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* Gov. JB Pritzker said today at his now-daily news conference that 6 new novel coronavirus cases have been discovered, bringing the total to 25, although some have recovered.
The governor asked Illinoisans to vote by mail instead of voting in-person.
And Pritzker said the CDC released guidance yesterday recommending against events of 250 or more. He said he urged people to “think critically” before attending any large gathering.
This post will be updated.
…Adding… The new cases include a Lake County resident in his 50s. The other five cases are in Chicago and Cook County. They are all in isolation, either at a hospital or at home.
…Adding… The governor said his office has been talking to sports team owners and has reached out to the various leagues to see what they were doing. He also said this…
We’re considering all options here. I think if you look back at previous epidemics or outbreaks, that’s always been something that’s considered. So we’re taking a very serious look at that. I mean, as you know, the million people that would have gathered for St Patrick’s Day was something that had to be addressed right away. We have the opening days of various teams coming up in the next couple of weeks. And so we want to make sure that we’re not only considering all of the options here, but considering what those opening dates are and how it might affect those teams and leagues and the public, most important to me, of course, is the safety of the people of our state and their health. And so I’m continuing to have these conversations and decisions are being made.
…Adding… He was also asked about the Thompson Center…
We’re also looking at not just the Thompson center, but other state facilities. For the time being, we haven’t issued guidance around that. I do think it’s worthwhile for us all to pay attention to the the guidance by the CDC in the concentrations issue, buildings that have hundreds and even thousands of people in them, aren’t necessarily buildings that need to close. It’s really a question of proximity of people to one another. As you know there’s this rule of six feet and 10 minutes. And so we’re looking at what that would look like for the Thompson center and evaluating that we’ll make some decisions around that and and all the other facilities that we operate.
IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike was also asked about the Thompson Center…
I don’t think the space itself is the problem it’s just they are communal gatherings where there are large numbers of people in the very small space at the same time, that could promote transmission. That’s what we’ll be looking at, people in their cubicles, you know, those are appropriately spaced away that they’re not in direct contact with their employees. … If you had a meeting that assembled, you know, 250 or 300 people. That’s what we’re concerned about not so much people in their, in their offices.
…Adding… Asked if he will support a bill in the hopper to mandate paid leave, the governor said…
Well I am supportive of paid sick leave in general, but I will say that we’re looking right now, because waiting for action by legislature is perhaps waiting too long. And so, when people run out of their sick time. What we’re looking at is emergency rules through JCAR to activate and delve into our unemployment benefits in the state. We’re also seeking from the federal government, the ability to get a waiver from the ‘able and available’ rule in our unemployment insurance. I think they should be doing that for the entire country. But we’re seeking it for the state of Illinois and also asking them to perhaps consider declaring a state of emergency or disaster for the nation around coronavirus which would open up that ability, building on that.
…Adding… Pritzker went off again on the federal government’s response…
I’ve spoken with other governors who are deeply concerned about this. Here’s what’s happening. We’re not getting enough tests. We’re not getting enough test kits, we’re not getting enough RNA extraction kits which is part of the process of doing a test or the reagent there is a nationwide shortage of this reagent. There is one producer of the reagent. Now this is a result of the CDC having made a decision early on to not let the best research, hospitals and institutions around the United States, develop their own tests, they decided, essentially to reject the ability. Early on, they’re now loosening that up because they realize they created a problem. But as a result of the early decision. There was dependence upon this one reagent this one test method. And the result is that we have a limited number of tests now we’re using them appropriately. As you know, we test people when they come in with symptoms, they get tested for flu, and for other things before we resort to if they test negative on these other items, but still have the respiratory challenges and the fever. Then we’ll go to testing them for COVID-19.
