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Pritzker says he won’t be persuaded by other states allowing contact sports in high schools: “This isn’t a political decision”

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* The governor was asked today about the small number of suburban rallies supporting fall sports in high schools and the (apparently online) rumors today that Gov. Pritzker was going to make some sort of announcement about that topic. “Will there be fall sports sooner than later?” His response…

Well, let me start by saying, frankly, that I wish we didn’t have this pandemic keeping us back from, frankly, from our small businesses being highly successful as they have been in the state, holding people back from getting their jobs back if they’ve been laid off. The pandemic has had an enormous impact on everybody, not to mention the health and safety of people.

But the idea, as you know, of focusing on sports - not my idea it’s doctors and researchers - have found that these sports, particularly high school sports and college sports, without the proper mitigations, without the proper prevention, etc. that those sports are dangerous. And evidence of that has popped up more recently in our state, down in Wayne County. I think you may know that the baseball team at the community college at Frontier, unfortunately there was an outbreak. It spread significantly, most of the team now has tested positive. There are many many dozens of people who are now quarantined as a result of their having tested positive, there having been an outbreak. This is not an unusual thing, you’ve seen it before in our state.

Look, I’m not willing to sacrifice people’s lives or their health, neither the children, nor their parents who would be affected also. And so we’re being, we’re being careful about it, but I am relying upon doctors and researchers to give us the information. This isn’t a political decision. I know that there are people who would like me simply to make a political decision to allow people to endanger themselves.

* Amy Jacobson from WIND then jumped in to claim Illinois is the only state in the Midwest that isn’t playing high school football. As a reminder, Jacobson spoke at a Chicago rally on May 16th and demanded the economy be fully reopened. The state’s 7-day average positivity rate on that date was 15 percent. And her show posted this claim yesterday…

Pandemic 👏 is 👏 over. https://t.co/u4XQALhwYQ

— Morning Answer (@MorningAnswer) September 13, 2020

* Anyway, here’s Pritzker’s response during lots of crosstalk…

We are, we are. Amy. Can I, can I resp… I want to respond to your, to your comment. Let me. Amy. It’s not a. I understand. Amy, I got your question. I’m just pointing out to you, we have the lowest, we have the lowest positivity rate in the Midwest. Still too high.

Look at the states that you’re talking about. They all have high positivity rates, double-digit positivity rates in most. And those are states, fine, if they decided to endanger children and families in those states by allowing contact sports to take place, that’s their decision. That’s not something that’s good for the families, the children of Illinois.

* Related…

* IHSA to allow more than two games per week; extends summer seasons by two weeks

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 12:33 pm

Comments

Wonderful news from Amy. So glad all this pandemic stuff is over. Back to work everyone. /s

Comment by DuPage Saint Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 12:39 pm
My son lives in a different state. He called me on his way home from work today. He was on his way home because his roommate, a high school football coach, has been in contact with someone who tested positive. This is round number two. I think the prior time the student had all the symptoms but actually tested negative. My son has a pre- existing condition that can be aggravated by fever and illness.
So please remember the coach and the student athletes aren’t in a bubble.

Comment by thoughts matter Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 12:43 pm
Gov chooses health over games. Correct choice.

Never understood the obsession with parents pushing their kids to compete in sports in hopes of them becoming pros. The chances of that are ridiculously small. Pushing them to be good enough to win a scholarship to pay for the education that will power their actual careers, I can sort of understand… however, couldn’t they have gotten scholarships just the same, by working on their academics as hard as these parents pushed their athletics? And their odds of success would have been much higher.

Comment by Give Us Barabbas Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 12:47 pm
==Never understood the obsession with parents pushing their kids to compete in sports in hopes of them becoming pros. ==

As I said yesterday, I rank those sports-crazed parents right up there with Covidiots (of which many of them are one in the same), 5G conspiracists, and NIMBYs who block essential transportation and infrastructure projects of any kind.

Comment by Chatham Resident Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 12:50 pm
Good for the Governor.

