* I may have told you this story, so pardon me if this is a rerun. When my daughter was just a kid, we pulled up to a strip mall parking lot and this song came on the radio. We cranked it up to 11, banged our heads, pumped our fists and shouted out the lyrics while passers-by gave us strange looks. Good times.
Anyway, I’ve been thinking about my kid all day, so I dialed up this video, turned it up to 11 and rocked away…
* Gov. Pritzker said today that several IDPH regions are becoming more worrisome this week. The Metro East’s Region 4 is back up above an 8 percent positivity rate as of today, for instance. Three days of sustained 8 percent positivity triggers mediation measures, and Region 4 only recently emerged from a long ordeal with those regulations.
Region 9, which encompasses Lake and McHenry counties, has seen its average positivity rate hover in the upper 7’s for the past few days and is now at 7.7 percent. Region 8 is now at 9.4 percent, with available hospital beds down to 25 percent. A 20 percent surge capability for hospital beds triggers mitigation.
Region 1, in northern and northwestern Illinois, cannot get its act together and is at 11.7 percent today. Region 7, which is Will and Kankakee counties is at 9.2 percent. Suburban Cook is at 7.3 with its hospital bed availability down to 23 percent. And Chicago is at 7 and hospital bed availability is down to 22 percent, just two points above the danger zone.
* IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike cried for several minutes at the podium today as she literally begged Illinoisans to take this virus seriously. “Let’s please think beyond ourselves,” she said. “For those seven, eight days that you may be shedding the virus, you’re unknowingly, unwittingly infecting people in your path.”
“The people of Illinois are her patients,” Gov. Pritzker explained after Dr. Ezike finished speaking. He also said the director has been subjected to “verbal attacks” and that protesters have shown up at her home.
“I’m desperate to find a message that will work,” Ezike said. “The virus has caused this and instead of pitting one group against another, we need to get that and fight against the virus. We have a mask and we’re asking people to use that and I don’t know what else to say.”
…Adding… Got busy and forgot to post this…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 51 counties in Illinois are considered to be at a warning level for novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A county enters a warning level when two or more COVID-19 risk indicators that measure the amount of COVID-19 increase.
Fifty-one counties are currently reported at a warning level – Adams, Bond, Boone, Carroll, Cass, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, DeKalb, Douglas, Edwards, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Gallatin, Greene, Hamilton, Henderson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lee, Macon, Macoupin, McDonough, McHenry, Mercer, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, Rock Island, Saline, Shelby, Stephenson, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Wayne, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, and Winnebago.
Although the reasons for counties reaching a warning level varies, some of the common factors for an increase in cases and outbreaks are associated with gatherings in people’s homes, weddings and funerals, bars and clubs, university and college parties as well as college sports teams, family gatherings, long-term care facilities, correctional centers, schools, and cases among the community at large, especially people in their 20s.
Public health officials are observing businesses blatantly disregarding mitigation measures, people not social distancing, gathering in large groups, and not using face coverings. Mayors, local law enforcement, state’s attorneys, and other community leaders can be influential in ensuring citizens and businesses follow best practices.
Several counties are taking swift action to help slow spread of the virus, including increasing testing opportunities, stressing the importance of testing to providers, hiring additional contact tracers, working with schools, and meeting with local leaders.
IDPH uses numerous indicators when determining if a county is experiencing stable COVID-19 activity, or if there are warning signs of increased COVID-19 risk in the county. A county is considered at the warning level when at least two of the following metrics triggers a warning.
New cases per 100,000 people. If there are more than 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the county, this triggers a warning.
Number of deaths. This metric indicates a warning when the weekly number of deaths increases more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
Weekly test positivity. This metric indicates a warning when the 7-day test positivity rate rises above 8%.
ICU availability. If there are fewer than 20% of intensive care units available in the region, this triggers a warning.
Weekly emergency department visits. This metric indicates a warning when the weekly percent of COVID-19-like-illness emergency department visits increase by more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
Weekly hospital admissions. A warning is triggered when the weekly number of hospital admissions for COVID-19-like-illness increases by more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
Tests performed. This metric is used to provide context and indicate if more testing is needed in the county.
Clusters. This metric looks at the percent of COVID-19 cases associated with clusters or outbreaks and is used to understand large increase in cases.
These metrics are intended to be used for local level awareness to help local leaders, businesses, local health departments, and the public make informed decisions about personal and family gatherings, as well as what activities they choose to do. The metrics are updated weekly, from the Sunday-Saturday of the prior week.
A map and information of each county’s status can be found on the IDPH website at https://www.dph.illinois.gov/countymetrics.
Many Republicans like to vote on election day. Not this year!
With Governor Pritzker putting new COVID-19 restrictions on predominately Republican counties, we are anticipating an election day surprise limiting the number of voters in a polling place. The Democrats, know that Republicans “like to see their vote counted” as opposed to the Democrats who have voted by mail for years.
This is a way to further suppress the Republican vote.
Don’t let this happen - VOTE NOW!
Whatever works, I suppose. Gotta get those voters motivated one way or another.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 3,874 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 31 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 female 70s
- Christian County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 80s
- Clark County: 1 female 80s
- Clinton County: 1 male 90s
- Cook County: 1 male 30s, 1 female 90s
- DeWitt County: 1 female 70s
- Jefferson County: 1 male 60s
- Kane County: 1 female 70s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 60s
- Lake County: 1 female 70s
- LaSalle County: 2 females 90s
- Macon County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Madison County: 1 female 80s
- McLean County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Rock Island County: 1 male 90s
- Sangamon County: 1 male 70s
- Shelby County: 1 female 70s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 80s
- Vermilion County: 2 males 70s
- Warren County: 1 male 90s
- White County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- Will County: 1 female 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 364,033 cases, including 9,418 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from October 16 – October 22 is 5.6%. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 82,256 specimens for a total of 7,113,338. As of last night, 2,498 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 511 patients were in the ICU and 197 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for deaths previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
Friday, Oct 23, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
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* I posted a document from the governor’s office on contact tracing on October 5th. I was apparently the only one to do that. So, the governor’s press secretary linked to my Google Drive upload…
Republican state Representatives from southern Illinois are on the road with stops across the state holding rallies for what they call the “Restore Illinois Bus Tour.”
