* Statement from Roberta Lynch, Executive Director of AFSCME Council 31…
Our fundamental goal as a union is to protect the lives and health of every union member and the people they serve. That’s why, since the first availability of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, AFSCME has worked to educate and encourage union members to be vaccinated in order to protect themselves, their families, co-workers and communities.
We have been working collaboratively with state agencies over the past months to increase vaccination rates and reduce the incidence of COVID in veterans’ homes, correctional facilities and care centers. And those efforts have been making steady progress.
In many of these state facilities vaccination rates now exceed those in the surrounding communities. More importantly, the numbers of COVID cases have declined dramatically in every one of these settings. In fact, some facilities have had no new cases at all—even with the arrival of the highly contagious Delta variant.
In other words, the combination of education about vaccine efficacy, ongoing testing, and appropriate protective measures, such as masking, has in fact been highly effective in reducing the spread of the virus in these facilities. Certainly more can be done, and our union is prepared to continue to work to further strengthen COVID prevention measures. We believe such efforts represent a better path forward than rigid mandates.
The employees in these congregate facilities have been on the job every day since the onset of this pandemic, putting their own health and safety at risk to assure public safety and provide essential care. We strongly oppose any effort to define them as part of the problem rather than recognizing their dedication and the vitally important contributions they have made to protecting health and saving lives.
The Pritzker Administration has already notified AFSCME that they stand ready to bargain over the implementation of the Governor’s plan for a vaccination mandate in these congregate facilities. Our union is fully prepared to engage in those discussions in order to ensure fairness for employees, while safeguarding the health of staff and all those who reside in these facilities.
Just get the shots.
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* Press release…
In response to Governor Pritzker issuing a statewide mask mandate in Illinois schools, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) released the following statement:
“For over a year, the Governor cut out a co-equal branch of government and ruled the state with unilateral authority instead of working collaboratively to handle the Covid-19 pandemic in Illinois. Governor Pritzker must put this continuing power trip aside and allow local health departments, elected officials, schools and most importantly, parents, to make decisions on these serious issues to help stop the spread of Covid-19.”
* IEA…
The pandemic is not over. The numbers in Illinois are going in the wrong direction. We need to keep our students in the classroom and keep them, and those who teach and work with them in schools, safe. Masks, along with other mitigation, such as ventilation, testing, appropriate cleaning and protective gear, are proven tactics.
The number one key to controlling the spread of the virus is vaccination. We encourage all who are able to get the vaccine to do so. It is the clearest path back to “normal” that exists and only about half of those eligible to receive the vaccine in Illinois have done so.
“We all want to get back to normal. Let’s pull together and take care of one another. Vax up and mask up. We owe it to our students and we owe it to each other,” said Kathi Griffin, president of the Illinois Education Association. “We’re so thankful to have leadership in this state that won’t let the virus fester and grow. But, it us up to all of us to bring COVID-19 to its knees.”
* IFT…
“We continue to be thankful for Governor Pritzker’s steady leadership throughout the pandemic. As school resumes soon in most Illinois districts, we welcome his updated mask mandate. With the large number of unvaccinated individuals and the rapid spread of the highly infectious Delta variant in Illinois, requiring masks in all schools is a prudent course of action.
“Science tells us that a layered approach will go a long way towards helping keep schools open and students, staff, and communities safe. In addition to mask wearing, we strongly urge all school districts and institutions of higher education to employ additional safety measures, including physical distancing, regular handwashing, adequate building ventilation, and regular COVID testing of students and educators.
“The sharp increase of COVID-19 cases in our state is a stark reminder that this pandemic is far from over. It is the responsibility of every one of us to do whatever is necessary to keep one another safe and bring this pandemic to an end. Our union takes that responsibility seriously and will continue to fight to help make that happen.”
Notice that neither union came out in favor of vax mandates.
This post may be updated.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Leader McConchie…
“The governor’s continued unilateral, go-it-alone approach on pandemic decision-making actively undermines the state’s ability to have broadly accepted mitigation strategies,” said Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods).
“The Governor encourages the public to be ‘all in Illinois’, but he himself refuses to be ‘all in’ with state and local elected officials who better understand their geographic areas and their communities’ needs. If he really wants to achieve the best possible mitigation results, he would abandon this singular approach and instead bring others to the governing table to ensure that mitigation efforts will be broadly accepted by the populace and effectively implemented. By continuing to exclude other state and local leaders, he is failing the people of Illinois who need statewide coordination, input and buy in from the public.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Jordan Abudayyeh…
Republicans need to spend less time complaining about doctors’ recommendations for ending this pandemic and more time actually trying to end it – by encouraging their supporters to get vaccinated.
…Adding… Gary Rabine…
Gary Rabine, a candidate for Governor, says JB Pritzker’s new school mask mandate is an unnecessary abuse of power, and he is calling on the Governor to allow school boards to make these decisions at the local level.
