are ill. This could include people who have a communicable disease but do not know it or those who may have the disease because of close contact with ill people but do not show symptoms.
State and local governments are primarily responsible for maintaining public health and controlling the spread of diseases within state borders. Among other state public health emergency preparedness powers, every state, the District of Columbia and most territories have laws authorizing quarantine and isolation, usually through the state’s health authority. The federal government has authority as well, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to monitor and respond to the spread of communicable diseases across national or state borders, or if the state government is unwilling or unable to effectively respond.
The CDC’s authority to exercise quarantine and isolation powers for specific diseases derives from the federal Public Health Service Act and most recently, a series of presidential executive orders. Under these orders, federal quarantine and isolation powers currently apply to the following diseases: cholera; diphtheria; infectious tuberculosis; plague; smallpox; yellow fever; viral hemorrhagic fevers; influenza caused by new or reemergent flu viruses that are causing, or have the potential to cause, a pandemic; and severe acute respiratory syndromes (which may include COVID-19). On Jan. 31, 2020, President Donald Trump released a proclamation in response to the COVID-19 outbreaks suspending certain entry into the United States, specifically outlining medical screening and quarantine where appropriate.
Authority. The Department of Public Health has supreme authority over declaring new or modifying existing quarantines. A county board of health should be created with responsibility for control of contagious diseases, including the use of quarantine for areas within the county not incorporated. Corporate authorities of municipalities have jurisdiction for quarantine extending one-half mile beyond corporate limits. Local health authorities shall establish quarantine of contacts of someone suspected of carrying a disease that requires this action.
Penalties. Whoever violates or refuses to obey any rule or regulation of the Department of Public Health shall be deemed guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
Police Power & Limitations. Persons who are or are about to be ordered to be isolated or quarantined and owners of places that are or are about to be closed and made off limits to the public shall have the right to counsel. If a person or owner is indigent, the court shall appoint counsel for that person or owner. Persons who are ordered to be isolated or quarantined or who are owners of places that are ordered to be closed and made off limits to the public, shall be given a written notice of such order.
* Roundup…
* Meet the two women leading Illinois’ coronavirus response - A former general and a former medical director of the largest juvenile detention center in the country have one of the most important tasks in Illinois right now: dealing with coronavirus.
* UI exploring online classes in wake of coronavirus: Indiana University, Harvard, Ohio State, Columbia, Princeton and colleges in hard-hit California and Washington state have already announced shifts to online classes.
* Local leaders take coronavirus fight into own hands absent federal direction: New York officials moved Tuesday to seal off a region where a growing cluster of cases posed a heightened risk of transmitting the virus, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo saying the fast-changing situation merited “a special public health strategy for New Rochelle.” In Massachusetts, a blue state with a Republican executive, Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency and legislative leaders said they plan to allocate $15 million for containment efforts. While some blue state governors have conspicuously avoided criticizing Trump, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker didn’t hold back Tuesday. Pritzker assailed vague Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance about avoiding large crowds, complained about the U.S. not using tests that were released by the World Health Organization and cautioned that Trump is downplaying the seriousness of the virus. “I am very frustrated with the federal government,” he said. “We have not received enough tests. We’ve been told for days and that the commercial labs will be coming on line. Just again today I was told they’d be coming on line in a matter of days and we haven’t seen it.”
* MSNBC: Illinois gov. frustrated by government response to coronavirus
* Stocks fall with Trump stimulus missing: “Every day we get whipsawed back and forth, and what we’re seeing today is general disappointment that fiscal policy is not at all clear in how it’s going to stimulate the economy.”
* Email crash impeded HHS response to coronavirus: The episode has exacerbated tensions inside a department that’s already been split by intense fights between HHS Secretary Alex Azar and CMS chief Seema Verma while it strains to coordinate the government’s response to the viral outbreak.
* True number of U.S. coronavirus cases is far above official tally, scientists say: Researchers estimate that by March 1, the virus had already infected about 1,000 to 10,000 people who have not yet been accounted for. At the start of this month, about 80 U.S. cases had been confirmed and officials were still expressing confidence they could contain the new virus.
* Trump’s former pandemic adviser: ‘We are 10 days from our hospitals getting creamed’: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D), who is overseeing one of the country’s largest clusters, said “if you do the math” there could be 64,000 cases of COVID-19 in the Evergreen State by May, while New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the positive cases in the city are “coming in so intensely now” that public officials are struggling to keep up with them. He said he wasn’t in a position to give the media a “detailed case breakdown” because of the rapidly changing number.