They stopped in Springfield Thursday. […]
State Rep. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, was at the Springfield stop. He told the crowd his efforts in the courts against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 executive orders are crucial to restoring Illinois, and he’s succeeding. […]
“This man has got to pay the price,” Bailey said. “He has devastated families, he is devastating businesses, he is destroying Illinois and I believe now every day that goes by the reasons and the proof of that grow.”
Bailey claims the governor is trying to destroy the state’s economy “to be first in line for a federal bailout.”
Defendant, Thomas J. Dart, Sheriff of Cook County (Sheriff), instituted employment disciplinary proceedings against plaintiffs, Matthew Goral, Kevin Badon, Michael Mendez, Milan Stojkovic, David Evans III, Frank Donis, and Lashon Shaffer, who were employed as officers for the Sheriff. The disciplinary charges against plaintiffs were filed with the Cook County Sheriff’s Merit Board (Merit Board) pursuant to section 3-7011 of the Counties Code (Code). Plaintiffs filed motions with the Merit Board to dismiss the disciplinary charges against them. While the administrative proceedings were pending, plaintiffs filed an action in the circuit court of Cook County for declaratory, injunctive, and monetary relief against the Sheriff, Cook County, the Merit Board, and Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners (collectively, defendants). In that lawsuit, plaintiffs asserted that the Merit Board was not legally constituted because several of its members had been appointed to and/or served terms that did not comply with the statutory requirements set forth in section 3-7002 of the Code.
On defendants’ motions, the circuit court of Cook County dismissed plaintiffs’ action on the ground that they had failed to exhaust their administrative remedies. The appellate court reversed in part, holding inter alia that, since plaintiffs had challenged the authority of the Merit Board to address the charges, the “authority” exception to the exhaustion requirement applied. We allowed defendants’ petition for leave to appeal. For the reasons that follow, we affirm the judgment of the appellate court and remand to the circuit court for further proceedings. […]
Defendants next contend that allowing widespread exceptions to the exhaustion doctrine would thwart the legislative intent of consigning certain disputes to agency specialists and would create “unworkable chaos” at the Merit Board. Defendants maintain that the decision by the appellate court imposes fact-finding burdens on the circuit courts that “fly in the face” of legislation about the role of courts in reviewing agency actions. According to defendants, the result reached by the appellate court would subject administrative agencies throughout Illinois to a wave of declaratory or injunctive lawsuits based on interlocutory procedural challenges to individual agency hearing officers. Defendants further contend that allowing plaintiffs to “skip over” administrative processes by filing claims in the circuit court is the opposite of judicial economy and efficiency. We do not agree. […]
Specifically, Rule 3.1 provides that “[a] lawyer shall not bring or defend a proceeding, or assert or controvert an issue therein, unless there is a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous, which includes a good-faith argument for an extension, modification or reversal of existing law.” We are confident that the bar will adhere to that proscription. Thus, there are adequate safeguards in place to protect against the chaos that defendants allege.
The 4-3 majority apparently didn’t consider Darren Bailey’s example.
A narrowly decided state supreme court ruling Thursday could potentially leave Cook County taxpayers on the hook for millions in backpay for sheriff’s officers who were suspended while facing disciplinary proceedings. […]
The sheriff’s office bemoaned the decision, saying it will significantly increase the time it takes to discipline an officer for misconduct and make it more difficult to fire bad officers.
“Today’s Illinois Supreme Court decision is a catastrophic blow to law enforcement accountability,” sheriff’s office spokesman Matthew Walberg said in an emailed statement. “The decision rewards employees who engaged in criminal, unethical and despicable conduct at the expense of Illinois taxpayers.”
Jewish students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have endured “an unrelenting campaign of anti-Semitic harassment,” according to a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.
Those students and others supportive of Israel “have been subjected to an alarming increase in anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism over the past five years,” according to a statement issued Friday by the Louis B. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, which helped prepare the complaint.
Over that period, multiple swastikas have allegedly been scrawled across the campus; menorahs and mezuzahs have allegedly been vandalized; and windows of Jewish fraternities have allegedly been “smashed with bricks,” according to the statement. What’s more, pro-Palestine students have also allegedly glorified members of terrorist organizations, assailed Jewish students and their allies with epithets like “Nazi” and “white supremacist” and turned university diversity training “into anti-Israel indoctrination.”
The complaint alleges that university administrators have failed to provide “a discrimination-free academic setting” despite being notified of the “developing hostile environment.” The statement also claims that some university employees have “been complicit” in fostering that environment.
“Jewish students at UIUC have been targeted for years,” said Alyza D. Lewin, President of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. “We gave UIUC seven months since the complaint was filed to address the ongoing harassment. In the face of continuous stall tactics and almost no action from the university, we decided to publicize our efforts. We hope public awareness of this dire situation will prompt the university to finally acknowledge and address the egregious anti-Semitic harassment it has swept under the rug for far too long.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** Democratic Rep. Jonathan Carroll…
The Jewish Caucus has offered to work with and given the University of Illinois every opportunity to address this issue. Instead of taking this seriously, they’ve done absolutely nothing about it. We’ll continue supporting Jewish students throughout the state and stand up for their basic civil rights.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the university…
We have not been contacted by the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) regarding any official complaint against the university, but the lawyers who submitted it to OCR in March also submitted it later to an organization that accredits the university. We were asked this summer to respond to the complaint. After receiving our response, that organization determined that the allegations raised in the complaint do not indicate substantive noncompliance with their requirements and that no further review would be conducted.
Throughout this time, the university has been engaged in a long, meaningful and what we believed was a collaborative discussion about the concerns raised by the involved parties, so it is very disheartening that they chose to stop engaging with us. We are disappointed with the approach this group has taken to move our conversation to the media, but we are absolutely committed to an inclusive university community where everyone feels welcome.