Comment by don the legend Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 12:51 pm
He mentions baseball yet baseball is one
of the sports that is still able to continue.

Comment by John Lee Pettimore Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 12:51 pm
“We are, we are. Amy. Can I, can I resp… I want to respond to your, to your comment. Let me. Amy. It’s not a. I understand. Amy, I got your question.”

Lost it when reading that…

Comment by NIU Grad Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 12:55 pm
I understand and appreciate the Governors stand.

However, the Bears will be playing. The fact that one is high school and one is pro would appear to me to make no difference as to the potential spread of the virus. Other private entities have regulations so why not pro football? If anyone has a well thought out response to state otherwise then please provide it.

Comment by Unconventionalwisdom Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 12:57 pm
===no difference===

One is a job, the other is an extra-curricular activity.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 12:59 pm
How can Amy Jacobson be so utterly flippant as to claim the “pandemic is over?” Unbelievable. I have been amazed at the ability of people over the last few years to “see no evil and hear no evil.” If only they could complete the trinity and then “speak no evil,” but that usually seems to be left at the curb.

Comment by Lt Guv Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 12:59 pm
“Governor Pritzker: California, Oregon and Washington have thousands and thousands of acres burned and burning from wild fires — why doesn’t Illinois get some wildfires?”
– Amy Jacobson, tomorrow, probably

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 12:59 pm
I have a high school relative in a neighboring state with a lower positivity rate than Illinois. That relative is doing zoom classes but does do crosscountry. Practices are with masks and honestly that relative enjoys the workouts. That sport is pretty socially distant and the coaches make sure that it stays that way.

Comment by Banish Misfortune Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:02 pm
“One is a job, the other is an extra-curricular activity.”

Ummmm.

Any other explanations?

Comment by Unconventionalwisdom Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:02 pm
== However, the Bears will be playing. The fact that one is high school and one is pro would appear to me to make no difference as to the potential spread of the virus.==

Average age of the Bears players? They are adults. High school football players are mostly minors. The Bears players are working and getting paid/ or are making a choice to opt out. Do I think it’s risky for them to play - yes I do. I’d prefer they didn’t. However they are grown men. That freshman linebacker isn’t. We are supposed to be looking out for him.

Comment by thoughts matter Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:04 pm
=== Any other explanations?===

… to put lives needlessly in danger?

Prolly how silly it seems to advocate infecting at an “acceptable” rate… kids.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:04 pm
What percentage of parents actually think their children will become professionals?

Sports provide important lifelong lessons- teamwork, responsibility, physical fitness, winning and losing with grace and class, shaking hands after a game etc. Some even get help paying for college.

Bill Clinton pushed midnight basketball programs for a good reason. Young kids playing sports provided an important diversion from gangs, drugs and crime in so many neighborhoods.

Love to hear the Governor explain how can hockey be banned but basketball is ok?

Hockey players are covered from head to toe and already wear helmets that could easily have a face shield.

Not all kids in Illinois have the luxury of going to their out of state horse farm

Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:05 pm
Thank you Amy for continuing to hold the Governor accountable for the never ending faux crisis.

Comment by Sylvania Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:06 pm
Bear players are adults balancing risks to themselves versus millions of dollars. High school students are minors who are not yet ready to balance risk and reward.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:07 pm
I know we don’t want to put lives in danger, so how is it that basketball, with all the contact, is considered a “medium” risk sport? It makes no sense, the amount of heavy breathing (the virus is airborne), sweating and touching when playing defense and boxing out. I understand the other decision, but if we are so concerned, why not make a good decision and re-classify basketball properly.

Comment by Friend of the Family Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:09 pm
Pro sports can afford to constantly test and remove immediately any possible cases. High schools can’t afford that much testing nor should they use tax dollars that way so football can play.
Also maybe if the Feds actually had planned to test we’d be in better shape. Ask Loyola and ISU where their tests are?

