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*** UPDATED x1 *** COVID-19 roundup
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*** UPDATE *** Jessica Basham…
Good afternoon, members and staff –
First, please note that the session days scheduled for next week (Tuesday, May 5 through Friday, May 
are cancelled. The deadline for House Bills out of Committees, which had previously been rescheduled for May 7, will be extended to Friday, May 15. The 3rd Reading deadline for House Bills, which had previously been rescheduled for May 15, will be extended to Friday, May 22. The deadline for Senate Bills out of Committees will be extended from May 15 to Friday, May 29, and the 3rd Reading deadline for Senate Bills will be extended from May 22 to Sunday, May 31.
Any guesses?
* The taxes from this could be a killer…
A surge in unemployment stemming from the coronavirus shutdown of large parts of the U.S. economy is starting to push some state jobless funds toward insolvency.
At least a half-dozen states already have notified the federal government that they could need to borrow billions of dollars to pay unemployment benefits because their own trust funds are running out of money.
While the shortfalls won’t prevent unemployed workers from getting government aid, the federal loans could lead to higher taxes for businesses in future years to repay the debt.
U.S. Treasury data shows California, Connecticut and Illinois all expect to borrow soon from the federal government to prop up their unemployment funds. Officials in Massachusetts, New York and Texas confirmed to The Associated Press that they also have notified the federal government of their anticipated need for loans.
* Press release…
A Cicero-based nursing home, the Illinois Department of Public Health and Governor JB Pritzker are named in a lawsuit filed today by Town of Cicero over an uncontrolled COVID-19 outbreak in the long-term care facility and that IDPH has “failed to act” despite being alerted two weeks ago, according to the Town’s attorney.
“The Town of Cicero has been incessantly ringing the alarm for weeks to both City View Multicare Center and the Illinois Department of Public Health about the risky and deteriorating conditions in the nursing home,” said Town Attorney Michael Del Galdo, who is also the managing partner of the Berwyn-based Del Galdo Law Group, LLC. “Those warnings have been ignored by City View and Governor Pritzker’s state public health department.”
The suit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court on Friday, May 1, is seeking an injunction against the facility and wants IDPH to move patients out of the facility and into either the recently reopened Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park or the underutilized McCormick Place field hospital.
On March 31, according to the suit, Town officials sent City View a warning letter alerting management to violations concerning failure to quarantine patients, failure of staff to wear PPE, failure to monitor the temperature of individuals entering the facility, and failure to provide masks for patients with respiratory illnesses to wear.
On April 1, City View reported its first two confirmed COVID-19 cases. By April 30, 175 residents and 41 staff have tested positive. Nine residents and one staff member have died. […]
“Under the law, IDPH was required to investigate Cicero’s complaint within 24 hours,” said Del Galdo. “But IDPH has ignored the complaint, making mockery of the governor’s recent ‘prioritizing’ of nursing homes.”
According to the suit, “Other than a response from IDPH that they were “working with” City View, the Town has not seen any demonstrable impact from purported assistance from IDPH – City View’s destructive practices have continued after the complaint and notice to IDPH.
“Having found IDPH’s response to be woefully lacking, on April 30, 2020, the EOC [Emergency Operations Center] coordinated an additional investigation of City View by Director [Sue] Grazzini personally to corroborate ongoing compliance failures still not corrected there.”
The suit is here.
* One more…
In a turn of events, Rock Cut State Park opened its gates on Friday after previously being left off the list of state parks allowed to accept visitors.
Rock Cut, the largest state park in the region, is among 35 additional state parks reopening Friday that were not on the state’s original list of 24.
State Sen. Steve Stadelman said in a news release that he worked with Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Colleen Callahan and representatives of Gov. JB Pritizker’s administration to get Rock Cut added and that those discussions led to 35 more parks reopening.
* Sun-Times live blog headlines…
Antibody tests for coronavirus hold promise, but they’re not yet reliable enough
Art Institute lions will get new, reinforced masks after one was stolen hours after installation
New Pritzker, Lightfoot bobbleheads a nod to their handling of coronavirus crisis
Life after coronavirus: How do you think it will be different post-pandemic? We asked, you answered.
Amazon, Whole Foods, FedEx workers call in sick en masse Friday over hazard pay
Ravinia cancels 2020 season due to coronavirus pandemic
Businesses ready to open as some state COVID-19 restrictions lift
The CTA announced the death of a fourth employee from COVID-19. The employee worked in the CTA’s technology department for over 20 years.
Eighteen employees at a Tootsie Roll manufacturing plant in Chicago have tested positive for COVID-19 since the end of March.
How Gov. Pritzker could slow the spread of COVID-19 at Cook County Jail
* Tribune live blog headlines…
Pritzker says coronavirus contact tracing is a key to reopening Illinois. Public health leaders concede the system isn’t ready yet.
Chicago’s pothole artist blesses the city with coronavirus mosaics in Uptown
Illinois spent more than $200 million battling coronavirus: What is the money for?
Suspension of civil and criminal court operations in Cook County extended to May 31
State bar exam postponed until September
Chicago announces mask giveaways, local modifications to state’s revised state-home order: No golfing in city parks
Amid stay-at-home order, summer camps face uncertainty
In neighborhoods where it fights violence, GoodKids MadCity raises money for those struggling during pandemic
Mask sewing project among Chicago refugee groups leads to new career goal: ‘This is my job’
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says city government worker layoffs a last resort, but preferable to a property tax hike
City officials say O’Hare’s massive $8.5 billion expansion project is moving ahead. But bleak outlook for air travel could force it to scale back.