* ADDED: ‘It’s Just Everywhere Already’: How Delays in Testing Set Back the U.S. Coronavirus Response: Later that day, the investigators and Seattle health officials gathered with representatives of the C.D.C. and the F.D.A. to discuss what happened. The message from the federal government was blunt. “What they said on that phone call very clearly was cease and desist to [Dr. Helen Y. Chu, an infectious disease expert in Seattle],” Dr. Lindquist remembered. “Stop testing.”
In the latest gaffe in the state’s voter rolls, 1,151 Illinois residents were improperly classified as not registered to vote in next week’s primary before officials caught the mistake. […]
A spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections said he doesn’t think anyone who was mistakenly listed as not registered was inappropriately turned away during early voting, which began last week, since anyone not registered to vote has the option to do so on the spot and election judges are trained to tell people about that option.
White’s office could not shed any light on the exact cause of the problem. […]
[Jesse White spokesperson Dave Druker] said the error, which was first reported by WCIA-TV in Downstate Illinois, is not due to a “computer glitch” and could be a clerical error that may have multiple causes.
Secretary of State spokesperson Dave Druker told The Daily Line that the error was discovered during regular monitoring of applications records, and said the issue began in January. Druker said the errors likely occurred because people gave officials “conflicting” about whether they wanted to be automatically registered.
In some cases, Druker said a person may have gone to a driver’s services facility twice in an attempt to receive a driver’s license or state ID card with sophisticated security features that requires more documentation to obtain.
“Somebody indicated at one point where they did want to be in [AVR] and at another point said they didn’t,” Druker said. “We review these by hand and gave the applications to the Board of Elections. We’re sorry for any confusion that occurred here.”
Chicago Board of Elections spokesperson Jim Allen told The Daily Line he was unsure of the number of individuals affected within the city of Chicago, but said it was “not a grave concern,” since same-day voter registration is available on both Election Day and during early voting, which began last week.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
In light of yet another “programming error” related to Illinois’ Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) system, State Representatives Tim Butler (R-Springfield) and Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) are calling for a thorough audit and suspension of the system until problems are resolved. The latest problem with the system while on the Secretary of State’s watch has caused more than 1,100 valid voter registrations to be wrongly coded as opting-out instead of being registered.
“It started with non-citizens being registered, then minors being registered, and now actual citizens of legal voting age not being registered. How much more evidence do we need that AVR has to be put on hold and a thorough audit conducted?” said Rep. Butler. “These exact concerns were expressed back in 2017 during the discussions of instituting an AVR program in our state and these revelations underscore that those concerns were well-founded. With the primary election happening in a week and the presidential election in November, these egregious mistakes have to be corrected before AVR is allowed to continue.”
Butler, Bourne and House Republicans first called for action at the end of January when the first revelation that 574 self-identified non-citizens were mistakenly registered to vote. U.S. Congressman Rodney Davis joined House Republicans in that call and several public hearings have since been held, but no action to put the AVR program on hold has been taken by the Governor or the Democrat led General Assembly. In February, Butler and Bourne filed House Bill 5224 to suspend the AVR program until the problems with the system are corrected. Now, House Resolution 827 has been filed to call for a thorough audit to be conducted by an outside, independent auditor.
“It has been over a month since I first called for suspension of the Automatic Voter Registration system. With the revelation of this latest error within Illinois’ AVR system, it’s past time for lawmakers to take definitive steps to protect the integrity of our elections,” said Rep. Bourne. “The wrongful rejection of 1,152 valid voter registrations is unacceptable, and the latest in a series of problems that warrant the temporary suspension of AVR until all issues are resolved. Access to fair and free elections is a fundamental right, and there should be zero margin for error. The rollout of AVR has been plagued with problems and it’s time for the General Assembly to intervene.”
Besides the most recent revelation about the improperly coded 1,152 valid voter registrations, the Secretary of State’s Office also forwarded the information of some 4,700 16-year-olds through the AVR system to the State Board of Elections for pre-registration. Fortunately, the Board of Elections rejected most of those before they were registered.
