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* Kavahn Mansouri at the BND…
A plan to reopen Madison County will be voted on Tuesday after county officials asked for more time to study the legality of the plan.
During a special meeting Friday of the Madison County Health Board, members voted to table until next week a plan to reopen the county that would defy Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to open the state on a gradual and regional basis. The action to delay a vote came at the request of State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons.
The meeting was the second special meeting to discuss plans for reopening, the first of which took place Thursday. During that meeting, Bond County attorney Tom Devore argued that the current stay-at-home order was beyond the governor’s power.
Devore is Rep. Bailey’s attorney. He’s getting a lot of free advertising off of this, including a blatant pitch from a state representative…
* Rafael Guerrero at the Elgin Courier-News…
The Northwest Bible Baptist Church in unincorporated Elgin intends to reopen for Sunday services beginning May 17, defying the state’s stay-at-home order and restrictions on large gatherings.
The church and its attorneys have sent Gov. J.B. Pritzker and county officials its intent to reopen under reduced capacity, using social distancing measures, requiring masks, and more.
“We are grateful for the guidance our government has provided through this pandemic and have respectfully refrained from gathering for weeks,” Pastor Keith Gomez said in a written statement. “However, we are persuaded that now is the time to safely resume meeting together in-person.”
Gomez has challenged stay-at-home orders in the past. When schools closed statewide in March, the church’s Northwest Baptist Academy school stayed open for a few days. Kane County sheriff deputies waited outside the campus on March 23 to greet parents and hand out copies of a compliance letter. That morning, Gomez told authorities they had reversed their decision and switched to remote learning.
More background on that pastor and his church…
Pastor Keith Gomez, leader of the “old-fashioned, independent” Northwest Bible Baptist Church in Elgin, Illinois, argued in a recent sermon that if it wasn’t for slavery, black people “would still be in Africa with a bone in their nose fighting lions.” […]
In the clip, Gomez argues that the book of Philemon supports slavery yet modern day Christians are being taught to hate it.
“When you get in the Pauline — are y’all listening to me? — when you get into the Pauline epistles, you’re getting in the doctrine. So why would you get in Philemon when he’s trying to teach you how to treat your slave? If they should be slaves,” Gomez said.
“See, what you wanna do is turn in to TBN [Trinity Broadcasting Network] and listen to them odd birds who don’t know doctrine whatsoever. And then you hate slavery because we were taught to hate that. Because we’re so nasty,” he continued before scolding white people for feeling guilty about slavery.
“And some of you little whities can’t get it either. If it wasn’t for slavery, those folks would still be in Africa with a bone in their nose fighting lions. And if you don’t like that, you can lump it any way you want. That ain’t a prejudice. That is factual and historical,” he said.
Whew.
* Another suit and another church…
Pritzker has also faced lawsuits, including one filed Friday in Clay County by salon owner Sonja Harrison. She alleged that Pritzker didn’t have constitutional authority to close her business, Visible Changes. A judge in the same southern Illinois county has already ruled in favor of one Republican lawmaker who claimed the order violated his civil rights. The state has appealed. […]
Also Sunday, a Chicago church that sued Pritzker over the stay-at-home order became the latest to defy restrictions limiting worship to 10 people. Roughly 70 people attended Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Masks, gloves and hand sanitizer were made available. Cristian Ionescu, the church’s senior pastor, directed worshipers to stand 6 feet apart inside the church that has capacity for roughly 1,400.
“We feel that we are discriminated against,” Ionescu told the Sun-Times. “We follow the same rules as other places that are also considered essential, and yet we cannot have more than 10 people in a service, which is ridiculous.”
Kinda wondering which Clay County attorney is representing Ms. Harrison.
* More…
The restaurant’s owner, Robert Newman, says he indeed opened the restaurant today, and has been in contact with the City of Herrin and the Franklin-Williamson Bi-County Health Department.
Newman says he had people wrapped around the building. Newman says he accepted a phone call from the health department a minute after opening, asking that he “voluntarily stop seating people”.