Man apologizes for throwing Chicago house party caught on video that went viral, says he was honoring 2 slain friends and didn’t realize health risks of packed crowd
He was supposed to retire after 34 years as a surgical tech. Instead, he died after testing positive for coronavirus.
* USA Today roundup…
Ohio stay-at-home order extended
Report: Coronavirus could last up to 2 years
Gilead is ‘moving very quickly’ to get FDA approval for remdesivir
OSHA safety inspectors reviewing scores of employee hospitalizations, deaths
Delta, United, JetBlue will require passengers to wear masks starting Monday
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, May 1, 20 @ 1:55 pm
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Is there a moral equivalence between
the unprecedented actions to reduce illness and save lives from Covid, and
the unprecedented destruction of the lives of millions who are now unemployed, lost their small businesses, and the millions of children who’ve lost their educational opportunities, etc.
This should not be a yes or no answer. It’s rhetorical and socratic.
Comment by 40,000 ft Friday, May 1, 20 @ 2:11 pm
===the unprecedented destruction of the lives of millions who are now unemployed===
Only true if you believe it’s the EO and not the virus that shut everything down. It’s the virus. Period.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, May 1, 20 @ 2:17 pm
Interesting to see Del Galdo taking on Pritzker on the Cicero nursing home lawsuit.
Comment by Practical Politics Friday, May 1, 20 @ 2:22 pm
=== the unprecedented destruction of the lives of millions who are now unemployed, lost their small businesses, and the millions of children who’ve lost their educational opportunities, etc.===
This is like saying it’s the recovery efforts’ fault all this happened… after the hurricane hit
Welp, the hurricane is still hitting. Every day.
I wouldn’t want student in school, I’d hope business would be shuttered and the people safe, I’d think the essentials could be available, but “golf”, “fishing”, “church” would be discouraged…
… during the hurricane.
See how that thinking works… during a disaster.
Now… imagine that hurricane isn’t only in the Carolinas… Florida… Louisiana…
… it’s in ALL 50 states, all the territories and possessions… and DC….
This virus is that hurricane… it’s still raging.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 1, 20 @ 2:27 pm
After the great recession the State had to pay back the UI trust fund for funds borrowed from the federal government, Business and labor used the agreed bill process to hammer out an agreement. One would hope the same process plays out here when the day of reckoning comes. Everyone gets a haircut. Increased taxes and reduced benefits.
Comment by Nagidam Friday, May 1, 20 @ 2:28 pm
Read the Cicero law suit. Thanks for attaching it.
I think the IDPH was sued a day or two ago. It has got to be hard going for the employees at that agency. Everyone should appreciate how difficult it must be for frontline professionals in the agency.
Perhaps a little less time spent on pressers by management and a little more time spent on following up on hospitals going out of business because they are not being paid and a little more time enforcing regulations that are supposed to protect the people in this state regulated nursing facility would be a good idea.
Comment by Back to the Future Friday, May 1, 20 @ 2:37 pm
Interesting to see the falling out between Pritzker and Del Galdo and Cicero, since Del Galdo hosted a meet a greet for Pritzker and Cicero President Larry Domninick early in the campaign.
Comment by SouthSide Markie Friday, May 1, 20 @ 2:47 pm
I golfed today according to the restrictions. It was a good day weather wise and the golfers seemed quite happy despite the fairways being waterlogged in a few spots.
The course is booked solid for the weekend, but due to the restrictions on the number of players it can only accommodate about one quarter of the business that it could have booked under the pre-COVID-19 manner of management. Now, tee times are staggered by fifteen minutes (usually eight) and only two player groups are allowed.
Comment by Practical Politics Friday, May 1, 20 @ 2:51 pm
Practical Politics @ 2:22 pm- “Interesting to see Del Galdo taking on Pritzker on the Cicero nursing home lawsuit.” Yes very interesting, considering that the Dem party meeting to slate Prizker for governor took place in the Del Galdo conference room at 1441 S. Harlem Ave. in Berwyn, complete with high backed leather chairs. Michael Del Galdo has a quite varied set of associates besides Larry Dominick.
Comment by Payback Friday, May 1, 20 @ 3:10 pm
I saw a couple of interesting articles about hospitals starting to do elective procedures again, one in the News Gazette, one in The Southern.
Unsurprisingly the Jim Dey News Gazette article used the phrase “wildly exaggerated” to describe the early estimates on cases/deaths. That I expect from him. I don’t expect the Carle CEO to agree with that assessment. If the head of one of the major hospitals in Downstate Illinois can’t explain to a reporter about how the stay at home order changed the models maybe Carle needs new leadership.
https://www.news-gazette.com/coronavirus/jim-dey-while-arrow-is-pointing-up-hurdles-remain/article_a811cafb-5bf3-5ec8-84f1-a395f40a647c.html
Meanwhile, The Southern had a great article outlining the gradual process for starting procedures again and the reasoning behind it. I’m very impressed with the hospital leadership quoted in that article.
https://thesouthern.com/news/local/southern-illinois-hospitals-to-resume-elective-surgeries-procedures-as-early-as-friday/article_c0f03cbd-638b-5bbc-a018-398b7c3bb9dd.html
Comment by MyTwoCents Friday, May 1, 20 @ 4:05 pm