Rabine said the efficacy of mask mandates is sketchy at best. In the spring of 2020, a Danish study of 6,000 participants found that those who wore masks were just as likely to get COVID-19 as those who didn’t. Participants in the study were told to spend at least three hours outside their home and to practice social distancing and were then tested for COVID-19. The comprehensive study found no statistical advantage to those who wore masks.
“This is about control – not about science,” Rabine said. “We know that kids are at a low risk for the virus. Our kids had a rough year last year thanks to Governor Pritzker’s policies. We should allow local school boards to work with parents and students to set mask policies at the local level, instead of Pritzker’s one-size-fits-all solution. We need bold leadership, and we need to protect the rights of parents to make decisions for themselves and their children. I stand opposed to Governor Pritzker’s decision to infringe on parental rights.”
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* This post will be updated. Click here if the video doesn’t show up below…
…Adding… Pritzker…
This [mask] requirement extends to P-12 sports. Face coverings will be required for all indoor recreation, whereas outdoors, where transmission risks and rates are lower, athletes and coaches will not be required to mask.
We will continue to encourage school districts to make sure their athletes are tested regularly to catch any potential outbreaks early, and to ensure that schools have what they need to adhere to the new mask requirement. My administration is ready to supply masks to any school districts that need them. That’s on top of the free COVID-19 testing supplies we’re providing to all of our public schools statewide.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
* Vaccines…
Today I’m also announcing that Illinois will require vaccinations for all state employees who work in congregate facilities such as our veterans homes, our corrections facilities, and the Department of Human Services developmental centers and psychiatric hospitals, our most vulnerable residents, such as veterans who can’t live on their own, and adults living with developmental disabilities have no choice but to live amongst these workers.
By and large residents of the state run facilities have done what they can do to protect themselves by getting vaccinated. For example, residents of our state’s veterans homes have vaccination rates of 96% 98% and even 99%.
And yet many of the long term care facilities employees have themselves, not been vaccinated, they run the risk of carrying the virus into work with them, and then it’s the residents who are ending up seriously sick hospitalized or worse. It’s a breach of safety. It’s fundamentally wrong. And in Illinois, it’s going to stop. […]
We’ve notified the unions about this necessary safety measure, requesting that they come to the negotiating table to work out the details. Our state agencies will continue to make the vaccine readily available for employees, including posting vaccination drives at work sites and offering paid time off for receiving the vaccine.
This directive takes effect October 4 Two months from today, leaving ample time for employees to get fully vaccinated. If I could do it sooner. I would. Until then, all employees will remain masked up.
Related: 5 new positive COVID-19 cases at La Salle veterans home - IDVA confirms 2 residents, 3 workers positive from July 29-31
* Long-term care facilities…
Finally, I’m announcing a universal mass mandate in all long term care facilities all long term care facilities across Illinois, including those that are privately owned and operated. This means everyone vaccinated or not, must wear a mask when you’re in a facility with long term care patients and residents. This is already standard practice in much of the industry. But while the Delta variant rages on, I want to leave no doubt on the need for compliance.
* Wrap-up…
I want to end with a message for our vaccinated residents. I know this is hard. You did the right thing for yourself, for your family, for your community. And now, because of the new delta variant and the high number of unvaccinated people in the United States. It feels like we’re going backwards in this journey.
Please remember that the vast majority of vaccinated people are safe, no vaccine is 100% effective in hearing about breakthrough cases on the news can feel scary. Even when breakthroughs are rare and mild, but the likelihood of a vaccinated person testing positive for COVID-19 remains extremely low, and most importantly these vaccines are doing what they’re designed to do essentially to eliminate the risk of hospitalization and death again to all of those who are already vaccinated.
I’m going to ask you to do one more thing. Talk to someone in your life who could get the vaccine, but hasn’t yet. Please share your story with them share why you got that. Let them know that the vaccine is free, let them know that they can go to their doctor to a pharmacy to a clinic, and if their hometown, someone can come and vaccinate them right there at home. Let them know that they’ll still be eligible for the $1 million, Illinois vaccine lottery, and most importantly, that they’ll receive the life saving benefits of the vaccine.
We’ll get through this all together as Illinoisans as we have in so many other circumstances. By working together. And I want to thank everybody.
* More…
I will continue to listen to the IDPH and other experts to evaluate any and all necessary action to protect children, prevent death and support our healthcare systems. I’m asking private employers to do the same. Already we’ve seen companies with Illinois operations like Tyson and Google announce vaccine requirements for employees. I applaud those employers who have taken steps to protect their employees, their customers, and the public from the virus and I hope to see others join them most crucially, I’ll be putting out a call to all long term care facilities and nursing homes in the state of Illinois your workers are on the front lines of protecting 1000s of our elderly loved ones. But across the state staff vaccination rates are dramatically lower than those of your residents, and a troubling number of facilities staff vaccination rates are below 25%
* Press release…
As COVID-19 infection rates across the state continue to increase and with a number of school districts not yet adopting CDC guidance on masking, Governor JB Pritzker and IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike today announced masks will be required for students, teachers, and staff at pre-kindergarten-12th grade schools and day cares across the state. The new requirement formalizes CDC guidance released in July on universal masking for both unvaccinated and vaccinated people in schools to ensure a safe return to classrooms.