One of our core institutional values is ensuring that people of all faiths, ethnicities, national origins and viewpoints can live, learn and thrive. We will never tolerate bigotry, racism or hate, and we condemn acts and expressions of anti-Semitism.
Robin Kaler, Associate Chancellor for Public Affairs
*** UPDATE 3 *** Democratic Rep. Bob Morgan…
I’m aware that antisemitism has been on the rise at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, my alma mater. I hope the university will take steps to immediately and meaningfully confront this dangerous trend. As a Jewish UIUC alum and former ISG president, I expect more from a school that means so much to me and all of Illinois.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Jewish United Fund…
It is with deep sadness that JUF has consulted on a U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights complaint against the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC) due to an increasingly hostile environment for Jewish students in violation of federal law.
Antisemitic harassment is expressly prohibited under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
JUF cares deeply about UIUC as the flagship public University of our state, approximately 8% of whose student body is Jewish. Those Jewish students deserve the same level of protections afforded to every student population which faces discrimination. That in our own backyard, UIUC has permitted a hostile climate to exist is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. JUF will always stand up for Jews when our safety and security is threatened.
Even after five years of intensive discussion with JUF, UIUC has consistently chosen to turn its back on the Jewish community and allowed a hostile climate to fester. Incidents ranged from swastikas scrawled on campus dorms and a university-sponsored training with antisemitic content to repeated BDS campaigns and concomitant harassment of Jewish students on campus and in social media.
JUF calls on the University to do the right thing to swiftly rectify the current situation and return to being a place of pride for our community. We will continue to work with the University and will also continue to support active Jewish life through our Illini Hillel Cohen Center for Jewish Life.
As residents gear up to cast their vote this election, WIFR wants to help you get to know the names you will see on the ballot.
One race to look out for is State Representative in the 67th District. Democrat incumbent Rep. Maurice West joined Courtney Sisk on 23 News First at Four to discuss his run for a second term.
Rep. West said he’s proud of the work he’s already done, including bringing $2 million in funding to the district to provide job training to young adults. For the first time publically, Rep. West said if he’s reelected, he will not be voting for Speaker Madigan.
“I am hoping that there’s a strong state representative that I could vote for. Someone who believes in term limits for leadership like I do. Someone who will be an advocate for strong, immediate ethics reform so that we can regain trust in our government. Someone who believes in bipartisanship. So I’m looking forward to another option.” Rep. West said.
Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin slammed Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker as “a shameless master of personal tax avoidance” Thursday in an email to his Chicago employees that criticized the governor’s push for a graduated-income tax rate amendment. […]
“I am not willing to stand by as, once again, spineless politicians try to sell a trick disguised as a solution. Particularly not from a governor who, having inherited a great deal of wealth, has worked so diligently to avoid paying taxes himself,” Griffin wrote in an email obtained by the Tribune, which was verified by a company spokesman. […]
“Pritzker–a shameless master of personal tax avoidance–is well aware that many of the state’s top taxpayers will soon be decamping for states with more attractive tax policies. Under our federalist system, each state is free to compete to encourage companies and employees to join its community. Governors of Florida, Texas and other states have made compelling pitches for businesses – like Citadel – to leave Illinois,” Griffin wrote. […]
In his email, Griffin said he was troubled by protesters who demonstrated outside Citadel’s Loop office and “misrepresented my deep commitment to the youth of our city.” He said his firm has “brought countless families to the state, led important philanthropic and community initiatives and, together, have made Illinois a better place to live and raise a family.”
As Illinois smashed another daily record with 4,942 new coronavirus cases reported Thursday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker threw down the gauntlet to suburban bar and restaurant owners threatening to flout his latest restrictions on indoor drinking and dining.
The Democratic governor issued his harshest warning yet to potential scofflaws before his indoor dining ban goes into effect Friday in Will, Kankakee, Kane and DuPage counties, where COVID-19 infection rates are soaring to new highs.
But some owners say they will still seat customers inside, arguing the latest rollback means a “death sentence” for their businesses after months of struggling to stay afloat while following guidelines and avoiding outbreaks.
“If people are going to force us, because they won’t follow the mitigations, and they’re going to let people get sick in their business, then we’re going to take this very seriously,” Pritzker said at a downstate coronavirus briefing. “If we have to stop them from doing business because they’re helping to spread this disease and get people sick, then that’s what we’re going to do.”
“We are now seeing the entire state is moving up in terms of hospitalizations, in terms of ICU beds, ventilators and death,” Pritzker said, pointing to “dozens of studies” showing bars and restaurants have proven to be fertile grounds for COVID-19 transmission.
“It is very serious right now, folks, and if we need to close down restaurants and bars, or take away their liquor licenses, take away their gaming licenses, we will do that,” Pritzker said during his daily coronavirus briefing at the St. Clair County Health Department in Belleville. “Because we are now heading into a peak that is beyond, potentially, where we were in March and April.”
Pritzker said the Illinois State Police will issue warnings and citations to businesses that don’t adhere to the rules, and the state will use its authority over liquor and gambling licenses if necessary.
“I think you know I’ve been reluctant to do this before because it has a very serious implication for the future of a business,” Pritzker said. “I want businesses to stay in business. I want them to survive.”
Pritzker’s warning came just after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced her own clampdown, including a 10 p.m. curfew starting Friday on nonessential businesses and the suspension of indoor service at taverns and taprooms that don’t serve food
Just hours after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced new restrictions on businesses in response to rising COVID-19 cases, White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx cautioned that closing public spaces won’t be enough to stop the illness’s spread.
Birx said it’s possible some of the recent spread is happening in people’s homes, during family gatherings, as the weather gets colder. She spoke at a news conference following a private meeting with leaders from Rush University System for Health, Northwestern Medicine and the Illinois and Chicago departments of public health at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Thursday.