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
In Illinois, more than 30,000 people suffer from kidney failure; nationwide, more than 100,000 Americans await a kidney transplant. Organizations from across the state have come together to create the Illinois Kidney Care Alliance (IKCA). IKCA is a coalition of community and patient groups, health advocates and professionals, providers, and businesses focused on raising awareness of the needs of people who suffer from kidney failure.
IKCA is proud to count American Renal Associates (ARA) as a founding member. As one of the largest dialysis service providers in the United States, ARA cares for patients suffering from chronic kidney failure in its most advanced stage.
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Many other state legislatures are scheduled to continue their sessions in the months ahead, even as the disease is expected to spread throughout the country.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), lawmakers in Oregon and Wisconsin can hold electronic meetings and votes in an emergency, and Colorado’s legislature allows for “new or streamlined methods of operations” and may suspend rules in order to “function effectively during the disaster emergency.”
NCSL wasn’t sure about other states, and said it was still compiling information related to continuity of government during public health emergencies.
Some local officials are asking similar questions. Paul Feiner, town supervisor in Greenburgh, New York, recently asked the New York legislature to amend state meetings law to allow local governments to vote by Skype.
Thoughts?
…Adding… This just went out to legislators…
With the health and safety of all in mind, the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians regrets to inform all members of the 101st General Assembly and staff that our evening reception scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 has been cancelled due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Kyle Hillman at the National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter…
The NASW-Illinois Chapter (NASW-IL) has been closely following news and updates regarding the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus), particularly as it impacts large gatherings and events in the state.
After much consideration and the wavering levels of uncertainty around COVID-19 spreading in Illinois, as well as the many health risks involved in holding large events like our advocacy day which has consistently passed 1000 attendees, the NASW-Illinois Chapter has decided to cancel our 2020 Advocacy Day on Thursday, April 2, 2020, and the lobby leaders training the previous day on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.
While we are hopefully being overly cautious regarding this decision, we have reached a point where we could no longer wait to let participants know if the event would continue or not.
We will be developing and suggesting alternatives to the event—these may include encouraging participants to participate in online action alerts, or additional online actions regarding current evolving NASW-IL–supported legislation.
Again, it was not an easy decision to cancel our most effective advocacy event of the year, but the health and safety of the hundreds of workers in the state capital, all participants, and the populations they serve is paramount.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Hannah…
Tomorrow afternoon’s Senate State Govt committee hearing is cancelled for tomorrow, and just got word the special joint hearing on red light cameras has also been postponed. Public safety cmte Chair @RobertJPeters said they wanted to “look out for health and safety of everyone” pic.twitter.com/ioOj1uMNfn
Yes I am canceling the hearing on Friday. While access to ABA therapy for autism is of great importance a public subject matter hearing at this time is not appropriate. The health and safety of all of our communities must be are focus.
Chicago’s popular downtown St. Patrick’s Day parade set for Saturday is being called off due to coronavirus concerns. The parade’s website announced the decision this morning. There’s no word, yet, on whether the annual South Side parade will go ahead as planned Sunday. Both parades were in doubt after Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday that officials were taking a hard look at large public gatherings as the number of COVID-19 virus cases in Illinois rose to 19. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot have scheduled a news conference this morning to give an update on the virus situation.
…Adding… The city has three parades and the Tribune story uses the plural…
The coronavirus claimed its first major events in Chicago’s civic life Wednesday, as Mayor Lori Lightfoot canceled the city’s massive St. Patrick’s Day parades because of fears the disease would spread through the dense crowds. […]
But in the end, Lightfoot had to know she would be judged more harshly if Chicago got hit especially hard by the COVID-19 virus and the outbreak was traced back to the decision to go ahead with the parades. Health officials have been warning for weeks that the best way to avoid contracting the respiratory ailment is to avoid close contact with people who are infected.
Other major cities across the globe have canceled their St. Patrick’s Day parades; they include Boston and Dublin.
Even Ald. Matt O’Shea [19th], whose Beverly ward hosts the South Side Irish Parade, has said both events should be canceled.
…Adding… Mary Ann…
Southside Irish Parade: also will not take place Sunday@chicagosmayor would like to see a postponement, but no future date given, more to come at 9:15a newser at OEMC Southside sources say there will still be celebrations, even without a parade #coronavirus
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, Governor JB Pritzker, and officials from the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC)today announced the City will postpone this weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day parades as a precautionary measure to prevent further spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The City will continue working with organizers from Chicago’s downtown, South Side, and Northwest Side parades, as well as the annual Dyeing of the Chicago River to reschedule these events to a later date and ensure the health and safety of Chicago’s residents and visitors.