“He said, “Rob will you voluntarily stop seating people?” I said, “What does voluntarily mean? No, I will not.” He said, “Well, than I will have no choice but to pull your food license.” I said, “you can’t do that!” He said, “yes I can, and I will.”
Newman says, during the phone call, he claimed he would sue the health department. Newman says the man’s response was, “go right ahead.”
Newman says, at that point, he stopped seating people to avoid losing his license. “I don’t think the health department even knows their role in this. I never once got a letter from the health department or a visit from the health department when all of this started,” claimed Newman.
I don’t think Mr. Newman understands the role of public health departments.
* Meanwhile…
The Hamilton County Sheriff stated that his office will not be enforcing Governor JB Pritzker’s Executive Orders during the COVID-19 response.
In a Facebook post, Hamilton County Sheriff Tracy Lakin cited the office does not have the resources to enforce the orders.
Sheriff Lakin is asking county residents not to call his office to report any businesses that have opened or group gatherings.
He said he does not have the manpower to respond to these types of calls
Hamilton County is in Little Egypt.
* The demonstrations, however, are still pretty small…
Gov. JB Pritzker is no longer holding weekend COVID-19 briefings at Chicago’s Thompson Center, but protesters are still showing up to try to get his attention.
Dozens of people gathered outside the Thompson Center Saturday, calling for the governor to reopen Illinois.
“I think Pritzker is acting like a tyrant,” said Joliet resident Melissa Pointer. “I think he is taking away our constitutional rights, and I am calling him to stand down.”
The anti-vaxxers are quite visible at these little rallies…
* Related…
* 72 Wisconsin residents got COVID-19 after being at large event
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 11, 20 @ 9:46 am
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A very prompt Illinois Supreme Court opinion in Pritzker’s favor would help with public opinion and compliance. So would a quick vote by the General Assembly on a bill reaffirming and clarifying Pritzker’s powers in an epidemic.
Comment by Keyrock Monday, May 11, 20 @ 9:54 am
We can really see the hideous people coming out of the woodwork during such a crisis. Any church leader supporting slavery should know better to not do it and should be kicked out of the church.
Also, leadership from the president is an expletive-show. How far we have fallen as a country to go from an FDR to a Trump.
Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, May 11, 20 @ 9:58 am
So Pritzker is opposed by anti-vaxxers and unrepentant racists?
Stay the course, Governor.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Monday, May 11, 20 @ 9:58 am
My mother lives in a small city in western Kentucky. They were allowed by the state to reopen the churches yesterday. Her SBC church did not reopen. Instead she continued to “attend” the morning service on a laptop she borrowed from her public library that she can’t return because it’s not open.
Comment by Cheryl44 Monday, May 11, 20 @ 9:59 am
If the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County reopen as planned a week from today, I expect the hue and cry from the Metro East will be quite loud at that point. While I generally support how the Governor has approached the COVID-19 crisis, I have a feeling the stay-at-home order will be a relatively moot point from a purely pragmatic perspective in the Metro East at that point. I hope this is being taken into account.
Comment by Zim Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:00 am
Good to know there’s work out there for lawyers.
Comment by Siualum Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:03 am
So, Newman has to open his business or face closure, but if forced to close he will have money for a lawsuit.
He could have done curbside like a number of small businesses have done, not ideal but revenue still coming in.
One phone call and the Don’t Tread on Me facade goes out the window. Walk it like you talk it, tough guy.
Comment by efudd Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:05 am
Devore libel suit from 2017. This is the kinda lawyer Ms. Harrison and others has retained. Real classy.
https://judici.com/courts/cases/case_information.jsp?court=IL068015J&ocl=IL068015J,2017L1,IL068015JL2017L1P1
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/school-board-candidate-under-fire-for-facebook-post/393719025
Comment by Anon221 Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:05 am
As someone who grew up in the Boy Scouts learning all about what it takes to be a decent human being, a good citizen, and self-sufficient; I just have to ask, what in the world was wrong with these peoples’ upbringing? Feverishly attempting to bring about more death, more sickness, more despair, and more hatred. Seriously people, grow up.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:08 am
If the Governor continues “going it alone” he is going to lose the audience. If I can eat in a restaurant in St. Louis, but can’t in Alton does he really expect the order will have any practical impact?