“It won’t be as simple as closing public spaces because public spaces … were very safe over the summer and probably remain safe,” Birx said. “This is really something that has happened in the last three to four weeks. What has happened in the last three to four weeks is that people have moved their social gatherings indoors.”
A growing body of research has concluded that the steep drop in economic activity last spring was primarily a result of individual decisions by consumers and businesses rather than legal mandates. People stopped going to restaurants even before governors ordered them shut down. Airports emptied out even though there were never significant restrictions on domestic air travel.
States like Iowa that reopened quickly did have an initial pop in employment and sales. But more cautious states have at least partly closed that gap, and have seen faster economic rebounds in recent months by many measures.
Economists say it is hard to estimate exactly how much economic activity is still being restrained by capacity limits, social-distancing rules and similar policies, many of which have been lifted or loosened even in places governed by Democrats. In most states, restaurants, retail stores and even bars are allowed to operate.
Perhaps the most widespread government action that has hindered economic growth is the decision by many school districts to adopt virtual learning at the start of the school year, which appears to have driven many parents, particularly women, out of the labor force to care for young children who would otherwise be in class.
But as the pandemic flares again in much of the country, most economists agree this much is clear: The main thing holding back the economy is not formal restrictions. It is people’s continued fear of the virus itself.
Questions about state finances, taxes, economics and policy are all around us lately. My good friend @ChrisCrisanti recently started a website for just that kind of things. Please give it read. https://t.co/YsRuyogxHq
* Region 1 includes Rockford over to the Iowa border, but not the Quad Cities. Here’s Gov. Pritzker today…
I want to provide a brief update on the metrics of Region One in northwestern Illinois, where Rockford is, where Freeport is, which has been under Tier One of our resurgence mitigation plan since Saturday, October 3. Over the last few weeks, Region One has continued to see a surging positivity rate, now up to 11.9% as of this morning.
We’ve said all along that if things don’t turn around in a region after two weeks of resurgence mitigations, we may need to add more stringent measures to help usher in the progress that we need to see, to get things more open again eventually. That is now the case in Region One, which has seen its positivity rate rise nearly two percentage points since October 14 alone.
So starting Sunday, northwestern Illinois will need additional mitigations, such as tighter gathering caps of 10 individuals, instead of 25. And new restaurant and bar table caps of six instead of 10 when eating out. The existing mitigations that were already put in place in early October will remain.
Also both Region One, bordering Wisconsin and Iowa, and Region Four here next to Missouri, carry the additional responsibility of navigating a situation where the vast upsurge of cases in our neighboring states will continue to have a spillover effect on Illinois.
There is no easy fix to this. So as colder weather comes upon us and brings flu season, along with it, it’s imperative that we take extra caution and extra care. Because at the end of the day this is bigger than you. This is about all of us, and the communities that we call home.
Wear your mask. Watch your distance. Wash your hands and get your flu shot. We have to take care of each other.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
…Adding… More from the governor…
If we need to close down restaurants and bars or take away their liquor licenses, take away their gaming licenses, we will do that.
Because we are now headed into a peak that is beyond, potentially, where we were in March and April. I think you’re hearing now on national television, you’re seeing it in our surrounding states, Wisconsin, built out, not just one field house, they’re looking at multiple field hospitals rather because their hospitals are full.
We built them out in the spring because we thought perhaps we would end up in that situation. Thank God we were able to flatten the curve back in the spring. But now you can see, just look at the curves.
We’re working very hard, but we need everybody’s help in the public. We need the restaurant owners and bar owners to follow the mitigations, and to stop fighting and trying to find some flaw in the data, trying to find somebody who will say that a bar or restaurant is not a spreading location.
The truth of it is and I think every infectious disease expert that I’ve talked to and dozens and dozens of studies and I’ve held them up at the press conference yesterday, they exist. I’ve sent them out to legislators and all the elected officials, anybody who’s asked for them. Bars and restaurants are places where spreading takes place. They’re one of the top places and spreading takes place.
*** UPDATE *** From IDPH…
Bars and Restaurants
• Reduce party size from 10 to six individuals
Meetings, Social Events and Gatherings
• Maximum indoor/outdoor gathering size of 10 individuals
o Applicable to professional, religious, cultural and social group gatherings
o Not applicable to students participating in-person classroom learning
o This does not reduce the overall facility capacity dictated by general business guidance, such as office, retail, etc.
o Not applicable to sports, see sports guidance
Indoor recreation
• Maintain lesser of 25 people/25 percent of capacity
• No groups more than 10 individuals
• Does not apply to fitness
These mitigations do not apply to schools or polling places.
Rep. Kifowit, of course, has announced she’s running for House Speaker and Rep. Costa Howard has said she will not vote for Speaker Madigan’s reelection. A spokesperson for the freshman said Costa Howard has not yet determined who she will be supporting.
As officials scramble to cope with a significant increase in the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot are at odds over the role that bars and restaurants are playing in fueling the spread.
When several Illinois regions have recorded spikes in cases of COVID-19 in recent weeks, Pritzker has ordered bars and restaurants to stop serving drinkers and diners indoors — eventually seeing the number of cases decline.
But nearly 72 hours after Lightfoot warned Chicago that the city had entered the second wave of the pandemic, no new restrictions had been ordered in the city, alarming aldermen, residents and infectious disease experts. […]
Lightfoot said Monday the surge in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 was unrelated to that decision, citing information developed by the city’s corps of contact tracers that determined that most new cases stemmed from contact with relatives or friends.
“I don’t think there is a cause and effect,” Lightfoot said.
* NBC 5 this afternoon…
“We have no other option.” Mayor Lightfoot announces new restrictions coming tomorrow AM… pic.twitter.com/BC59wP1iEM
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 4,942 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 44 additional deaths.