Comment by Frank talks Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:09 pm
Sports crazed parents are certainly a big push behind this. But I think part of this, along with a lot of the other covidiot stuff, is that so much of this is arbitrary, so it’s hard to really convince people to go along with it. It’s almost like the philosophy of “how” is what people align with or against.
If we went back to full shelter in place, there would be less deaths. If we open up more, there will be more deaths. But there isn’t really a hard number as to where we are and what we are willing to accept.
I think the lack of clarity makes it easier for people to get all riled up against the rules.

Comment by phenom_Anon Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:10 pm
==However, the Bears will be playing==

For better or worse, and fair or not, the NFL has the resources to regularly test and isolate athletes. Can’t compare to high schoolers.

Comment by The Doc Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:13 pm
Hey Sylvania, 8300 Illinois citizens have died. I know a couple. How many more need to die before it is not “faux”?

Comment by Simple Simon Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:14 pm
=Love to hear the Governor explain how can hockey be banned but basketball is ok?=
=It makes no sense, the amount of heavy breathing (the virus is airborne), sweating and touching when playing defense and boxing out.=

I’ve never understood how basketball is medium either. When I picture basketball, I see kids chest to chest under the basket, breathing in each others’ faces the whole game. While football has more players on the field at a time, it’s outdoors in fresh air. And in hockey, nearly all contact is momentary (and most of the youth leagues are no-check). Basketball, to me at least, seems like the riskiest youth sport for transmission.

Comment by phenom_Anon Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:18 pm
Someone needs to ask Amy what is the acceptable number of kids dying and of teachers dying to allow sports to be played?

Comment by Grimlock Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:19 pm
=Average age of the Bears players? They are adults. High school football players are mostly minors. The Bears players are working and getting paid/ or are making a choice to opt out. Do I think it’s risky for them to play - yes I do. I’d prefer they didn’t. However they are grown men.=

What about the beer league adult players? Should they be able to make the choice? Because park districts and gyms (that are following the guidelines) are shutting them down as well.

=Someone needs to ask Amy what is the acceptable number of kids dying and of teachers dying to allow sports to be played?=

Should someone ask the acceptable number of people dying to reopen all the other businesses in phase 4? Because we could close back down and there would be less deaths. So clearly there is an acceptable number right? I’m guessing teachers and students also go to restaurants, retail shops, etc.

Comment by phenom_Anon Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:24 pm
= Pritzker says he won’t be persuaded by other states allowing contact sports in high schools=

JB made sure that the Progressive Income Tax CA had language about “Most states impose higher income tax on higher income levels”. Appears he is selective when comparisons to other states is useful.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:24 pm
Any other explanations?

How about the Bears are a multi-billion dollar organization with access to frequent testing, comprised of adults.

The Monticello Sages are a high school team with limited resources relying on boosters and parents for funding of anything, comprised of minors.

No disrespect to Monticello–just picking a random Illinois high school.

Comment by Steve Rogers Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:26 pm
NFL players get tested daily…how often do HS players get tested?

Comment by Stu Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:27 pm
=== shaking hand===

Can we *all* agree… sports, no sports, whatever…

No shaking hands for now?

Just with that, can we agree not to advocate that?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:29 pm
=Prolly how silly it seems to advocate infecting at an “acceptable” rate… kids.=

What was the “acceptable” rate when we moved to phase 4? Kids were infected when schools were closed in the spring and over summer break. Yet we’ve reopened more places and more opportunities for them to get infected, and more places for their parents to get infected and bring it home to them. Sure seems like someone felt their was an “acceptable” level of risk.

Comment by phenom_Anon Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:33 pm
What many folks don’t realize — or maybe they do but won’t say — is that *nothing* (nothing!) has changed since mid-March.

COVID is still as transmissible as ever.

COVID is still as deadly as ever.

And, yeah, just because your kid gets it and doesn’t get sick — that doesn’t mean that he/she isn’t a spreader.

‘cuz, ya know, there are folks — in their 50s, 60s, 70s that are in the danger zone. And your kid — as good as she feels — might be a spreader.

Why in the world do folks things are getting better? They aren’t.