Comment by Ray Gun Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:09 am
To be fair, if you are voluntarily a member of Gomez’s flock, Covid 19 is the least of your concerns.
Comment by efudd Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:13 am
Devore “represented Bailey v Pritzker (and won)” before he folded his tent and went home. Funny how they left that part out.
Comment by Socially DIstant watcher Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:13 am
The anti-vaxxer holding that sign appears to be pretty health conscious.
Comment by efudd Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:14 am
the arrogance emanating from the 16th floor of the Thompson Center is causing more people to question this Administration.. they are not as smart as they think they are..
Comment by NotRich Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:16 am
Well. This post and other assorted events of the morning down here in southern Illinois have convinced me that today I can break my own self imposed rule of no drinking before noon. Suffice it to say overall my region disappoints me.
Comment by DownSouth Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:16 am
“yes I can, and I will.”
Do I have your attention now?
Comment by efudd Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:16 am
===Pastor Keith Gomez, leader of the “old-fashioned, independent” Northwest Bible Baptist Church in Elgin, Illinois, argued in a recent sermon that if it wasn’t for slavery, black people “would still be in Africa with a bone in their nose fighting lions.”===
“Pastor” Gomez and his “old-fashioned” church preach the Gospel of Hate, pure and simple. You should hear them rail against LGBTQ people. They are definitely not believers in Jesus Christ’s “Love Thy Neighbor” message.
Comment by Dance Band on the Titanic Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:17 am
This protester( and others) are against stay at home and also anti-vaccine. There’s no cure for this virus either. They just want people to be exposed by others and then take their chances? There’s not really any other way to interpret their opinions, is there?
Comment by thoughts matter Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:18 am
DownSouth-
Union county has had over 50 positive tests, and one fatality, for approx. 10,000 residents.
Still see knuckleheads in grocery stores w/o masks. Most are over 40.
Comment by efudd Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:19 am
- DownSouth -
Keep the faith.
Speaking of faith;
If the shepherd of a flock thinks religious piety means risking the lives of the sheep… that ain’t the best shepherd, and that shepherd isn’t keeping his/her sheep safe.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:21 am
How about, in the spirit of “you first” … Allow Clay County to reopen fully. Residents can resume life as usual but are not permitted to go in and out of the county other than for work. They are limited to the healthcare facilities and personnel available there in the county.
They can show us how silly we are all being.
Clay County, you go first.
Comment by DownStater Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:23 am
Miller is openly recruiting clients for an attorney?
DeVore is more than a bit player here. He’s a local candidate with a controversial history, including suing his political opponents for defamation when they quoted his own FB post.
Expect to see him running for higher office, or aiming for appointment.
Comment by walker Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:27 am
Madison County GOP board members are trying to change the subject from their lack of action against one of their own in a sexual harassment case involving Glenn Poshard’s daughter.
Some of them are also involved in hacking the email of County elected officials and possibly the courts.
Comment by Highland IL Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:30 am
thoughts matter- Unfortunately, there are those out there who are “partying” like it doesn’t matter. Some believe they are “helping” others, and themselves, by spreading herd immunity. Two such “events” in Washington State and Kentucky-
“We are battling for the health and even the lives of our parents and our grandparents,” Beshear said at the time. “Don’t be so callous as to intentionally go to something and expose yourself to something that can kill other people. We ought to be much better than that.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coronavirus-parties-washington-county-linked-rise-cases-officials-say-n1201146
Comment by Anon221 Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:31 am
===“Pastor” Gomez and his “old-fashioned” church preach the Gospel of Hate, pure and simple.===
Indeed, he could not be more wrong about the Epistle to Philemon if he tried. Absolutely, thoroughly, completely wrong.