- Carroll County: 1 female 90s
- Christian County: 1 male 90s
- Clay County: 1 female 70s
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
- DeWitt County: 1 male 70s
- DuPage County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 80s
- Effingham County: 1 male 90s
- Jefferson County: 1 male 80s
- Kane County: 1 female 70s
- Knox County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 80s
- Marion County: 1 female 90s
- McDonough County: 1 male 70s
- Peoria County: 1 female 90s
- Randolph County: 1 female 80s
- Richland County: 1 male 80s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 80s
- Shelby County: 1 male 70s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 90s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s
- Wayne County: 1 male 80s
- White County: 1 female 80s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s, 2 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 3 males 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 360,159 cases, including 9,387 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from October 15 – October 21 is 5.7%. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 80,977 specimens for a total of 7,031,082. As of last night, 2,463 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 525 patients were in the ICU and 212 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for deaths previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
* From yesterday…
…I guess you'd have 4,324 new cases out of 56,827 tests, which is a 7.61% positivity rate without those U of I tests.
The governor needs to straighten out his numbers. These U of I test results are skewing things but good. If I wanted to live in Florida, where the governor is all happy talk while making his numbers look much better than they really are, I’d move there.
Sam Toia, President and CEO, Illinois Restaurant Association
The Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA) cannot support the COVID-19 mitigation plan presented by Governor Pritzker’s office that ceases dine-in operations at restaurants across the state of Illinois. Moving backwards in this manner spells complete devastation for the restaurant industry. The extreme measures outlined by the Governor’s team will result in the permanent closure of countless restaurants statewide, eliminating thousands of jobs and desolating communities inhabited by millions of residents.
Since the onset of the pandemic, the restaurant industry - which is among the most highly regulated in health and safety - has quickly implemented and enforced enhanced procedures and policies with respect to sanitation, PPE, social distancing, timed reservation blocks, face coverings, hand sanitizer stations, signage and more. It’s alarming that restaurants are among the only businesses affected in the Governor’s most recent announcement given our unparalleled levels of safety.
We do not agree with the order to completely eliminate dine-in operations. The IRA wants to work with the Governor’s office on a pragmatic mitigation plan that supports the health and safety of our state without jeopardizing the livelihoods of the people and businesses that serve as the cornerstone of our communities. Earlier curfews and reduced occupancy levels are two examples of more reasonable measures.
We also have serious concerns over the consistency of the data the state is using to drive these devastating decisions to close our industry. By contrast, DuPage County has provided detailed statistics indicating that restaurants are linked to just 6% of outbreaks over the past seven months - yet their indoor dining was shut down. As the science surrounding COVID-19 has evolved, so must the metrics for mitigation.
Additionally, as restaurants are forced to close indoor dining and lay off their team members, they do so without any financial support. The funding opportunities currently available from the state of Illinois are only helping the smallest fraction of restaurant operations. The state needs to provide grants, waive licensing and permitting fees and delay tax payments, as well as advocate for relief at the federal level.
Conservative estimates indicate that at least 20 percent of restaurants will be forced to close their doors permanently. This means 120,000 jobs in Illinois, gone.
We cannot allow this to happen. Closing restaurants down now means closing them for good!
The situation today is much different than it was in March through May, when restaurants were closed to all on-premises dining, Sam. Citing old statistics to make your case might win an uninformed debate, but sharing talking points with Amy Jacobson and others on the extreme far right about those DuPage County numbers is not a good look.
Much more recent numbers show that restaurants are the number two driver of outbreaks in DuPage, behind nursing homes. And, as I told subscribers this morning, if you want to control the spread in nursing homes and other congregate facilities, you have to control community spread…
Mayor Tim Kabat was already on edge as thousands of students returned to La Crosse, Wis., to resume classes this fall at the city’s three colleges. When he saw young people packing downtown bars and restaurants in September, crowded closely and often unmasked, the longtime mayor’s worry turned to dread.
Now, more than a month later, La Crosse has endured a devastating spike in coronavirus cases — a wildfire of infection that first appeared predominantly in the student-age population, spread throughout the community and ultimately ravaged elderly residents who had previously managed to avoid the worst of the pandemic.
For most of 2020, La Crosse’s nursing homes had lost no one to covid-19. In recent weeks, the county has recorded 19 deaths, most of them in long-term care facilities. Everyone who died was over 60. Fifteen of the victims were 80 or older. The spike offers a vivid illustration of the perils of pushing a herd-immunity strategy, as infections among younger people can fuel broader community outbreaks that ultimately kill some of the most vulnerable residents. […]
Local efforts to contain the outbreak have been hamstrung by a statewide campaign to block public health measures, including mask requirements and limits on taverns, he added. “Your first responsibility as a local government is really to protect the health and safety and welfare of your residents,” he said. “When you feel like that’s not happening and you have few tools or resources available to change that, it’s more than frustrating.” […]
Recent data released by Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shows that weekly cases in nursing homes rose nationwide in late September as the disease became more widespread in 38 states and the country entered its third coronavirus spike. That marked the first uptick in seven weeks in long-term care, after new cases dropped throughout August and early September.
All that being said, this is an absolute travesty. A coordinated, responsible federal response to this pandemic would have eased the suffering of people who work in and own restaurants. But with deaths, hospitalizations and positivity rates soaring here, what we do not need is one of the state’s leading business associations using false right-wing propaganda to make its case.
Thursday, Oct 22, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
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Rep. Darren Bailey filed a Petition for Adjudication of Indirect Civil Contempt this morning against Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker in Sangamon County Circuit Court.
* He’s using the phrase “this court” loosely because it was a Clay County judge, not a Sangamon County judge, who issued these rulings…
COMES NOW, Plaintiff, Darren Bailey, by and through his attorney, Thomas DeVore, of DeVore Law Offices, LLC, and as for his Petition for Adjudication of Indirect Civil Contempt against the Defendant, Jay Robert Pritzker (“Pritzker”), states as follows:
1. On or about July 02, 2020, this Court declared Pritzker no longer had any emergency powers under Section 7 of the IEMAA after April 08, 2020.
2. On or about July 02, 2020, this Court also declared any executive orders in effect after April 08, 2020 related to COVID-19 and finding their authority under the emergency powers of Section 7 of the IEMAA void.
