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* Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) just told me that four nursing homes in her 49th Ward (where she is the Democratic committeeperson) have backed out of serving as polling places for next month’s primary over concerns about COVID-19. The Chicago Elections Board called her today to ask her for alternative site suggestions, Cassidy said.
This reluctance could easily spread to other sorts of facilities, including senior centers and schools. Hold on to your hats.
I’ve asked the Chicago Elections Board for comment. I’ll let you know.
*** UPDATE *** Chicago Elections Board…
Hi Rich,
In response to calls the Chicago Election Board has received from nursing homes, the Board will not be using any nursing homes that were previously designated to serve as Election Day polling places.
We are preparing mailings and emails to voters in the affected precincts to encourage use of Early Voting and Vote By Mail.
Replacement Election Day polling places for the affected precincts are not yet determined. We will be providing more information in the coming week.
Regards,
Jim
*** UPDATE 4 *** Jim Allen at the Chicago Elections Board…
There are no other categories of polling places that are affected.
Allen also told me the board met with the CPS CEO yesterday and two officials from Chicago Archdiocese, as well as the Park District and the Chicago Public Library.
“Right now, our biggest fear is fear itself,” Allen said.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Jim Allen at the Chicago Elections Board…
Hi Rich,
Am writing to update the information provided late Friday.
The Chicago Election Board has modified the pre-Election Day nursing-home voting program, so that is entirely Vote By Mail.
We will not necessarily be changing all Election Day precincts that are in building complexes that include nursing-home components. There are locations with nursing home components in one building, but senior living in other areas, where the residents may want to continue to vote in a polling place in that building instead of going elsewhere to vote. Thus, Election Day precinct polling places are being evaluated individually and changed as needed.
Chicago voters may check their polling place information at chicagoelections.gov/info
Regards,
Jim
Nursing homes are a perfect-storm environment for the coronavirus, pairing residents at greater risk of serious illness with facilities that may be ill-equipped to prevent the spread of infection within their walls and beyond.
Seventy-five percent of U.S. nursing homes have been cited for failing to properly monitor and control infections in the last three years — a higher proportion than previously known, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal inspection data. Those citations have been as mild as a paperwork problem, and as serious as a nursing home not telling state officials about an outbreak as unmonitored workers spread disease to patients.
More here.
* Let’s move on to the Atlantic…
Oregon, situated between the California and Washington hot spots, can test only about 40 people a day. Texas has 16 positive cases, according to media reports, but the health department’s website still lists only three cases. The Texas Tribune has reported that the state can test approximately 30 people a day.
Other states can test even fewer. Hawaii can test fewer than 20 people a day, though it could double that number in an emergency, an official told us. Iowa has supplies to test about 500 patients a day. Arkansas, though not near a current known outbreak, is able to test only four or five patients a day.
On the East Coast, testing capacity varies significantly. New York State has 22 positive cases, including several cases of community transmission in Manhattan and Brooklyn. It can test 100 to 200 people a day. Neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut have not shared any information about how many tests they have run, or about their daily testing capacity.
Pennsylvania can test only about a dozen people a day, and Delaware can test about 50 people, our survey found. An official in Massachusetts, where two of 20 tests have come back positive, said that she did not know the Bay State’s daily capacity, but that its health department “currently [has] an adequate supply of test kits.”
I’ve asked the governor’s office how many people can be tested every day in Illinois and am still waiting for a response. I will update if they get back to me.
*** UPDATE *** Uh-oh…
From AIPAC. "We have confirmed that at least two Policy Conference attendees from New York have tested positive for the Coronavirus." Numerous Congressional staff and lawmakers attended the conference
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) March 6, 2020
*** UPDATE *** Stay tuned…
.@GovPritzker just announced he will join @chicagosmayor at this news conference. https://t.co/sAJ52m5guU
— Heather Cherone (@HeatherCherone) March 6, 2020
* Roundup…
* Ace Hardware cancels spring convention at McCormick Place amid coronavirus worries, in another loss for Chicago convention business
* Fifth Coronavirus Patient in Illinois Speaks Out From Hospital Bed: “I’m feeling a lot better,” he said in a phone interview with NBC 5’s Christian Farr. “I feel safe. I don’t want anybody to be alarmed or be too worried because obviously, it’s hard when you see case number five on the news, you don’t really know what that means.”
* Health officials urge commmon sense regarding the coronavirus: “Of course, a virus absolutely is scary, but there’s a very simple way to take care of it. In the U.S., as I understand it, the people who passed away from it just ignored the symptoms, and by the time they checked it out, it was too late.
* Workplace vs. coronavirus: ‘No one has a playbook for this’
* SXSW canceled: Austin officials end 2020 festival amid coronavirus concerns
* Coronavirus could inflict biggest blow to travel industry since Great Recession
* Indiana confirms first illness linked to coronavirus outbreak
* First Responders Are ‘Trying To Stay Ahead’ Of Coronavirus: Around the country EMS departments are preparing. One concern they share is a looming shortage of masks. State EMS directors are worried agencies could run out “in the next couple weeks,” says Leslee Stein-Spencer, a program advisor at the National Association of State EMS Officials. The shortage will have significant consequences, Stein-Spencer says. When workers get sick, it gets harder to keep ambulance services running. “If it comes to that point, you would look at alternate staffing measures, and you would look at, you know, triaging,” she says. “The sickest patients would come to the hospital and the others would not get an ambulance.”
* University of Washington to hold all classes online
* Coronavirus concerns will keep Big Ten Network from sending its studio team to the conference men’s basketball tournament in Indianapolis: BTN sources on Friday confirmed the decision to have network mainstay Dave Revsine and company to do their tournament pregame, halftime and postgame programs, as well “The B1G Show,” from BTN’s Chicago headquarters.
* Coronavirus Concerns Prompt Illinois State GeoBee To Move Online
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 6, 20 @ 4:10 pm
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SXSW just cancelled completely.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Mar 6, 20 @ 4:16 pm
Ultra Music Festival in Miami has been canceled. This is one of the biggest music festivals in the world and kicks off the touring season for the Western Hemisphere.
Comment by MakePoliticsCoolAgain Friday, Mar 6, 20 @ 4:18 pm
===SXSW just cancelled===
Thanks. Updated.
===Ultra Music Festival in Miami has been canceled===
I posted that yesterday.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Mar 6, 20 @ 4:19 pm
-I posted that yesterday.-
Only sources had it yesterday, but today the email went out to ticket holders canceling the event.
Comment by MakePoliticsCoolAgain Friday, Mar 6, 20 @ 4:22 pm
This is turning out to have some of the farthest reaching impact of anything health related I have ever seen. I hope at the end of this it is just mostly fear of the unknown and the realities will not generate devastating results.
Comment by levivotedforjudy Friday, Mar 6, 20 @ 4:23 pm
My IT guy was telling us an interesting thing the other day. As more people are forced to stay at home or move to on-line business, including teaching on-line and telecommuting, the internet service providers are going to have a heck of a time handling all of the extra traffic. If it gets too intense, you’ll be testing instead of calling just to communicate.
Hope that doesn’t come to pass.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Mar 6, 20 @ 4:25 pm
===This reluctance could easily spread to other sorts of facilities, including senior centers and schools. Hold on to your hats.===
Based on the Washington nursing home cases, might be a good idea to keep extraneous people out of long term care facilities whenever possible.
Comment by JSS Friday, Mar 6, 20 @ 4:45 pm