Comment by Nick Name Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:35 am
538 reported how people didn’t wait for stay-at-home orders to socially distance & I’ve seen information that interregional travel reduction has slowed the spread. If I were Pritzker, I would seek a bill from the General Assembly & maybe a stay-in-the-county order instead of stay-at-home or a mask rule plus just emphasizing to people that the absence of travel rules doesn’t mean things are safe.
Comment by Blake Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:35 am
“What zombie movies got wrong about the actual apocalypse, part 1,487: they omitted scenes of people on the street demanding the right to be eaten by zombies.”
Comment by Moe Berg Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:43 am
It looks like New York is bending down the curve while “reopen” states, Florida, Georgia and Texas, have daily numbers jumping up and down. Hopefully for Illinois, yesterday was a big day and the beginning of us being more like New York and bending down the curve.
Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:46 am
Who knew the Amity Island mayor was such an icon for local elected officials
Comment by In 630 Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:46 am
==So, Newman has to open his business or face closure, but if forced to close he will have money for a lawsuit.==
Ever hear of contingency fees? if you don’t win, you don’t pay.
Yeah, I tend to tune out during commercials too. But these guys are all over the tube trolling for clients. I’m old enough to remember when that would get you disbarred.
Comment by Streamwood Retiree Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:52 am
I think these people need to read Rich’s column in the Southern Illinoisan. The Trial Attorneys are smelling blood (money) https://thesouthern.com/opinion/columnists/rich-miller-businesses-may-end-up-taking-on-liability/article_1838cc12-fff2-55e4-94f2-77bb08f15c46.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share&fbclid=IwAR0Q5FsNKKirolXt4ZuL9XeaJTyPMmAjgvnQLb_3ZlloYacFomoX9sHLx_I
Comment by jimbo26 Monday, May 11, 20 @ 10:59 am
Okay. I’m going to come at this from a bit different perspective. If we look at past pandemics where no vaccine was immediately available, and limited treatment options existed, we can draw some lessons. This is going to be a pretty dark and cynical look at things.
Keep in mind we were sheltering at home before the Governor’s order, and that I believe he has been listening to medical experts.
1) the virus isn’t going away … especially any time soon
2) there probably isn’t going to be a proven and widely available vaccine for a year or more
3) the whole point of the stay at home order was to slow the spread of the virus to keep from overwhelming the hospitals with the critical cases requiring ICU treatment
4) the second reason was to get testing capacity in place, something the State has somewhat managed
5) at some point, the State needs to reopen for business before everyone goes bankrupt
6) when the State reopens, even with masks and social distancing, some people will get the virus, creating a second surge
7) hopefully, with heightened awareness and access to testing, the new cases can be identified and isolated quickly … and hopefully not overwhelm the treatment capabilities. If the second wave isn’t controlled, history teaches us it will more likely be worse than the first wave.
8) after the second wave, there will be third and subsequent waves which will hopefully be smaller as more people have developed a resistance to it
9) herd immunity, either from exposure and recovery or a vaccine, will be the only way we get back to a pre-virus sembelance of normal.
A couple of observations:
Rural communities may not have many cases, but a lot of them have limited health care facilities. Some of those hospitals are not much more than triage facilities to the larger urban hospitals. I think the State Department of Public Health recognized this when they provided input to the reopening up plans.
As noted, urban centers on or near the State Line will be much less likely to follow a phased reopening, and we should expect corresponding flair ups / hot spots.
Bottom line - It is likely a lot of us will get it over the next year. The only thing that will limit that is controlled reopening of the State.
I don’t know if JB’s plan is the correct one … but it is A plan. For what I see,it needs a bit more thinking through and a few adjustments in terms of what is allowed in what phase. Maybe instead of having just state bureaucrats working on it, they should incorporate some unemployed workers and mom & pop shops owners.
And, by going slow, we will have the benefit of learning how faster plans work out.