3. In complete disregard of this Court’s July 02, 2020 order, on October 02, 2020, Pritzker issued executive order 56 regarding COVID-19 and cites as authority his enumerated powers under Section 7 of the IEMAA.
4. In complete disregard of this Court’s July 02, 2020 order, on October 16, 2020, Pritzker issued executive order 59 regarding COVID-19 and cites as authority his enumerated powers under Section 7 of the IEMAA.
5. In complete disregard of this Court’s July 02, 2020 order, on October 21, 2020, Pritzker issued executive order 60 regarding COVID-19 and cites as authority his enumerated powers under Section 7 of the IEMAA.
6. In complete disregard of this Court’s July 02, 2020 order, on October 21, 2020, Pritzker issued executive order 61 regarding COVID-19 and cites as authority his enumerated powers under Section 7 of the IEMAA.
7. If all of the actions of Pritzker complained of herein could not be more derogatory to this Court’s authority and dignity, he specifically went on to issue executive orders 60 and 61 even after this Honorable Court, just two days prior, refused to vacate its July 02, 2020 grant of summary judgment which specifically declared on the merits he no longer had authority under Section 7 of the IEMAA to issue executive orders regarding COVID-19.
8. These willful actions of the Defendant, Jay Robert Pritzker, constitute prima facie evidence of contemptuous acts which are calculated to embarrass, hinder, or obstruct this Honorable Court in its administration of justice, and are expressly calculated to derogate from its authority and dignity.
9. Everyday citizens throughout this state who find themselves in front of our honorable courts are never allowed to take actions which will directly embarrass, hinder or obstruct the court’s authority and dignity; and our elected officials, even a governor, must unequivocally be held to the same standards of conduct as we hold our citizenry if we ever hope to maintain the sanctity of our system of justice in the eyes and hearts of the people.
He tried to pull this stunt in Clay County but the Illinois Supreme Court moved the case to Sangamon before the motion could be ruled on.
Also, Darren Bailey claiming that someone else is embarrassing the court’s dignity is about as rich as rich gets.
WHEREFORE, Plaintiff, Darren Bailey, respectfully prays for this Court to enter an order as follows:
A. That, Jay Robert Pritzker, be adjudged in indirect civil contempt of this Court and be required to show cause, if any he can, why he should not be held in contempt of this Court and punished in a manner this Court finds proper for his willful and contumacious disregard with this Court’s order;
B. That Jay Robert Pritzker be ordered to purge himself by rescinding the above- mentioned executive orders instanter;
C. In the alternative, the Court craft any other just sanction which compels Jay Robert Pritzker to purge his contempt.
D. That Jay Robert Pritzker be held liable for the Darren Bailey’s attorney fees he has incurred in enforcing the willful disregard of this Court’s order;
E. That this Court enter any further orders which the Court deems just and equitable.
I’ve asked the attorney general’s office and the governor’s office for a response.
Discuss.
…Adding… From the AG’s office…
We are reviewing the motion. In the meantime, we will continue to defend the governor’s constitutional and statutory authority to protect the residents of Illinois from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – authority that has been affirmed by every judge to take up the issue, with one exception.
And that one exception was Clay County.
*** UPDATE *** Jordan Abudayyeh…
This was a legally baseless motion the first time Mr. DeVore filed it and it hasn’t improved with age. As the infection rate rises and leaders across the state are working to protect public health, this motion demonstrates that Bailey cares only about one thing – press attention. And he is willing to abuse the Court process to get it.
Background…
When Bailey and DeVore tried this during the summer, we noted that the Clay County Circuit Court order that they seek to enforce is, in fact, unenforceable for 2 reasons: (1) it is not a final, appealable order that resolves all the issues in the case, and (2) it does not contain any injunctive relief ordering the Governor to do or to stop doing anything. DeVore and Bailey could have used the two months since then to fix these deficiencies in their case. But they didn’t (surely because they knew they would lose). Instead, they are just making the same, utterly defective argument again.
Illinois is not meeting its promise to ensure children and families who receive health care through a new managed care system are not receiving the medical, psychiatric, and other health care they need in a timely fashion, according to testimony offered to an Illinois Senate committee today. The Senate Human Services Committee hosted a hearing today to update members on the experience of DCFS youth and families are faring with transition to a managed health care system known as YouthCare.
In testimony offered by the ACLU of Illinois, which has represented children in the care of DCFS through the B.H. litigation for nearly twenty years, the organization noted that while problems with access to health care for DCFS wards did not begin with the transition to YouthCare, the managed care system has not solved longstanding problems.
“Many of Illinois’ foster children simply are not receiving the care that they need at the time when they need it,” Heidi Dalenberg, Director of the Institutional Reform Project, ACLU of Illinois. “That was true before the rollout of the YouthCare plan. It remains true today.”
The ACLU pointed out that some flaws in the YouthCare system and network is creating real harm for children in DCFS care. Ms. Dalenberg related the story of one teen taken to a local emergency room in the midst of a mental health crisis, in true distress. Although all the medical professionals at the hospital agreed that the teen needed to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital, DCFS and YouthCare could not find a hospital for the teen to enter. After ten days, waiting in the emergency room, the youth was determined to be ready to be released – but never was provided the necessary psychiatric care.
“It would be sad if this were the only instance of this harm to a teen,” added Dalenberg. “It is not. We know that in the month of September alone, at least ten other foster children who experienced similar circumstances– being stuck at an emergency room because a placement was not found for them. YouthCare needs to address this today.”
The ACLU also shared results of a project it conducted in recent weeks to test the experience of families with finding care under YouthCare by calling physician offices in Belleville, Peoria and suburban Harvey. The ACLU tests revealed that a family calling a provider’s office for the first time would be able to secure an appointment for a child to see a physician in just 3 out of 10 calls during that first call.
Among other reasons that appointments were not available:
• Phone numbers were out of service;
• Doctor offices had closed;
• Offices indicated that they had never heard of YouthCare;
• Offices said they would not accept YouthCare (in error);
• Offices said that they would not schedule new patients until after the COVID pandemic was ended; and,
• Offices said they needed complete medical records – not in possession of the parents – before scheduling an appointment.