The governor also announced his intent to require all state employees working in congregate facilities to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by October 4th. The state is informing the unions representing these employees of its intention to move forward with this requirement, which covers employees at the Departments of Human Services, Veterans’ Affairs, Corrections and Juvenile Justice working in congregate facilities. The state is also requiring universal masking in private long-term care facilities and strongly encourages owners of private facilities to join the state in adopting vaccination requirements.
The new measures are part of the state’s ongoing effort to combat a new surge as the Delta variant rapidly spreads among the unvaccinated. Since COVID-19 metrics reached their lowest points earlier this summer, cases have soared by a factor of nearly 10, hospitalizations and ICU rates have more than doubled in a month, and the number of COVID patients requiring a ventilator has multiplied nearly 2.5 times over since July 16th. In June, 96 percent of people hospitalized in Illinois with COVID-19 were unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated, with the majority of those hospitalizations occurring in residents under 60 years old.
“Given our current trajectory in hospitalizations and ICU usage, we have a limited amount of time right now to stave off the highest peaks of this surge going into the fall,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “To combat the Delta variant, Illinois is taking three key steps to protect our state’s 1.8 million unvaccinated children under 12 and their families, residents and staff of long-term care facilities, and those highly vulnerable people who rely upon state employees for their daily care. I also encourage every Illinoisan who is eligible to get vaccinated as soon as possible, as millions of their neighbors already have. This vaccine is safe, effective, and essentially eliminates the risk of hospitalization and death even from the Delta variant. In short, it’s the best tool we have.”
“Vaccination is the best way we can prevent further spread, hospitalizations, and deaths due to COVID-19 and the Delta variant,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Data show that the vaccines are preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death, and are effective against the Delta variant. We have the tools to turn the tide of another wave, but we need people to use them.”
Mask Requirement
In preparation for the start of the upcoming school year and in response to the highly contagious Delta variant, all students, teachers, and staff at pre-kindergarten – 12th grade schools and day cares will be required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status, effective immediately. This guidance is in line with recommendations from the CDC.
The state is also requiring universal masking in long-term care facilities regardless of vaccination status.
Illinois is home to 1.8 million children under the age of 12 who are not yet eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. With the Delta variant infecting the younger population at a greater rate and with people under 29 years old now accounting for 12 percent of COVID hospitalizations in June, requiring the use of masks is the most effective tool to allow students to return to their classrooms safely while protecting them from the virus. Mask wearing will also help prevent unvaccinated students from transmitting the virus to more vulnerable members of their broader communities.
The mask requirement is inclusive of youth sports and activities, with masks now required for all indoor extracurriculars and sports. In line with CDC guidance, masks are not required for activities outdoors where transmission risks and rates are lower.
The administration is providing free testing to all pre-K-12 schools in Illinois outside of Chicago, which received a separate federal funding allocation for testing.
IDPH also provided additional guidance for students and staff who are exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Close contacts of a positive case can remain in school if they receive testing on days one, three, five, and seven post exposure and if they wore masks at the time of exposure.
“The CDC strengthened its guidance last week for universal indoor masking in schools, and Illinois will continue to follow the science, data, and public health experts to keep students in school and keep communities safe,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “We know that consistent and correct mask use is the simplest, most effective way to keep students safely in school, where they can learn and grow to their fullest potential.”
A number of school districts across the state have already adopted CDC guidance and implemented a mask requirement to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 among students, teachers, and staff and the communities they live in. Those districts include the state’s two largest school districts, Chicago and Elgin U-46, as well as Edwardsville Community School District 7, Peoria Public School District 150, Champaign Unit 4 School District, Springfield School District 186, and Naperville School District 203.
To help schools across the state protect the health and safety of students and staff, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) has distributed 2.5 million free face masks to public schools since the beginning of the pandemic. The free masks grant every child the ability to access the learning opportunities provided by their school in person, regardless of their ability to purchase a face covering or make one at home. The administration will continue to supply masks to school districts as they request assistance.
COVID-19 Vaccination
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pritzker administration has implemented policies and guidelines in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aimed at protecting the state’s most vulnerable residents. With the Delta variant causing a rapid increase in infection rates across the nation and Illinois, the state is taking additional steps to slow the spread of the virus in congregate facilities, where residents are most vulnerable.
With vaccination rates among residents in state congregate facilities largely being significantly higher than rates among staff, approximately 80 percent of the new COVID-19 cases in state-operated congregate care facilities have been due to infection among employees. However, the individuals in these facilities, who frequently lack the ability to live on their own, are bearing the brunt of the consequences of unvaccinated workers as their hospitalization rate due to the virus increases.
The state is notifying the unions representing all employees who work in 24-7 state-operated congregate living facilities of the intent to require that these employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine by October 4th. This includes employees who work in state veterans’ homes, developmental centers, correctional facilities, and juvenile justice facilities. Increased vaccination rates will help prevent and slow community spread, reduce the likelihood of infecting vulnerable populations, and allow for potentially less-severe illnesses for those who contract COVID-19 post vaccination. State agency leaders will ensure ongoing vaccination opportunities for employees at state-run facilities, as they have since vaccine was first made available to employees.