Comment by RNUG Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:10 am
=== So would a quick vote by the General Assembly on a bill reaffirming and clarifying Pritzker’s powers in an epidemic. ===
I would like to believe that a vote by the General Assembly would help with public opinion and compliance; unfortunately, I can’t.
We’re seeing the flaming tribalism that has become the sad norm of our politics today. The GOP is not interested in working with the Gov on an appropriate health response. Any vote will be a partisan one which will do nothing to help with acceptance and compliance.
Comment by Norseman Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:11 am
A public health order is only as good as the public’s belief in the order and willingness to go along with it.
I’ve been heartened by the number of people wearing a mask in my downstate community. But a check-in from Davenport and my dad said that in a line of 20 people, he and two others were wearing a mask.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:12 am
jimbo26- and the 2 (so far) commenters on the SI article need to read the Governor’s press releases-
“The Governor will continue to hold daily press briefings via video conference which are live-streamed at illinois.gov/LiveVideo as well as on Facebook and Twitter.”
Comment by Anon221 Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:13 am
Norseman, you may be right. I would hope that Sen. Brady and Rep. Durkin would cooperate with the governor to ensure public health, but that time may already have passed.
Comment by Keyrock Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:17 am
Clearly, the Reverend is among the most nonChristian Christians around.
Comment by low level Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:33 am
I hope all the churches clamoring to reopen read about the church in Calgary that “did everything right” with social distancing and hygiene yet still had 24 members contract COVID-19 out of a gathering of 41
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/i-would-do-anything-for-a-do-over-calgary-church-hopes-others-learn-from-their-tragic-covid-19-experience-1.4933461
Comment by tea_and_honey Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:35 am
RNUG nails it. There’s no perfect solution. Personally, given the number of protesters, anti-vaxers, lawsuits, etc. I have lost faith. Far too many people are happily willing to display their unenlightened mindset (not what I really want to call them, but appropriate). I hope someday to be proven wrong.
Comment by Lt Guv Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:35 am
RNUG, I’m not sure when you think herd immunity is going to occur, but the issue is being one of the herd when it does. I think you’re right about most of us getting it sooner, or later. We are learning more about how to treat this curse every day, and so my goal is to avoid the virus as long as possible to give the medical community time to develop treatments and get to an adequate level of test, trace, isolate, so I can be one of the heard developing immunity.
Comment by PublicServant Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:36 am
The people who demand that everything immediately be “reopened” are nostalgic for the days of polio in mid-20th Century small-town America. Polio infections have a profile very similar to COVID-19:
https://ourworldindata.org/polio
“Permanent paralysis fortunately occurs in only 0.5% of infections. The majority of infections (72%) do not lead to any symptoms. About a quarter of cases (24%) result in “abortive” poliomyelitis which leads to nonspecific symptoms for a few days, such as a fever or a cold, and 1-5% of cases lead to “non-paralytic aseptic meningitis”, in which the patient suffers from stiff limbs for up to 10 days.”
Before the development of the Salk vaccine, in 20th Century America polio was generally treated like some random act of God that could not be controlled by deliberate intervention. There was some suspicion the disease lay scattered and inert in the dust, until a boy kicked it into his nostrils while playing outside. True, when there were outbreaks the children of a town or city may have been kept inside for most or all of a summer, chafing at the view from their window. But according to my grandparents, in most years boys were still allowed to swim in the local watering hole while girls played hopscotch on the sidewalk. When word went out that a child had been stricken everyone who knew or knew of the child turned their thoughts and prayers to the sick, for a moment, after which life went on as before. And the sick person was all but forgotten, except by the family.
This is the door they wish to reopen, the world they want to return to. One that systematically permits sickness and death, even though we now know how to avoid it.
Like some episode of “The Twilight Zone.”
Better, would be for us to develop forms of interaction that let us return to a semblance of our former way of life, but with universal mandatory adoption of various forms of transmission barriers. At least until a vaccine is developed.
Comment by Comma Chameleon Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:38 am
Since that is Rep. Miller’s official State Representative page, is it within the parameters of the Ethics Act for him to refer people to a specific attorney?