But, the fact that we only have a few of these and need more is indicative of a behavior on the federal government level that is unacceptable to me. So, we’re pressing hard. I believe the federal government is hearing it. But I haven’t yet seen a reaction here’s one of the frustrations for me. Last week, they said to us in response to this question that I posed that by Friday of last week that one of the commercial laboratories, would be starting to issue and produce provide perhaps millions of tests and make those available commercially. And then on Monday. Another of the major testing companies would be doing the same. Well it’s now Wednesday. And as far as I can tell it in the state of Illinois, we have none of that. It’s not being seen across the nation.
We need a lot more help and you hear very little yesterday, I put in calls to people at the federal government level. And I made sure they understood what my call was about. And I got no return phone call from at least two major officials that I reached out to. Now, I know they’re busy and you know I often have heard well, someone’s in the Situation Room, or someone’s in an important meeting and they can’t call the Governor of Illinois back on this subject, but I’m being as loud as I can on the subject and I think that they are going to be reactive to it. I know that many other governors are speaking the same language that I am.
…Adding… He was asked about President Trump…
Well number one that he’s taking this seriously because I have not heard that from the President of the United States. There are other people at the federal level who are taking it seriously. And in fact when you go to levels down, you know you talk to the people are actually doing the work. They understand.
But when the President, you know, wears his, you know, red hat in a CDC facility and talks about his own brilliance around being able to do research to determine an answer to this problem. I mean he’s not taking it seriously and you see what he tweets about this. His people in his administration have called this a hoax.
We need people to take this seriously. I hope that when he gives an address… that he speaks to the concerns that people all across this nation have, and especially to those of us who are trying to provide the care and take care of the health and safety of the people of our states. Tell us what you are going to do to make the situation better.
This rush transcription is done by Otter, by the way. Sorry for any errors. Moving quickly.
* Meanwhile, you may have seen this graphic online…
But what does it really mean?
* NY Times…
The ideal goal in fighting an epidemic or pandemic is to completely halt the spread. But merely slowing it — mitigation — is critical. This reduces the number of cases that are active at any given time, which in turn gives doctors, hospitals, police, schools and vaccine-manufacturers time to prepare and respond, without becoming overwhelmed. Most hospitals can function with 10 percent reduction in staff, but not with half their people out at once.
Some commentators have argued for getting the outbreak over with quickly. That is a recipe for panic, unnecessary suffering and death. Slowing and spreading out the tidal wave of cases will save lives. Flattening the curve keeps society going.
Both curves add up the number of new cases over time. The more people reporting with the virus on a given day, the higher the curve; a high curve means the virus is spreading fast. A low curve shows that the virus is spreading slower — fewer people are diagnosed with the disease on any given day. Keeping the curve down — diminishing the rate at which new cases occur — prevents overtaxing the finite resources (represented by the dotted line) available to treat it.
Think of the health care system capacity as a subway car that can only hold so many people at once. During rush hour, that capacity is not enough to handle the demand, so people must wait on the platform for their turn to ride. Staggering work hours diminishes the rush hour and increases the likelihood that you will get on the train and maybe even get a seat. Avoiding a surge of coronavirus cases can ensure that anyone who needs care will find it at the hospital. […]
The difference between seasonal flu and coronavirus is that many people have full or partial immunity to the flu virus because they have had it before or were vaccinated against it. Far more people are vulnerable to coronavirus, so it has many more targets of opportunity to spread. Keeping people apart in time and space with social distancing measures, self-isolation and actual quarantine decreases opportunities for transmission.
* And here’s how it worked in real time more than a hundred years ago…
There is a reason for canceling public gatherings. In a pandemic, don't be Philadelphia (held a parade in 1918 when cases started to come up, downplayed cases), be St. Louis (canceled gatherings). More here: https://t.co/KE7RYbxDGM @mlipsitch pic.twitter.com/wyrHx0nOLA
— Florian Krammer (@florian_krammer) March 6, 2020
* More…
* Pru Plaza coronavirus case confirmed - Tenants at One Two Pru have been told a worker at the massive complex is ill with the virus. It’s believed to be Chicago’s first confirmed case at a major downtown office building.