“The network cannot serve children if physicians can’t or won’t respond to the needs of these families. YouthCare and DCFS needs to fix this soon – so that no family gets unnecessarily refused,” said Dalenberg.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Evan Fazio, Director of Communications, IL Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services…
The ACLU testimony offered today failed to capture the full picture of what YouthCare has brought to the table in its first month and a half since launching with current Youth in Care. It is unacceptable that even a single child has trouble receiving appropriate medical care. The state has been working on this issue for quite some time, which is why having another partner in YouthCare is of enormous value to our vulnerable youth. YouthCare’s care coordinators are there every step of the way, working to solve the problem, making calls to providers so families don’t have to, and coordinating every aspect of care. In fact, YouthCare has resolved 98% of all rapid response inquiries. By any measure, families have far more opportunities for support and access to needed services for the children under their care with YouthCare than before.
Regarding the ACLU’s hypothetical network exercise, YouthCare members’ real-life experiences have not demonstrated any notable problems in this area. YouthCare continues to exceed network adequacy standards with over 52,000 providers, more than three times the number of providers under the previous system. And again, there is an added resource to help families when there are issues. When a foster parent needs to make an appointment or find a doctor for their child, they now have a care coordinator that they can call to get the appropriate care for their child. Before YouthCare, these families were forced to try to do all of this on their own.
All healthcare systems have challenges with providers not updating their information or front desk staff not knowing the provider is in network. YouthCare has been and continues to proactively address this topic through a multi-platform provider education campaign to reach and educate provider staff and collect demographic updates. To date, YouthCare has proactively completed 25,125 calls to collect provider updates to ensure the provider directory is updated. This issue is also alleviated through personal care coordinators, dedicated provider teams, and a six-month continuity of care period where providers do not need to be in network to be paid.
As today’s testimony from families working with the YouthCare system showed, this care has already provided tangible improvements in a number of children’s lives and in real time situations.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Ed Yohnka at the ACLU…
It is a little puzzling to see actual calls made to physician offices over several weeks labeled as “hypothetical.” The calls happened. They were real and they revealed a range of obstacles to parents and families in getting access to the care their children need. Is it surprising that faced with these obstacles, busy families and parents have not leapt immediately to report their frustrations and problems to the State. And, we would note that our findings confirmed earlier evidence developed by the Cook County Public Guardian’s Office.
The hearing would have benefited from a comprehensive report from YouthCare acknowledging that the transition did not go smoothly for everyone, and that while there are many more providers available for many children, there remain critical shortage areas that require cooperation and collaboration to remedy.
Claims for unemployment benefits inched lower last week, the Department of Labor said Thursday. Still millions of Americans continue to rely on government aid to make ends meet.
Last week, 787,000 workers claimed first-time benefits on a seasonally adjusted basis. That’s down from the prior week, which was revised significantly lower. Last week marked the first time jobless claims fell below 800,000 since mid-March.
But not everyone is eligible for regular state benefits. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which Congress created as part of the CARES Act in the spring, provides benefits for the self-employed and gig workers.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 47,018 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of Oct. 12 in Illinois, according to the DOL’s weekly claims report released Thursday.
While this number is based on advanced estimates, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) will be releasing a final number later Thursday. […]
There were 47,528 new unemployment claims were filed across the state last week, the week of Oct. 5.
There were 29,390 new unemployment claims in Illinois the week of Sept. 21.
*** UPDATE *** IDES…
The number of nonfarm jobs decreased over-the-year in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas in September, with four metro areas at record low payrolls for that month, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The unemployment rate increased over-the-year in all metro areas and posted a record high for the month of September in one metro area. The official, BLS approved sub-state unemployment rate and nonfarm jobs series begins in 1990. Data reported prior to 1990 are not directly comparable due to updates in methodology.
“As Illinois continues to make necessary adjustments and work through the COVID-19 mitigation plan, the Pritzker administration remains committed to providing unemployment benefits as a means of economic relief to claimants who are still in need of the Department’s services,” said Deputy Governor Dan Hynes. “We take our role in this pandemic seriously, and will continue to work with IDES to support working families and provide employment training and services to those who seek it.”
The number of nonfarm jobs decreased in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas. Total nonfarm jobs were down in Peoria (-10.5%, -17,900), Elgin (-8.8%, -23,200) and Lake-Kenosha (-7.6%, -32,000). In Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, jobs were down 7.2% (-274,200). No industry sector saw job gains in a majority of metro areas.
Not seasonally adjusted data compares September 2020 with September 2019. The not seasonally adjusted Illinois rate was 9.8 percent in September 2020 and the highest September unemployment rate since 2011, when it was also 9.8 percent. The official, BLS approved, statewide unemployment rate series begins in 1976. Nationally, the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.7 percent in September 2020 and the highest September unemployment rate since 2011, when it was 8.8 percent. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment.
The Illinois Municipal League (IML) is calling on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to speed up release of federal funds intended to aid communities during the coronavirus pandemic. So far, DCEO says it has released just $21 million of the nearly $150 million in funding set aside for Illinois municipalities through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) ACT.
Delays in disbursing these funds severely limit economic recovery in cities, villages and towns, where local leaders are facing major budget shortfalls due to a sharp dip in revenue caused by the pandemic. Downstate and suburban communities have been hit especially hard, as they did not receive direct financial aid from the federal government and have been left with unclear information from the state about what costs qualify for reimbursement and when to expect aid.
“It has been a full seven months since the federal CARES Act was passed, yet instead of receiving the aid as intended municipalities have largely been left in the dark about what help, if any, they will receive. This makes it impossible for local officials to make crucial decisions about public services that help those most impacted by the pandemic,” said Brad Cole, IML Executive Director. “Local officials know their communities best, and as we see COVID cases rise, this aid is going to be even more crucial to the wellbeing of our local municipalities.”
Cole rejected comments made by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday suggesting many municipalities have simply decided not to apply for the funding.