Governor Pritzker urged privately-owned and operated long-term care facilities to implement a similar vaccination requirement for their employees to protect the vulnerable residents they serve.
“As the highly contagious Delta variant continues to spread and evolve, our state guidance needs to do so as well,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. “We know vaccines save lives and build herd immunity in our communities, so it is imperative that we encourage everyone to get theirs. But with the lower rate of vaccinations among teens and younger children not yet eligible to receive theirs, these are the difficult decisions our leaders must make to prevent illness and save lives.”
“When we follow medical science, we make progress against this pandemic. I applaud the governor for continuing to follow the science to protect the people of Illinois,” said Illinois Senate President Don Harmon.
“Keeping our veterans safe and healthy is a top priority, especially those in our state-operated long-term care facilities who were hit hardest early on in this pandemic,” said State Senator Tom Cullerton (D- Villa Park), Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs committee. “I commend the governor for taking the necessary actions needed to protect the most vulnerable in the state, as well as the workers who care for the veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country.”
“I want to thank Governor Pritzker for taking steps to secure the safety and welfare of our residents. These decisions are not easy, however not making decisions is not an option when the health and lives of Illinoisans are at stake,” said State Rep. Fred Crespo (D-Hoffman Estates). “As he did in the past, Governor Pritzker is following the science, which is the only way to combat this pandemic. This is not a political issue, it’s a very serious health issue. The sooner we act, the more successful we’ll be in controlling the Corona Delta variant.”
“Anything we can do to protect our most precious children who are still unable to receive vaccinations is essential. We have to do everything in our power to keep the COVID numbers down,” said State Rep. Sue Scherer (D-Decatur).
All Illinois residents over the age of 12 are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost and proof of immigration status is not required to receive the vaccine. To find a vaccination center near you, go to vaccines.gov.
* On to questions for the governor. Parents are asking what has taken you so long? Others say they are going to file lawsuits to challenge this mandate…
It’s important that you know as I watch these numbers, as the IDPH tracks this across the state that we take action. We want to take action at the proper time we want to make sure that we’re keeping our hospitals as open as possible. So their beds available even for people who might have other kinds of ailments. And so we’re doing this I think at the right time and making sure that as schools get back in session that we’re limiting the spread, mitigating the spread…
We have the legal authority to enforce this and we will if necessary. What we think is going to happen is that schools will follow this do the right thing, again this is about keeping our children and their families safe. That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to get every child into school every day, so that they can learn properly. We left it open to school districts last year to make the kinds of adjustments that they needed to to keep kids in school, and this year because things are very different. Now that we have a vaccine available for at least every person 12 And over including all the people obviously the adults that work in schools. We now have the ability to keep many of those people safe, but we also have kids who are unvaccinated so we’re trying to do the best we can for them and their families.
* Are you still considering or are you at all considering a universal mask mandate outside of schools and other throughout the state and other buildings?…
It’s not something on the table but obviously we monitor these numbers very closely, and we make adjustments as necessary.
* If you have a parent who I don’t want my child to be masked? … What is the recourse there?…
So, obviously schools are the ones that are responsible for keeping their school environment safe. This is something that’s in endeavoring to help them. Schools can be held liable if they don’t follow the mandates are put in place, there’s even the ability for the state to revoke recognition status for school, though I think that’s something that would happen long after other mitigation or other efforts are made to get a school to impose mitigations and to maintain the mask mandate.
* What about the ILGOP demand that you take down your TV ads?…
I’ll just say that we’re celebrating the fact that the people of Illinois have stepped up and are doing the right thing, following the mitigations have kept our state safe, and obviously as the virus which is unpredictable, now has delta variants. We’re addressing it as best we can with masks in schools, requiring people who are providing service to those who are vulnerable in the state to be vaccinated. Those are I think the right things to do and nobody’s you know doing what they’re describing what we’re doing is simply saying that Illinois is doing a good job of addressing the challenges that were faced by this very unpredictable virus.
* Could this be first step to remote learning?…
Again, that is not on the table. We have many different tools today than we had six or eight or 12 months back, and that is we have vaccinations available. People should go get vaccinated, that is the most important thing you can do to yourself, your community, your school safe. We hope that people will take advantage of that, that will reduce the need to have masks, and indeed, that may be the reason as we see vaccines available for kids under 12. I, you know, that’s one thing that we’ll take into account as we’re contemplating how long a mask mandate might need to stay in place in schools, but that’s what we’re talking about today’s mask mandates of schools, and to make sure we’re keeping the most vulnerable people in care of staff who should be vaccinated, making sure that they’re getting back on their feet and keep everybody safe
* On vaccines, why not do it more quickly, why not all state workers?…
As you’ve seen, there are, you know there’s a menu of options for managing through waves of this virus. And so we’re simply taking advantage of what we think will work for the most vulnerable populations to keep them safe. And again, I want to remind you, we live in a world where vaccines are readily available literally if you are in this room and you haven’t been vaccinated, I hope that’s nobody in this room, but if you haven’t been vaccinated, you can walk down the street and go to a Walgreens or CVS, you can find the Public Health Department, and you will get vaccinated probably within the hour.