* Chicago to move 25 Election Day polling places amid COVID-19 concerns
* McHenry County moving four polling places from senior care facilities
* WIU cancels summer study abroad trips amid coronavirus concerns
* Citing coronavirus, labor coalition demands 15 days paid sick leave, triple the city mandate
* Coronavirus is 10 times more lethal than the seasonal flu, Trump’s task force immunologist says
* White House told federal health agency to classify coronavirus deliberations - sources
* Coronavirus Is a Pandemic, the WHO Says, Calling Out ‘Alarming’ Inaction
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 2:44 pm
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So Gov calls on voting by mail but has yet to close state universities. Some state universities are on spring break this week. Many colleges in surrounding states with fewer cases than Illinois have already moved to on line learning until further notice. I just don’t get it…
Comment by Nervous College Mom Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 2:54 pm
Lake County voting by mail requests are due by 5:00 PM tomorrow, 03/12/2020.
Comment by Wensicia Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:02 pm
I’m voting on Tuesday the same way I always vote, in person.
Comment by Pick a Name Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:06 pm
This seems a quick, sensible path forward for unemployment benefits.
== We’re also seeking from the federal government, the ability to get a waiver from the ‘able and available’ rule in our unemployment insurance. ==
Also, could confirmation of COVID-19 be deemed conclusive evidence that the patient was not “able and available” for 2 to 3 weeks?
Comment by Hamlet's Ghost Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:13 pm
The public health commissioner of St. Louis was informed, decisive, and courageous - and he had the support of St. Louis’ Mayor throughout. He pretty much put the city on lock-down, and it worked.
Well worth it to read how he did it, and draw the necessary lessons for the present.
Comment by dbk Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:14 pm
The St. Louis v Philadelphia graph is the visual necessary to make clear that whimsical decisions to appease those grasping for “normalcy” when caution and tough decisions are necessary.
It’s not that the facts are in question. What is in question is the level of seriousness we all need to give those facts, including all levels of government.
Things will get worse before it will get better right now.
That’s not me saying that, that’s Dr. Fauci of the NIH.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:14 pm
“Some commentators have argued for getting the outbreak over with quickly. That is a recipe for panic, unnecessary suffering and death.”
Paging Boris Johnson. I’m sure others have said this too but Johnson’s idea of “taking it on the chin” has my blood boiling, and I obviously don’t even live in the UK.
Comment by Perrid Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:15 pm
“Don’t be Philadelphia” are words to live by.
Sorry Anne.
Comment by Ok Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:18 pm
If I applied for a mail ballot today, I’m not sure I’d trust the Post Office to get it to me on time.
Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:19 pm
My polling place is a nursing home and will be relocated, which is too bad because it’s around the corner and never busy - there’s never more than a couple of other people there.
Board of Election polling place information says: Not Yet Assigned.
Early voting is usually pretty crowded and they’re not giving the location of the alternate polling place.
So, I can sign up online for vote-by-mail, but we don’t always get our mail in Lincoln Park.
Comment by TinyDancer(FKASue) Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:21 pm
==Early voting is usually pretty crowded ==
In the city, you can early vote in any of the early vote polling places regardless of where you live. Head on up Lincoln to Welles Park or something. I voted there yesterday and was one of three people (not including workers) in the entire place. Took a grand total of 10 minutes and there was hand sanitizer everywhere
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:25 pm
Chicago election judge here and former poll watcher across the city. A lot of our judges are elders, many of whom rely upon the $250 for the service. Real strong argument to my mind to pay all judges over 65 and tell them to stay home.
Already a little nervous about handling hundreds of folks at my precinct; can’t image how that’d feel if I was an elder and also just had to have the cash.
Comment by lakeside Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:28 pm
It appears the NCAA is taking the Coronavirus as serious as it should be.
Basketball, no fans?
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:42 pm
===Many colleges in surrounding states with fewer cases than Illinois have already moved to on line learning until further notice.