Paging all those ethics reformers and the LIG for an opinion.
Comment by {Sigh} Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:52 am
As a resident of Madison County, I think it is a mistake to defy the State, but I do get the frustration. The Governor’s communication with downstate has been non-existent. Senator Crowe is complaining as well. It is hard to tell small businesses who see big box stores open and letting people in with no masks, that they are saving lives. St. Louis County and City will reopen May 18th. They will require masks and limited capacity. If we adopted the same, I think we should reopen with them. As a region, we have been lucky here that it isn’t as bad as Chicago. I want us to be cautious, but the Governor’s plan is not making sense for us. At least talk to us Governor Pritzker!
Comment by Bethalto Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:00 pm
== I’m not sure when you think herd immunity is going to occur … ==
My non-medical guess is a year or more from now, after at least 3 waves.
Comment by RNUG Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:04 pm
There has been much talk about vaccines and herd immunity related to this virus. What if neither are attainable? I think both of those are assumptions that really can’t be made yet. Time will tell.
Comment by Captain Who Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:05 pm
Ray Gun -
Alton’s Governor seems to be following the example of St. Louis’ Spanish Flu-era Public Health Director, Max Starkloff, MD. St. Louis’ Governor seems to be following the example of Starkloff’s Philadelphia contemporary, Wilmer Krusen, MD. History has shown Starkloff was right and Krusen was wrong.
https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/a4/ca440001-3306-57d0-bcfb-bcc02daad683/5e753b81c898f.image.jpg?resize=750%2C422
Comment by Anyone Remember Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:05 pm
Waiting for the ILGOP to use this opportunity of harnessing these #MAGA lynch mobbers to an effort to reduce, if not eliminate, Democrat supermajorities in the ILGA.
Comment by VerySmallRocks Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:21 pm
=== Waiting for the ILGOP to use this opportunity of harnessing these #MAGA lynch mobbers to an effort to reduce, if not eliminate, Democrat supermajorities in the ILGA.===
LOL… with Trump heading the ticket?
“Ok”
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:22 pm
I am with Public Servant. My goal is to provide doctors time to identify possible treatments before I begin roaming far. I am in high risk group and a state retiree. I want to be able to enjoy my pension as long as I can.
Comment by illinifan Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:22 pm
The problem is that too many see this as a binary choice. We’re either fully opened or completely locked down. The solution has always been somewhere in the middle and its likely to be messy and evolving.
What we need to do is put the framework in place that allows us to live with the virus for the foreseeable future. As RNUG described there’s likely going to be waves and the hope is that each successive wave is a bit less than the prior. Testing, tracing, and treatments will all help. They won’t eliminate the risk but make it more manageable.
Comment by Pundent Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:37 pm
=== The solution has always been somewhere in the middle and its likely to be messy and evolving===
This is most true, and - RNUG - has thoughtful words to steps.
The issue, however, is folks unwilling to see this as a medical crisis, a pandemic, and think of the economic part as a “choice” not as a deterrent to the medical crisis, even the phases to open smartly.
The selfish folks risking lives don’t realize it’s not just their life is at play with their choices.
Like I said, it’s most true, but you’re asking for rationale thoughts from those unwilling to consider the lives of others.
Stay well.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:46 pm
“A public health order is only as good as the public’s belief in the order and willingness to go along with it.”
Tell that to a restaurant owner without a current inspection. The county department of public health has the right to inspect any restaurant at any time, and pull the inspection.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:57 pm
Percentages of population necessary for herd immunity from various scientific reporting varies for this virus from 50 -70 percent of population. Even with a 1% fatality rate that is a lot of souls.
Comment by Robert Lincoln Monday, May 11, 20 @ 1:06 pm
=== Even with a 1% fatality rate that is a lot of souls.===
A very important point;
If you think on that, 1% is still 10 times greater than the flu.
Ten times.
That’s best case? Whew.