* Mandate on private employers to vaccinate workers?…
That’s not something we’re looking at compelling companies to do that now. But certainly companies that are doing it, I think are doing it because they want to keep their workers safe, and the rest of our communities safe
* Another question about tougher mitigations…
We’re no longer in the kind of mitigation plan that you’re talking about there. We are living in a world now where there are vaccinations available to everybody and what we’re trying to do is address the vulnerable, and make sure that everybody wherever there is a problem and you’ve seen there’s been, you know, a high likelihood of spread in certain areas and red alert and other areas and so we’re essentially focusing in on those areas and doing everything we can to get everybody vaccinated and that’s really what our plan is right now.
* Should NY Gov. Cuomo resign?…
Yes, Governor Cuomo should resign.
* Energy bill talks?…
We have spent more than a year negotiating, working in working groups with all of the interests involved. This is not something that’s left to interest groups to decide. This is a decision that gets made by the legislature and by the governor. And here we are. This bill has been put together after much negotiation over many, many months, and we now have a piece of legislation that is ready to go. And it needs to be called by the legislature and voted on. And the legislation that I put forward that is that compromise is what is ready to move and I intend to sign it if they’ll pass it.
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* Press release…
To help ensure schools can more safely resume in-person learning, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced it is expanding access to free COVID-19 testing to all K-12 public schools across Illinois outside of Chicago which received its own federal funding. Schools can choose to utilize the SHIELD Illinois saliva-based test developed by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), which is able to detect SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in symptomatic, pre-symptomatic, and asymptomatic individuals.
“In-person learning is a priority and we want to make sure students, teachers, and staff are able to return to the classroom as safely as possible,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “With the surge in COVID-19 cases and Delta variant, the sooner we know if someone has been infected, the quicker we can take action to prevent the spread of the virus to others. Not only is testing the best way to identify these cases, it can also help keep kids in school with a new Test-to-Stay protocol. We encourage all school districts to take advantage of this free resource.”
As an alternative to quarantine, students and teachers who have been identified as a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case now have the option of a Test-to-Stay protocol. Close contacts must be tested on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after exposure. As long as close contacts remain negative, they are not required to quarantine. Close contacts are only eligible for Test-to-Stay if their school requires universal indoor masking of all individuals (age 2 and older), regardless of vaccination status, and both the close contact and infected individual were wearing masks at the time of exposure. IDPH encourages all schools to implement weekly testing of their unvaccinated students and staff. Schools that implement weekly testing will be prioritized for Test-to-Stay and outbreak testing when required.
Previously, SHIELD Illinois tests were offered to schools in predominantly low-income communities that have experienced high rates of COVID-19 infection at no-cost. Thanks to additional funding from the federal CARES Act and American Rescue Plan, IDPH has the ability to expand free testing to all K-12 schools outside of Chicago. The classification of low-income school districts is determined by the Illinois State Board of Education’s evidence-based funding criteria.
“From the onset of the pandemic, the University of Illinois System has been committed to helping the state and its people navigate and safely emerge from this crisis,” U of I System President Tim Killeen said. “The decision by IDPH to provide our test-and-trace system at no cost to many thousands of K-12 students will allow a return to in-person learning and the kinds of educational opportunities for these young people that mean a better tomorrow for us all. We are grateful to state health officials for their leadership through this difficult time, and their ongoing partnership with the U of I System.”
* Related…
* Masks back in demand as Illinois moves to statewide mandate in schools. ‘We are going to be selling masks like crazy.’
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Aug 4, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Here are the scripts for Gov. JB Pritzker’s TV ads that started running in July…
Meet Jenica. When things were at their worst she volunteered to be part of the state’s response to COVID, one of the many nurses who put themselves at risk to save lives, and they needed protection to keep up the fight. Illinois health care workers never wavered, and people like Jenica showed us that together, there’s no challenge we can’t overcome.
Meet Corey. In addition to being a physician assistant, for seven years he’s been a committed member of our Illinois National Guard. And when I called on the Guard to help set up testing and vaccination sites they led the way to getting the job done. Our state is back to business because we refused to let this pandemic beat us, and people like Corey remind us anything is possible for Illinois.
Meet Doris and Rick. When COVID hit, they stopped production of bourbon at their distillery to instead make hand sanitizer for nurses, doctors, and other frontline workers. Like so many Illinoisans they understood that the only way through the pandemic was looking out for each other. Now the bourbon’s flowing again in Rochelle and we’re on our way back. I’m so inspired by the people of Illinois—we can accomplish anything if we continue to work together.