It’s more complex than you might think. Cancelling spring break and shortening the school year might be smarter than sending kids home right away. While the residence halls are petri dishes, moving out of the residence halls is even more chaotic and introduces more people into the buildings.
Then what do you do with poor students who don’t have anywhere to go right now?
There’s also the question of capacity for online learning. You have to have a place to stream live or post videos for asynchronous learning and many learning management systems are ready for that kind of increase in use.
Just evaluating on the basis of health effects it’s a tough call as to what would keep community spread down the most.
Comment by Archpundit Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:43 pm
“It appears the NCAA is taking the Coronavirus as serious as it should be.
Basketball, no fans?”
Link…
https://twitter.com/insidethencaa/status/1237838677591511040?s=21
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:44 pm
meanwhile, plainfield just confirmed they are going forward with their parade this Sunday.
Can we get the IL dept of public health on this? There are places deliberately ignoring the advice of public health professionals.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:45 pm
All public buildings should adjust their air handlers for 100% outside air intake/100% exhaust air outside/0% recycled air. Otherwise someone infected sneezes and the air handlers spread it around.
Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:45 pm
The cubicle farm comment ignores the following…
The cubicle walls don’t extend to the ceiling
The cubicles aren’t separated on all sides by six feet.
The persons on the other side of the walls may only be a foot away from you.
The break room, copy room, etc. are open to everyone in the cubicle farm. We have work type meetings at cubicle entryways or in conference rooms.
The community bathrooms are open to the public and the sinks are a few inches apart.
The hallways to get anywhere are open to the public.
The cafeteria is open to the public.
Comment by thoughts matter Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:48 pm
Any Sentinel testing results?
They could just declare semester over use midterm grades nervous mom.
Comment by Not a Billionaire Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:49 pm
Archpundit - you are correct, at least in part. For example, sending kids home for a week or two may mean some return with the virus. Or, if the virus is on campus, kids may spread it to their home community. At this point, though, we should expect most parts of the US to be exposed (unless we impose China-like restrictions on movement of non-sick individuals). Instead, social distancing within those areas is preferable.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:51 pm
What’s next invisible man, martial law? Those communities have a choice, and those attending have a choice.
Comment by Salty Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:51 pm
===Those communities have a choice, and those attending have a choice===
Might wanna read up on the law, bro.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:54 pm
==Salty==
This is the only time I’m going to acknowledge you.
Their neighbors in Naperville have cancelled their parade, because that is the advice of health professionals.
The town has a choice. The people attending the parade have a choice.
The vulnerable people in the retirement home in town do not have a choice.
It’s clear you put your own need over those of others. If that’s the reputation you want, that’s the reputation you will get. So will any towns that ignore the advice of medical professionals.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:56 pm
===martial law?===
We’ve fed you.
You should show others like the NIH how ridiculous you are… report back.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:58 pm
==- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 3:14 pm:==
Or what the Chinese have done. They dramatically flattened the curve.
Comment by Precinct Captain Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 4:06 pm
===you are correct, at least in part.
To be clear, I have no idea what the right answer is. All that you said is spot on.
Comment by Archpundit Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 4:09 pm
The U of I has asked faculty to prepare to be able to teach in person classes online after spring break and students to bring everything they need when they leave in case they have to finish the semester away from campus. Remember that they use third party software to run online courses so they will have to make sure that those services can handle a big increase in load. My company is beefing up its ability to handle remote work as well. Spare a thought for your friendly neighborhood sysadmins the next few weeks. They have a hell of a lot of work to do.
Comment by Michael Feltes Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 4:10 pm
- Precinct Captain -
Yep. Now this in Italia…
@RichardEngel - Italy tightening controls significantly: Italy to close all shops except for food stores and pharmacies.
Germany is also choosing to be stricter too.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 4:11 pm
===Those communities have a choice, and those attending have a choice.
This is the case where they don’t have a choice should IDPH and the Governor decide they don’t. Police powers in public health emergencies, disasters, war, and insurrection are very strong.
