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Pritzker warns against Missouri travel

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Illinois

llinois Governor JB Pritzker has a message for residents who go to Missouri during the pandemic.

He posted the following message along with Belleville News Democrat’s article ‘As COVID cases soared in Missouri, more from southwest IL went to visit, data shows’ on Facebook,

“Folks, we’re in the middle of a pandemic.

“Missouri may be more ‘open’ today, but if you cross the border and let your guard down, you’re putting the future of the Illinois economy at risk.

Harsh.

* The BND article…

(T)raffic doubled from metro-east to the Missouri side of St. Louis from July 2019 to July 2020, according to an analysis of smart phone tracking data by Saint Louis University researchers. They looked at travel from St. Clair, Madison, Monroe, Calhoun and Jersey counties in the metro-east to St. Louis city, St. Louis County, Jefferson and St. Charles counties.

Two counties accounted for the biggest increase in travelers: St. Charles and Jefferson counties, which don’t have mask mandates and allowed businesses to open in May.

“This is highlighting the arbitrary borders our infectious diseases don’t care about,” said Enbal Shacham, associate director of the Geospatial Institute at Saint Louis University. “We’ve seen this in STDs and HIV and now we’re seeing this even worse, I would say, in COVID because of the activity and how easy it is to transmit.” […]

Additionally, the average number of cases per 100,000 residents in counties bordering Missouri was double that in counties that shared no borders with other states, according to an analysis of U.S. Census and Illinois COVID-19 data.

* Positivity rates and the number of new tests coming back positive as of Wednesday…

St. Charles County, Mo.: 12.7%, 16.6
Jefferson County, Mo.: 11.9%, 17.5
St. Louis County: 6.4%, 21.1

St. Louis City: Insufficient data, 20

Monroe County: 9.7%, 157
St. Clair County: 8.6%, 175
Madison County: 6.6%, 131
Calhoun County: 6.2%, 1
Jersey County: 4.8%, 46

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 9:31 am

Comments

I don’t know how you pull this off. The rule of thumb was always that about 35% of the people on the Illinois side of the Metro-East worked in Missouri.

Comment by levivotedforjudy Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 9:48 am
Live in one of SW IL border counties - masses have been hopping across, bragging about it, and feel they are sending the message that they will spend all of their money in MO.
I don’t even want to talk about how many families have been carting their kids across to play summer ball.

Comment by DownSouth Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 9:49 am
The position of Missouri is “Let the kids die,” so good for JB.

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 9:50 am
Very true. We are having a hard enough time with the virus to make things worse by traveling to areas of higher infection rates.

Reopening early has been a terrible idea. The “early” proponents, like people at the Trib, owe an apology at the very least, for pushing something so harmful.

Missouri did something great a few weeks ago. Voters expanded Medicaid through a ballot amendment. Watching it on a county map, it was the cities who passed it. Rural counties overwhelmingly voted against it, rejecting healthcare for “the least of these” in a pandemic.

Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 9:51 am
As 41 members of the St Louis Cardinals are driving in separate cars to Chicago right now.

Comment by Jose Abreu's Next Homer Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 9:53 am
Clearly Twitter is full of some angry people, but the replies to JB’s message are pretty nasty. We have a long way to go in this state.

Comment by SSL Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 10:03 am
Have many friends near the state lines both North and West. They head straight to the first spot to grab low tax gas/spirits/cigarettes, they wear masks and head straight back.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 10:05 am
The anti mask and anti vaccine Faux America Patriots are looting our vulnerable of their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

Comment by Frumpy White Guy Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 10:07 am
We aren’t traveling to Missouri but my wife works there and her employer has insisted on her coming back several days a week even though she can do everything from home. They’re basically invoking team spirit and a can do attitude

Comment by Bob_Loblaw Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 10:08 am
But they are wearing a mask back in Illinois

So what’s the problem

Comment by Brett Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 10:25 am
If you encounter anyone going by the name Yadier, please keep your distance and notify local authorities.