* ILGOP press release…
As Governor J.B. Pritzker reinstitutes statewide COVID-19 mitigations and mandates, his re-election campaign is running ads highlighting his administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, taking an obviously premature victory lap. Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy issued the following statement calling on Pritzker to take his TV ads off the airwaves :
“Governor Pritzker cannot have it both ways. He cannot run political TV ads that take a victory lap over his pandemic response while at the same time reinstituting COVID mandates and mitigations. The return of these mandates is a clear admission of his own failure. Pritzker should take his self-serving TV ads off the air. Whether it’s veterans who have died under his care, massive unemployment insurance fraud, or the return of mandates after our state’s full re-opening, Pritzker’s executive incompetence has been the hallmark of his pandemic response.”
* The Question: Should Pritzker take down those ads? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
survey software
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Dillard hoping for Griffin coronation
Wednesday, Aug 4, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Politico in April…
Republican Kirk Dillard has been approached “by prominent business and Republican leaders” to run for governor, but he told Playbook he’s not interested.
* MAA in May…
I followed up with Dillard at the time…
Was in town but met with no Edgar people. Haven’t discussed with Gov. Edgar himself either. Rumors in Springfield never cease to amaze me.
* Greg Hinz today…
GOP moderates are wooing a well-known public official to challenge Gov. J.B. Pritzker for re-election, and he’s considering the offer.
In a phone interview, Kirk Dillard, who has held a variety of top jobs in state government and now serves as chair of the Regional Transportation Authority, confirmed that he’s been approached and is pondering his next move. […]
Asked to elaborate on “until I see how it shakes out,” Dillard said he was referring in part to whether big GOP funders would come to his aid, especially Chicago hedge fund mogul Ken Griffin.
Dillard and Griffin have not spoken, although there’s been some communication via associates.
I’m not yet seeing it, but a person’s entitled to dream, I suppose.
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Today’s quotable
Wednesday, Aug 4, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* His last breath? Hopefully for this unmasked, unvaccinated dude’s own sake, it’s not through a ventilator…
* Reposting…
* Poll: America’s pandemic pessimism returns: Americans place the most blame for rising COVID-19 cases and the spread of new variants on the unvaccinated [79 percent]
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* Paul Simon Public Policy Institute…
Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar and John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, announced Tuesday that the inaugural recipients of the Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award are the 11 Republican members of the Illinois General Assembly who supported a critical budget package in July 2017 in the interest of fiscal solvency for Illinois.
The Republican lawmakers joined with Democrats to override then-Governor Bruce Rauner’s veto of a budget compromise. This vote ended a two-year fiscal stalemate that tarnished Illinois’ reputation, damaged schools, battered the state’s credit rating, and led to about $15 billion in unpaid bills.
The budget that emerged allowed Illinois to avoid further downgrading of its debt. It also ensured that Illinois state government would resume regular operations.
The 2017 budget paved the way for subsequent fiscal progress in the state as reflected in recent upgrades to Illinois’ credit rating by Moody’s Investor Service and S&P Global Ratings.
The decision to support this agreement was courageous, consequential, and effective. While several of the Republican lawmakers received accolades from their constituents in response to their votes, many were sharply criticized and later faced primary opposition. Several opted to retire after casting the critical budget vote in 2017.
“I have been observing Illinois state government for 50 years and this vote was one of the most consequential and courageous votes that I have ever seen,” said Edgar, who served in the Illinois House and as Illinois secretary of state and governor.
“It pulled Illinois back from the brink and helped put us on a much better path. This was not an easy vote and we are very fortunate there were people in the General Assembly who were willing to risk their political careers to do the right thing. This was a very important moment in Illinois history, and we should acknowledge the courage of those who were willing to cast very difficult votes,” Edgar said.[…]
Edgar and Shaw said they expect future Simon-Edgar Awards to go to a single person, but the 2017 budget vote was so consequential that they decided on a collective award this year.
The 11 Republican lawmakers who cast the decisive votes in 2017 were:
• Representative Steve Andersson of Geneva
• Representative Terri Bryant of Murphysboro
• Representative Mike Fortner of West Chicago
• Representative Norine Hammond of Macomb
• Representative David Harris of Mount Prospect
• Representative Chad Hays of Catlin
• Representative Sara Wojcicki Jimenez of Springfield
• Representative Bill Mitchell of Decatur
• Representative Reggie Phillips of Charleston
• Representative Mike Unes of Pekin
• Senator Dale Righter of Mattoon
Political, academic, and business leaders, along with interested Illinois citizens, submitted dozens of nominations of city and county officials and state legislators for the inaugural Simon-Edgar Award. These nominations confirm that statesmanship is alive and well in the Prairie State.
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*** UPDATE *** New York Times…
With a new surge of coronavirus infections ripping through much of the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has accelerated its timetable to fully approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine, aiming to complete the process by the start of next month, people familiar with the effort said.
President Biden said last week that he expected a fully approved vaccine in early fall. But the F.D.A.’s unofficial deadline is Labor Day or sooner, according to multiple people familiar with the plan. The agency said in a statement that its leaders recognized that approval might inspire more public confidence and had “taken an all-hands-on-deck approach” to the work.