Good point.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 11, 20 @ 1:14 pm
I’m happy to see the Madison County Board is planning yo reopen the county this week. Businesses can open as long as certain safety guidelines are met and it sounds like the health department will be monitoring. I say give us small business owners a chance to be responsible and open up under the same guidelines that the big box stores and grocery stores are following.
I saw that “Bethalto” said “even Senator Crowe has been complaining”. Please, she merely questioned Pritzker’s plan and it spread like wildfire that she was bucking the governor. She and the two democrat state reps here (Bristow and Stuart) have been deafeningly silent, apparently afraid to oppose the governor. Our other senator (Plummer) has been very outspoken about the need to use common sense instead of a one size fits all strategy, and has gotten an overwhelming amount of public support. I think Crowe is finally being forced to come out of hiding now that public pressure has mounted so quickly.
Comment by Dave W Monday, May 11, 20 @ 1:25 pm
Questioning the Governor’s plan is a healthy thing in a democracy. As usual, though, everyone gets fixated on the extremists, and the chance for a constructive dialog suffers.
Comment by Pelonski Monday, May 11, 20 @ 1:33 pm
My only request for all these people who are defying the orders and opening their restaurants/communities to large gatherings. Please remember to take photos of the crowd. You don’t need to publish them but it will be hugely helpful with contact tracing when the inevitable outbreaks occur. Sorry to sound harsh, but I’ve given up trying to get willfully ignorant people to do the right thing. They won’t.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Monday, May 11, 20 @ 1:35 pm
In the letter to Philemon, the Apostle Paul details how he convinced a runaway slave to return to the slave-owner Philemon. But Paul says to the Philemon, “Receive him (the slave) as you would receive me (Paul).” The letter is certainly not a pro-slavery document. Rather, it is an appeal to a slave-owner to release the man from slavery so that he could return to the elderly Paul and assist him in his old age.
To be clear–this has almost nothing to do with current COVID issues.
Comment by ajjacksson Monday, May 11, 20 @ 1:44 pm
Dave W- Jason Plummer cares about one thing and that is himself. I have seen his posts. The GOP are so afraid of these people screaming liberty. If we reopen we need to REQUIRE face masks, not just recommend. He is against that. Senator Crowe has been advocating for us and I commend her. The legislature needs to reconvene and develop an actual plan that allows businesses to plan. Under Pritzker’s plan most small businesses downstate will needlessly be bankrupted.
Comment by Bethalto Monday, May 11, 20 @ 2:26 pm
==I’m happy to see the Madison County Board is planning yo reopen the county this week. ==
So you’re happy that the county is going to violate the law. Nice.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, May 11, 20 @ 3:09 pm
== So you’re happy that the county is going to violate the law.==
Apparently the States Attorney doesn’t believe they would be breaking the law. Or he’s going to chose not to enforce it.
Comment by Dave W Monday, May 11, 20 @ 3:31 pm
Dave W, it’s not violating the law to go without masks or open up. It’s violating an executive order. As Rich pointed out in his article.
It’s not the Governor or the health department that’s gonna get you as a small business owner.
It’s your insurance company
It’s also customers who will not go into your business or utilize you because of the violation. I think it was 80% that believe staying home is the right thing to do.
Even if it’s 50/50
That’s a lot of folks who will not come in your shop
Because they’ll remember
Just like I’m going to remember Weezy’s in Hamel.
I’ll never go there again.
Comment by Honeybear Monday, May 11, 20 @ 4:10 pm
But you’re fine with people going to Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Menard’s, grocery stores, Walgreen’s, liquor stores, marijuana dispensaries, etc?
Comment by Dave W Monday, May 11, 20 @ 4:51 pm
== But you’re fine with people going to Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Menard’s, grocery stores, Walgreen’s, liquor stores, marijuana dispensaries, etc? ==
I’m not comfortable with the big box stores; too much crowding and non-compliance. I’ve been sticking to my regular grocery store during senior hours, and the neighborhood hardware store. Both are mostly following the distancing and mask rules.
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 12:13 am