Comment by Archpundit Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 4:12 pm
Michael–what about using non-searchable YouTube for asynchronous videos? A few of us were thinking through possibilities and this seemed like one of the few platforms that might handle the load increase.
Comment by Archpundit Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 4:14 pm
It’s too late now, but I feel like the best response from residential universities would have been to cancel spring break and keep everyone in town and on campus. The risk is people leaving campus and coming back with the virus. Many universities are doing this with faculty and staff (encouraging them to forego conferences and other travel), but not with students (who are the bulk of the population).
I hope that in planning for the future they might consider the option of keeping everyone in place and isolating those who leave and return.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 4:19 pm
@Archpundit: I’m not sure how helpful that would be. Lecturing is more interactive than you might initially think and Youtube doesn’t help with discussion sections and graduate seminars. There are good solutions in place, it’s just a question of whether they scale up and whether faculty and TAs who aren’t used to the interactive platforms will be able to use them well.
@Anonymous: If we would stop screwing around in this country and get going with fiber-to-the-home, the bandwidth issues would be a lot less pressing. To my mind, that would be much more valuable than 5G. I have I3 Broadband and it’s excellent, but if we’d bought a house two blocks away it wouldn’t be available. The backbone fiber was laid here in C-U over 10 years ago and it’s only just in the past couple of years that a utility has come in who seems to know what they’re doing.
Comment by Michael Feltes Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 4:29 pm
===Archpundit===
Correct.
Which is why I posted about the people who don’t have a choice.
I sincerely hope the IDPH steps in here. It’s obvious the village is acting recklessly here and is proceeding with an event that they have certainly been warned about by health professionals - and have chosen to ignore.
That’s the point where their choice ends, and the ILDPH should step in to remove that choice for them.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 4:36 pm
===TheInvisibleMan
I was responding to Salty.
Comment by Archpundit Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 4:39 pm
===There are good solutions in place, it’s just a question of whether they scale up and whether faculty and TAs who aren’t used to the interactive platforms will be able to use them well.
Michael–thanks. My general thought is that the difficulty of getting so many people onto live discussion quickly is going to be too hard to do. A lot of online programs are asynchronous because of those challenges. I’ve seen it done with just video conferencing systems, but I’m not sure on this scale it will work well. But I guess we are going to find out.
Comment by Archpundit Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 4:42 pm
Our ignorance about Covid-19 is still huge. Is it like measles where one infection gives years of protection or is it a recurring disease? Are there groups of people, such as healthy college students, where the symptoms are mild? If so, the idea of infecting them in groups, keeping the groups quarantined, and then having them go out when they can no longer spread or acquire the disease could make sense. (We could do this with military units, one platoon per company at a time.)
We just don’t know.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 4:53 pm
Here’s a big question as things close people are self quarantined how is Chicago going to be able to get enough food for 3 million people into the city for two weeks?
Comment by Frank talks Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 5:06 pm
===as things close people are self quarantined===
I think only non-essential personnel will be asked to work from home. Food distribution is essential, so unless those workers get sick, I doubt they’ll be asked to stay home.
Just as police, fire, medical professionals are still going to have to work. The social distancing is getting people like me to not ride the Brown Line for a couple of weeks unless absolutely necessary. Grocery stores and pharmacies will remain open but it’s not going to be a good month for restaurants. You’ll have to prepay your delivery order and the guy will leave the pizza on your door step.
PS: tip generously if you can.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 5:16 pm
===for two weeks===
Gonna be longer than that, I think.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 5:39 pm
I wonder if the eventual isolation and quarantines will be asked of people over a certain age if this gets worse, in the counties most affected? They’re the hardest hit by and most susceptible to the disease.
Comment by Wensicia Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 6:05 pm
The NBA just suspended its whole season.
Add that to the NCAA tourney…
Wow.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 8:51 pm
I live in the country. I have food, water and weapons. I will survive.
Comment by ANON Thursday, Mar 19, 20 @ 5:59 am