Giving final approval to the Pfizer vaccine — rather than relying on the emergency authorization granted late last year by the F.D.A. — could help increase inoculation rates at a moment when the highly transmissible Delta variant of the virus is sharply driving up the number of new cases.
A number of universities and hospitals, the Defense Department and at least one major city, San Francisco, are expected to mandate inoculation once a vaccine is fully approved. Final approval could also help mute misinformation about the safety of vaccines and clarify legal issues about mandates.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* I shared this with you earlier today…
Last fall, 36 residents of the LaSalle Veterans’ Home died of COVID-19 in a matter of weeks. After several reports and legislative hearings, Republicans sent a letter to the Illinois Attorney General to investigate if state statute applied to the “negligent and disturbing activities that arose.” […]
State Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, comes from the long-term care industry. He was one of 26 lawmakers who signed the letter.
“Any private entity that had that kind of situation would have been prosecuted for one death, two deaths, but 36 deaths,” Caulkins told WMAY.
* With that in mind, here’s WSIL TV…
To help ensure transparency, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today that COVID-19 vaccination data for both residents and staff in long-term care (LTC) facilities is now available on the IDPH website at dph.illinois.gov/covid19/long-term-care-facility-data.
Given that LTC facilities have experienced a significant portion of COVID-19 deaths, particularly early in pandemic, this resource will be used for tracking COVID-19 vaccinations for both staff and residents in facilities across state.
The new site will display an interactive map where the user can choose to view either the percentage of staff or percentage of residents who have been vaccinated. The site will also show weekly confirmed cases, total confirmed cases, weekly COVID-19 deaths, total COVID-19 deaths, and vaccination rates.
Click here to go to the site. I looked at Rep. Caulkins’ home county of Macon. The worst staff vaccination rate is at Fair Havens Senior Living: 4.58 percent. That’s not a typo on my part.
I’m kinda wondering if Rep. Caulkins would support a vaccine mandate for nursing home employees.
* Some history from Clarence Page…
I remember nothing but gratitude and relief from my own parents about the rise of polio vaccines in the 1950s. That’s what I found in a survey by polling pioneer George Gallup in 1954, shortly after Jonas Salk’s new polio vaccine became available.
Gallup found the American public to be generally “very optimistic” about the shots. Such optimism was what I expected from those seemingly more innocent and trusting post-World War II days.
But, reading on, I found more thorns among the roses. Asked if they were willing to take the new shot themselves, Gallup found 60% of Americans said they were willing to do it while 31% said they would not.
That’s remarkably close to the 35% who told Gallup they would not take a COVID-19 inoculation last year shortly after it was first announced. Even higher numbers — 45% — said they would not take the new vaccines for smallpox in 2002 or the swine flu in 2009.
So, I think that in the future many of us will look back on this era and view vaccine skepticism as a natural and predictable development. I also think that vaccines will help us live long enough to be able to look back.
* Kankakee Daily Journal…
COVID-19 transmission in Kankakee County on Tuesday shifted from “moderate” to “substantial,” the second highest metric from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID data tracker.
Areas with 1 to 49 cases per 100,000 people are considered to have moderate transmission, while 50 to 99 is substantial and 100 and above is high, according to the CDC.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) uses 50 cases per 100,000 as a target threshold for counties to aim to stay under.
The data tracker showed Kankakee County moving from 36 cases per 100,000 on July 24 to 50.06 on Tuesday, with Kankakee County Health Department administrator John Bevis saying there could be as many as 55.
All but six Illinois counties are rated as having substantial or high community transmission, according to the data tracker.
* Other news…
* Poll: America’s pandemic pessimism returns: Americans place the most blame for rising COVID-19 cases and the spread of new variants on the unvaccinated [79 percent]
* “Mask up to keep it up”: Preliminary evidence of the association between erectile dysfunction and COVID-19
* Surprise dip in UK COVID cases baffles researchers: Hospitalizations in England have also started to decline gradually — there were 645 admissions on 1 August, compared with 836 on 25 July. However, Paget cautions that there is some indication that infections might now be creeping up again.
* Arkansas’ Republican Governor Admits Mistake on Mask Mandates as Cases Soar: ‘I Wish That Had Not Become Law’: Arkansas has the third-lowest vaccination rate in the country — ahead of only Mississippi and Alabama among all states.
* NYC, big employers taking hard line against vaccine holdouts
* Chicago has no plans yet for vaccine mandate for restaurants and gyms, Arwady says, but city is watching New York closely
* Here’s what we know about the delta-plus variant
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* Hannah Meisel…
Three months after an investigation into the COVID outbreak that killed 36 residents at the state-run veterans’ home in LaSalle found the facility’s management was “ineffective, reactive and…chaotic” responding to the virus’ spread, Republicans in the Illinois House are once again agitating for more information from Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration.
GOP members are also renewing their call for Attorney General Kwame Raoul to open a criminal probe into the fatal outbreak, which infected nearly all the residents at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home last fall, killing more than a quarter of the facility’s population, and spreading to more than 100 staff members.