Things are the same. We’ve just politicized everything.

Crazy.

Comment by Mr K Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:33 pm
@Chatham Resident - I hope you do understand the overwhelming majority of parents and kids who play sports before and all the way through High School have no illusion about “going pro”. A few bad apples spoil the bunch when over zealous parents let their own dreams over come the reality of what their off spring are capable of. But for every parent of a future “pro” I’ve also encountered enough folks who thought their little one was already doctor material at the age of 10.

Glad to have Amy back. Champion of getting out to the “green” and all those down staters flooding the Chicago lakefront before it was shutdown. We need a greatest hits of her questions/statements posed to the Governor.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:36 pm
Hey Sylvania:
My brother in law had it and has permanent long term health damage because of it.
Want to explain to him or all of the families who have had loved ones die from it how “faux” it is?

Comment by btowntruthfromforgottonia Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:37 pm
==- Grimlock - Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:19 pm:

Someone needs to ask Amy what is the acceptable number of kids dying and of teachers dying to allow sports to be played?==

Officially? Zero. Unofficially? 37%.

Comment by Touré's Latte Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:37 pm
=== Yet we’ve reopened more places and more opportunities for them to get infected, and more places for their parents to get infected and bring it home to them.===

You should ask local school boards.

Any other opportunity that could be a spreader opportunity, like sports, you’d think a postponement to spring is a good compromise.

If your student is a 3 or 4 star football athlete, a fair amount are already verbally committed to division 1 school.

As pointed out yesterday, to paraphrase, sure, schools want to see athletes to evaluate, but no need to evaluate sick or infected athletes, it might be the least of some family’s worries.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:37 pm
” I rank those sports-crazed parents right up there … .”

Drive the speed limit in front of one who is late, & you’ll find they compete with young males in sports cars / pickup trucks for #1 on the Road Rage List … .

Comment by Anyone Remembe Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:45 pm
The Gov made the right decision. I don’t think it’s as easy as some commentators make it out to be. How many on-the-margin students go to school to play sports. What happens to these kids now? The virus is bad and so is dropping out. The youth continue to take the brunt of the effect of the pandemic without any gratitude or plan from the ruling class.

What a deal and future for the

Comment by 1st Ward Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:45 pm
Are the California wildfires over too? Might as well send everybody home.

Comment by Skeptic Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:48 pm
Lucky Pierre -
“Bill Clinton pushed midnight basketball programs for a good reason.”

You DO realize George H W Bush started midnight basketball, right?

Comment by Anyone Remember Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:49 pm
200,000 dead Americans — all ages, ethnicities, political leanings, and states.

How does this not matter to some of us? When will it matter to all of us? 300,000 dead? 1 million dead?

Comment by Lefty Lefty Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:49 pm
=Officially? Zero. Unofficially? 37%.=

At least you put a number to it, as insane as it might be.
Everyone on all sides of this keeps doing this little dance, pretending that their plan means no one has to die, but in reality advocating for things that will mean that more people will.

The comments section here is full of people acting like anything beyond Pritzker’s orders is too much risk and crazy, with no more logic behind than the simple fact that they agree with the gov’s line. But the truth is we could’ve stayed in phase 1 and less people would be dying. We opened more up. Pritzker’s plan means more deaths than we would have had locked down, plain and simple. But no one wants to acknowledge that in supporting his plan, they’re agreeing to an “acceptable” number of deaths. So we have a plan that isn’t based on the “acceptable” number it allows, because no one (at least with any political sense) would ever dare to offer up a real number. If this were truly about limiting deaths and infections to the lowest number possible, we would still be in “shelter in place.”

Comment by phenom_Anon Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:50 pm
They have decided to let us… die.

Beware.

Comment by Dotnonymous Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:51 pm
Sylvania - as you’re so knowing, please enlighten the rest of us as to what’s so “faux” about it? Almost 200K dead across the nation? Almost a million deaths worldwide? What’s so “faux?”