Comment by City Zen Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 10:33 am
=Watching it on a county map, it was the cities who passed it. Rural counties overwhelmingly voted against it,=

Which is ironic because a ridiculous number of people in those counties will now be eligible for Medicaid

Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 10:35 am
We once declared “Loose lips sink ships”. We celebrated the sacrifices of our collective war efforts.
Rather than harsh- JB has been too patient. Citizenship includes accountability.

Comment by West Sider Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 10:38 am
Traveling to hot spots and returning to Illinois?

Self quarantine, after 5 days, please test. After 14 days…

It stinks, but it’s for the greater good.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 10:44 am
Are we also going to disallow Missourians from coming to Illinois to purchase goods, like automobiles and marijuana?

Comment by Birds on the Bat Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 10:44 am
===like people at the Trib===

Well, not that long ago they wanted a hurricane to destroy property and lives in the state.

They know exactly what they are supporting with the open early position they have taken.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 10:49 am
Nobody is self-quarantining - this has devolved into kabuki and if/when the numbers get bad enough to rollback to stage 3 we will hear “we told you blah blah blah”

Comment by lake county democrat Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 10:56 am
Given that these actions will result in the closure of the state and continual economic destruction if people dont care for human life maybe they will care about their livelihood. So in answer to the question below, if its its closed dont
need to worry about car sales and drugs.

Are we also going to disallow Missourians from coming to Illinois to purchase goods, like automobiles and marijuana?

Comment by Anon Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 11:01 am
= But they are wearing a mask back in Illinois

So what’s the problem= Hi Brett, Many illinoisans are wearing masks and a lot are not wearing masks. The masks available for most to wear do not block Covid. The more Covid 19 carriers who aren’t containing their spread the higher the risk even for those who are wear masks. Hope that helps you find your way in this very confusing topic. Hee Haw.

Comment by Frumpy White Guy Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 11:07 am
frumpy-

if that is true -

then we have a bigger problem than people just crossing the border -

like containment in our own state.
if the masks don’t work
what the point in the first place

Comment by brett Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 11:12 am
What do you expect from those residing in borders counties when their legislators reaction goes like this,
“Throughout this pandemic, Governor Pritzker’s comments on the Southern Illinois region have been ill-informed and frankly insulting. It is disappointing and highly hypocritical that Governor Pritzker is trying to lecture my constituents about traveling to Missouri when his own family spent significant time in Florida and Wisconsin during the height of the pandemic. I wish the Governor would stop worrying about Missouri and focus his efforts on fixing the dismal performance of the state’s unemployment system.” - Sen. Schimpf’s Facebook post this morning.
News flash Senator - I am one of your constituents, and from what I have observed most of your constituents need that lecture.

Comment by DownSouth Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 11:19 am
My favorites are the small business owners who brag about going to Missouri and then want us to shop local. Ugh.

Comment by Exit 59 Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 11:21 am
Brett, it is proven that not brushing your teeth will cause gingivitis and potentially a blood infection that reduces cognitive ability. Please brush and floss daily. Hee Haw.

Comment by Frumpy White Guy Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 11:30 am
===if the masks don’t work
what the point in the first place===

Hey, genius, masks aren’t fool proof. Maybe 80 percent. That’s a lot, but not 100 percent. Kinda like my automated screens that only catch 80 percent of covidiots.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 11:39 am
I travel to Missouri four days a week for work and don’t feel any less safe there.

Comment by Collinsville Kevin Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 11:47 am
If everyone had been wearing a mask all of this time we would be in far better shape. Maybe we would not be having the issues of school and universities struggling to reopen. Maybe we would have B10 sports. I wear an n95 and full PPEs everyday. I would not consider not wearing a mask when not at work and putting my family and patients at risk. It is not about politics,it’s about health

Comment by illdoc Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 11:55 am
Have travelled back and forth to MO all along. Couple trips a month for the weekend. To this point I still only personally know 1 person who has had covid. He got infected by a relative in his household who works in a nursing home. Time to flatten the fear folks.

Comment by Captain Obvious Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 11:58 am
Captain Obvious - I personally don’t know one person who has been shot in Chicago, so is it time to “flatten the fear folks” concerning gun crime in Chicago?