But Republicans, who are in the superminority in the General Assembly, have not received answers from those Democratic leaders in months, and are turning up the volume on the issue has largely faded into the background of Illinois’ political discourse.
In communications obtained by NPR Illinois, the top attorney in Pritzker’s office last month blamed the two-month delay in responding to LaSalle-related document requests from a House Republican member on the fact the member sent his formal demand via the U.S. Postal Service to Pritzker’s statehouse office, which also receives a high volume of mail from the general public.
“I regret that our response was not more timely and assure you that the delay was unintentional,” Pritzker’s General Counsel, Ann Spillane, wrote in her letter to State Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Alpha), the minority spokesman on the Illinois House’s Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
#Facepalm.
* Meanwhile…
Some at the statehouse continue to demand a response from the Illinois Attorney General about whether he’ll investigate possible negligence at a state-run home for veterans.
Last fall, 36 residents of the LaSalle Veterans’ Home died of COVID-19 in a matter of weeks. After several reports and legislative hearings, Republicans sent a letter to the Illinois Attorney General to investigate if state statute applied to the “negligent and disturbing activities that arose.”
“The poor practices that allege to have led to the loss of life of at least 36 Illinois heroes in the state’s care are well documented, especially in the Acting Inspector General for the Illinois Department of Human Services report dated April 26th of this year,” said a letter House Republicans sent Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Friday. “To date, your office has not responded to this investigation request. This is not acceptable.”
State Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, comes from the long-term care industry. He was one of 26 lawmakers who signed the letter.
“Any private entity that had that kind of situation would have been prosecuted for one death, two deaths, but 36 deaths,” Caulkins told WMAY.
There’s no doubt that the LaSalle Veterans’ Home outbreak was a horrible and unpardonable utter disaster. Zero doubt. But in LaSalle County alone, three nursing homes have reported at least 24 COVID-19 deaths. Heritage Health Mendota had 24, Liberty Village of Peru had 31 and Ottawa Pavilion had 35. Of 25 nursing home facilities in that county, 16 reported deaths.
* Also, back to Hannah…
Though Raoul’s office has communicated its receipt of the Republicans’ requests via media, as well as indicated it had no plans to open a criminal probe, the GOP members claim they have not received any response from Raoul’s office in the last three months.
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* Ann Maher at the Madison County Record…
Greenville attorney Tom DeVore has announced he will seek a seat on the Fifth District Appellate Court in the 2022 general election.
He will compete in the Republican primary with two other actively campaigning judges running for the seat vacated by Justice David Overstreet, who was elected to the Illinois Supreme Court last year.
DeVore’s profile was heightened last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic as he led many attempts to curtail Gov. JB Pritzker’s use of emergency powers, though unsuccessfully. […]
[Fifth District Justice Justice Barry Vaughan], of McLeansboro, simultaneously is an elected circuit judge in Hamilton County, of the Second Judicial Circuit. His appointment to the Fifth District came at the recommendation of Overstreet to fill the seat that had been occupied by Judge Mark Boie, who was elected to a permanent seat on the court last November. […]
[Fourth Judicial Circuit Judge Michael McHaney] granted a temporary restraining order to plaintiff Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), represented by DeVore, before the case was removed to federal court. (Bailey, now a state senator, is campaigning for governor against Pritzker).
Gonna be wild.
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*** UPDATE 1 *** Subscribers know more about this, too…
Sources briefed on the matter say the governor also will announce a vaccine mandate for certain state employees in positions that put them in substantial contact with the public, including prison guards and certain nursing home personnel. The state already requires masks to be worn in state facilities.
Pritzker has resisted such moves, but they have become much more frequent in other states and cities in recent days.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Tribune…
Pritzker, who’s made his handling of the pandemic central to his reelection bid next year, is stopping short of requiring all state workers to get vaccinated but will mandate it in settings where people are in the direct care of the state, including prisons, juvenile detention facilities and veterans homes. […]
Vaccine uptake has been sluggish among employees at some homes run by the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, with 63% of employees at five homes — including a brand-new one in Chicago that hasn’t opened to residents — fully vaccinated as of July 23, according to the department. That’s compared with 98% of residents of those facilities.
The vaccination rate is even lower among employees at the Department of Corrections, with just 44% fully vaccinated, spokeswoman Lindsey Hess said. While vaccination status is more challenging to track among inmates as they enter and leave the system, the rate was about 69% as of a recent count.
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* Subscribers know a lot more about this announcement…
The governor’s press conference is today at 2:30. We’ll have live coverage.
* Also…
* Here’s a short audio clip from that school board meeting provided by a subscriber. The meeting most certainly wasn’t all “civil” as the above story claimed…
“They need to help themselves,” the guy said about Black people. What that has to do with mask-wearing is kinda beyond me, except that he seemed to happily say the quiet part out loud.
Sheesh.
* Related…
* Louisiana Reinstates Indoor Mask Mandate As State’s Largest Hospital Runs Out Of Beds
* Florida COVID-19 hospitalizations break record for third straight day
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