The decision to postpone the official St. Patrick’s Day parades follows guidance and information from public health experts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and counterparts in other jurisdictions experiencing similar impacts from COVID-19. The St. Patrick’s Day parades and associated activities present very unique circumstances for Chicago, drawing over a million attendees, many from outside of the city and across the country, and offering few opportunities for attendees to practice social distancing – a key recommendation by health experts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“The health and safety of Chicago’s residents will always be our highest priority and like many other cities across the nation and globe, we are postponing this year’s parades as a precautionary measure to prevent any additional spread of COVID-19,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “I want everyone to rest assured that your City and State continue to work around the clock to stay ahead of this issue and ensure everyone remains protected, informed, and safe.”
As part of today’s measures, the City will continue to work with state and county agencies on an ongoing basis to review all future non-essential, large gatherings and provide recommendations to the appropriate parties as needed. As it relates to other large planned events, the City’s guidance and protocol for large events will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
“We all know what the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations mean to us in the city of Chicago — but as elected leaders, we can’t take any chances with the health of our residents,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Because of what we’ve seen nationally and across the world of the increased risk of large gatherings, this was the right call and I thank Mayor Lightfoot for her leadership in this difficult situation. Now that we’ve reached the stage where we’re seeing regular new cases—reflecting additional spread within our communities—we have to make every effort to minimize further spread.”
For anyone celebrating St. Patrick Day this weekend, the City’s public health officials recommend practicing common sense health safety tips and social distancing, including:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. At this time, no special sanitizing processes beyond routine cleaning are necessary or recommended to slow the spread of respiratory illness.
Vulnerable populations – consisting of those 60 years or older or with underlying health conditions –may be more susceptible to COVID-19. The City encourages members of vulnerable populations and anyone who is sick to remain home and not attend large gatherings.
“Protecting the health and wellness of both Chicago’s residents and visitors is our top priority as we continue to learn more about the nature of COVID-19,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, M.D., Commissioner of CDPH. “We want to be sure that everyone understands the daily measures they can take to keep themselves safe such as social distancing, routine handwashing and avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth. We remain in constant communication with the CDC as well as federal, state and local officials to determine the best protocol moving forward in this ever-evolving situation.”
To ensure the safety of residents celebrating Chicago St. Patrick’s Day this weekend, OEMC will activate the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as part of an effort to monitor any activities and crowds as well as coordinate resource requests and responses to individual situations. Additionally, OEMC has established the COVID-19 Task Force in partnership with the Mayor’s Office and CDPH to address essential areas of operations and collaborate with departments and sister agencies on preparedness and preventive measures.
“Ensuring that City’s robust response plan is both efficient and effective for residents is our top priority, said Rich Guidice, Executive Director at OEMC. “To ensure that our City remains prepared in the wake of this fast-moving and evolving situation, OEMC has created the COVID-19 Task Force with 12 unique subcommittees to continuously address and update our response tactics.”
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Illinois is increasing. and current information suggests that person-to-person spread will continue to occur and more cases will be identified in the United States and in Chicago. CDPH’s goal is to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in Chicago by detecting new cases quickly, minimizing transmission and developing guidance to prepare communities to respond.
“Chicago’s South Side Irish Parade is one of the community’s most anticipated and celebrated traditions,” said Alderman Matt O’Shea, 19th Ward. “While this decision will be disappointing to many, minimizing the potential for COVID-19’s spread must be our top priority.”
More information and updates on COVID-19 can be found on the IDPH website, the CDPH website, and the CDC website. You can also contact the Chicago Department of Public Health at coronavirus@chicago.gov.
…Adding… South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee…
Out of an abundance of caution to contain the spread of COVID-19, the City of Chicago has made the decision to postpone many of the St. Patrick’s Day events this weekend, including our Parade. While we are disappointed in this development, we well understand the City of Chicago Department of Public Health’s prudent concerns and the recommendations of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that prompts this decision to help keep citizens safe and healthy.
The South Side Irish Parade Committee hopes everyone will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and Irish heritage in a safe and family-friendly way this year and we look forward to March 14, 2021, when the largest community celebration of St. Patrick’s Day outside of Dublin will step off once again.