“The notion that municipalities are turning away money is ridiculous,” said Cole. “To the extent some communities have not submitted applications, it is because the state has made the process too cumbersome and difficult or those communities have been unable to get timely answers to their questions from DCEO.”
Municipal operations and finances have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. An IML survey from this summer found that 87 percent of responding municipalities have experienced revenue shortfalls of 20-30 percent when compared to last year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. To make up for these shortfalls and in the absence of federal aid dollars, elected officials are being forced to make difficult decisions, which includes possible layoffs of personnel, reductions in municipal programs and services, delaying infrastructure projects and spending already-limited reserve funds.
The CARES Act, which passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support and was backed by every member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, included provisions to grant federal aid to local governments during the pandemic. Further, state lawmakers also believed they were sending direct aid to local governments when voting for this year’s budget package.
Pritzker said the money has to go through the state, in case the feds audit how municipalities use the relief funding.
“We’re going to get audited for every dollar that we got from the federal government,” Pritzker said. “Every dollar has to be accounted for and that’s why the state is running the program that it is.”
That doesn’t pass the smell test for Cole, who said that each municipality should be liable for how the funds are spent.
Um, the feds will come to Illinois, not the municipalities, for any refunds.
* DCEO…
IML’s characterization that DCEO is holding back funds from local governments is simply inaccurate. To date, we’ve issued $21.5 million in checks to 114 local units of government, with another $36.5 million in the pipeline and we fully expect to release all of the funds in the program. After a ramping up period to get hundreds of municipalities signed up for the program– we are now at a pivotal point in which substantial reimbursement checks – some topping over $1 million – are being issued to local governments daily. In the past week alone – approved payouts have more than doubled for the program, suggesting the volume of payments local governments should expect to receive in the coming weeks alone. DCEO continues to work closely with legislators, counties, municipalities and many other units of government to support local officials with understanding of the stringent federal requirements and any assistance they need to apply for the maximum amount of reimbursements available to them under this program.
* Background…
DCEO has worked diligently to implement the program pursuant to this guidance in order to avoid putting our state at risk for being required to repay misspent funds, at a time of great fiscal challenges across our state budget.
We recognize that local governments have had numerous questions about how to navigate eligible costs, as stipulated in the federal guidelines. DCEO continues to advise on these scenarios, to coach governments on the rules and with applying, and to help local governments fold in as many costs as possible. Since the start of the program DCEO and the Local CURE administrator have fielded hundreds of calls, held dozens of webinars, handled and solved more than 350 help desk tickets, and responded to more than 1,300 email inquiries.
Additionally, US Treasury has released numerous revisions to its guidance in recent months which have meaningfully impacted how these funds can be used – including reimbursement due dates, eligibility of key expenses like public safety payrolls, and providing guidance on how local governments can seek reimbursement for the costs of adopting CDC and IDPH guidance, to name a few.
We have compromised with the IML and allocated a portion of the funding toward a $15 million local government economic support program. Moreover, today 94% of overall funding in this program is under obligated agreements with local governments, waiting for qualified submissions of COVID-19 related costs.
State health officials Wednesday reported 69 more Illinois residents have died from COVID-19, the highest single-day total the state has seen since mid-June.
COVID-related deaths have been growing in recent weeks as the state has begun to experience an exponential growth of new cases of the respiratory disease that has caused four of the state’s 11 health regions to have additional restrictions imposed.
“We should understand that’s always the pattern,” Dr. Ngozi Ezike, head of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said at a media briefing Wednesday with the governor. “A certain number of cases will become hospitalizations, and a certain number of hospitalizations will go on to be deaths.”
The state’s death toll from the respiratory disease now stands at 9,345, and the state is now averaging 39 deaths a day over the past week. A month ago, the daily average of deaths for the week was 20, according to IDPH figures.
By the end of this week, COVID-19 restrictions ordered by Pritzker will be in place in four of the state’s 11 regions — including Chicago’s south and west suburbs in Kankakee, Will, Kane and DuPage counties — due to rising testing positivity rates.
All other regions are at or over 7% positivity and trending steadily upward toward the 8% threshold set by the Democratic governor that triggers restrictions. That includes Chicago and the rest of its suburbs.
“People are lowering their guard,” Pritzker said at his latest coronavirus briefing. “Wear the mask. If there’s nothing else that you hear me say, today and everyday, please wear the mask. Keep social distance.”
Illinois on Wednesday recorded its highest daily coronavirus-related death toll since June as state officials released an early version of its plan for how a vaccine will be distributed once one is approved and available.
The plan “is designed to provide an equitable distribution across the state with priority access going to our most vulnerable populations, front-line health care workers and first responders who directly interact with and treat COVID patients, as well as staff and residents in long-term care facilities,” Pritzker said during his daily coronavirus news briefing.
The plan will “evolve as vaccine trials come to a conclusion and the FDA decides which to approve,” Pritzker said, noting that there are a range of unknowns around whether vaccinations will require multiple doses and if they will need cold or room temperature storage.
While President Donald Trump has vowed that a vaccination could be available soon, most experts think it won’t be until next year before that happens, a point backed up on Wednesday by Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
A bigger challenge might be getting enough people to willingly take it. Ezike acknowledged education will be needed to get buy-in from the broader population.
“Getting the vaccine is one step. Getting it into people’s arms is another. And so, we need both of those to get to a better state with this pandemic,” she said. “Once a safe and effective vaccine is available, CDC planning assumptions indicate 80 percent of the population would need to be immunized to achieve herd immunity.”
That could take a while. Along with the logisitics of getting the vaccine to people, there are also questions about production. Ezike added it could take “many, many months” before it is widely available.
Under Illinois’ plan, the vaccines will be free to all residents, although some health providers may charge a fee to give the shot.
* As always, keep it Illinois-centric and be polite to each other. Also, while I have you, a few folks with iPhones have said the site is crashing their browsers. I think I’ve isolated the problem, but addressing it will probably have to wait until the weekend. Sorry about that. Anyway, carry on.