Comment by nadia Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 12:03 pm
=== Time to flatten the fear===

1 in 2,000 Americans dead.

That’s not fear, that’s a fact.

Don’t be a Covidiot, don’t treat this virus like it’s nothing to fear, the long term effects are dangerous as well.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 12:06 pm
===Time to flatten the fear===

B1G and the Pac-12 disagree.

Mizzou, an SEC school will be, allegedly, playing football.

Guess the virus only goes on some college campuses?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 12:12 pm
=== I still only personally know===

Anecdotes aren’t data.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 12:27 pm
About an hour ago I crossed over the Chester bridge. 27 Illinois cars fueling up. Cheap gas is the culprit.

Comment by Blue Dog Dem Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 12:49 pm
I’ll take 80% over 0% any day. It isn’t rocket science, wear the (banned word) mask(banned punctuation)

Comment by Captain Who Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 12:51 pm
==To this point I still only personally know 1 person who has had covid.==

This just tells me you don’t know many people. What a (banned word).

Comment by don the legend Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 12:51 pm
=They head straight to the first spot to grab low tax gas/spirits/cigarettes, they wear masks and head straight back.=

The COVID tax is a much higher and nastier tax as some Illinois travelers have found out. The cigarettes and COVID have the highest tax of all.

but..freedoms.

Sen. Schimpfs FB post is the classic childs argument to which I would respoond- “if all of your friends jumped off of a bridge would you?”. My mom taught me that one.

=I travel to Missouri four days a week for work and don’t feel any less safe there.=

You may not “feel” less safe (which is all about emotion and not science) but you are less safe there.

I only personally know one person that was tested and don’t personally know anyone that has/had COVID. I am still wearing a mask and social distancing because I know 166,000+ Americans have died from COVID.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 1:00 pm
==To this point I still only personally know 1 person who has had covid.==

The 1 person I know is my sister. She’s now testing negative but months later is still having trouble breathing and keeps having to go back to be tested to find out how much damage there is to her lungs. They still don’t know.

And she wasn’t considered in the high risk group.

Comment by HangingOn Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 1:09 pm
===To this point I still only personally know 1 person who has had covid.===

The 1 person I know who got it died. He was 41 with no underlying health conditions.

Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 2:12 pm
HangingOn, sorry to hear about your sister.

People need to up their awareness. Even some that only had mild symptoms are now having chronic health problems. Most that have had a serious C-19 infection are facing permanent health problems.

Comment by Jimmy H Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 2:15 pm
Does anybody track the Missouri folks coming to the East Side and Jersey and Calhoun? Grafton is wide open.Most lllinois folks go across the river for gas, cigarettes, then return home. Ironically, I just filled up at QT in Godfrey, paid $1.90 for regular. Missouri was at $1.96.

Comment by Nitemayor Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 2:25 pm
=Cheap gas is the culprit.=

Cheapest gas by me is at Costco. $2.05 a gallon. I can drive about 25 miles to Wisconsin and but it at the Costco there at $1.98 a gallon. Of course the gas I would use going there and back would negate any savings and either way my life is worth a bit more than 7 cents a gallon.

Comment by Pundent Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 2:26 pm
US Attorney John Lausch Jr. does all the heavy lifting and cleans up the mess and now the vultures swoop down to take what doesn’t belong to them. The 200 million should go to the Feds.

Comment by Astute Stu Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 2:27 pm
I live in a County where going to MO is a necessity, not an option for the vast majority of Residents. I have been over there twice this week myself. We currently have 0 active cases. There have been a total of 0 deaths. We are up to 37 total positive tests overall.

Comment by SOIL M Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 2:49 pm
From an update a few minutes ago, Monroe Counties positivity rate is down to 4.7%. That info was from the local newspaper I subscribe to online.

Comment by Blue Dog Dem Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 3:13 pm
Monroe County about to hit 10% positivity? How do they remain open?
Probably more than half the working people in that county work somewhere in Missouri. They also shop there because St. Louis County is next door to them and prices and taxes are lower in Missouri.

Comment by God's Country Friday, Aug 14, 20 @ 3:44 pm