Comment by Lt Guv Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:53 pm
Sorry for the tirade, but I grow weary about this stock response of “what do you think is an acceptable number of deaths for your plan?” that people spew out here anytime someone disagrees.
Everyone who is advocating for anything more than complete lockdown are in effect advocating for their own “acceptable” level of deaths. They’re all just disagreeing about the actual number.

Comment by phenom_Anon Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:53 pm
=JB made sure that the Progressive Income Tax CA had language about “Most states impose higher income tax on higher income levels”=

Let me know of the first millionaire that dies from the progressive income tax.

Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 1:56 pm
Science cures ignorance…but has zero effect on stupidity.

Comment by Dotnonymous Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:00 pm
=== We opened more up. Pritzker’s plan means more deaths than we would have had locked down, plain and simple. But no one wants to acknowledge that in supporting his plan, they’re agreeing to an “acceptable” number of deaths. So we have a plan that isn’t based on the “acceptable” number it allows, because no one (at least with any political sense) would ever dare to offer up a real number. If this were truly about limiting deaths and infections to the lowest number possible, we would still be in “shelter in place.”===

(Sigh)

This is a false equivalent.

This is lumping both Covidiots and limitations as the “same”

The Covidiots want to say to others…

… “see, you agree that there will infections and deaths, so just open up everything, geez”

The difference is clear;

Masks, social distancing, tracing (where is that tracing, but I digress) are legitimate actions to save lives, while Covidiots who require sports open, bars open, schools open… the important steps wholly ignored by Covidiots are then married to..,

“Yeah, no one says they have accepted infections, we just roll along as infections continue”

The most important thing I’ve learned was back in March. A national closure and clampdown for 8 weeks, with PPP, PPE, financial relief for worker and employer alike, we’d be better off as a country… as Canada had no deaths Sunday.

Arguing that “if you don’t agree to complete and full closures, you agree to infections and deaths”, that’s a Covidiot thought to move from the dangers we currently face that others are trying to reduce, and Covidiots still ignore as two groups acting the “same”.

Nope.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:02 pm
=Never understood the obsession with parents pushing their kids to compete in sports in hopes of them becoming pros.=

There are a lot of reason to want your kids to do sports besides a scholarship or a professional career. Excersize, self-confidence, team work, work ethic, socialization, making friends, etc. The safest thing for me to do, in terms of Covid-19 would have been for me to keep my kids in the house for the past 6 months, and probably the next 6 months. They don’t have jobs, they don’t have anywhere they need to be really, they could opt for remote learning, they could literally be locked down for a year. I don’t believe that would be good for them. I’d also rather them not contract Covid-19. But its a much more delicate balance than your posts implies.

Comment by AndyIllini Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:09 pm
Critical things must happen regardless, like getting food or medical care. For anything noncritical, we’re really arguing about the potential to spread disease, not acceptable number of deaths. Exact measurements of disease spreading are not possible, so best judgment must be must be used. That is why we argue, because some people have poor judgment.

Comment by Simple Simon Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:10 pm
=This is lumping both Covidiots and limitations as the “same”

No, I’m no equating limitations with the “faux crisis”, “hoax”, or any other “open-it-all-up” types of people.

But there are people who think football should be allowed, or wanted restaurants open a little sooner, or want schools open, etc, but who also agree with precautions of some level. I’m equating those people with the people who back Pritzker’s plan at every turn. Because they’re all ok with a certain level of risk of death, they just disagree on how much, and/or where to draw the lines.
Whether you want to admit it or not, Pritzker’s plan allows for more deaths than a complete lockdown. Phase 4 involves more deaths than phase 3, Phase 3 more than 2 etc ad finitum.
If you are in support of his plan as it is laid out, then you are in support of an “acceptable” number of risks. If your number is 0 deaths, then you don’t support his plan. That’s all I’m saying.

Comment by phenom_Anon Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:11 pm
=How can Amy Jacobson be so utterly flippant as to claim the “pandemic is over?”

Amy Jacobson is not a reporter she’s a talk show host and this comment is one in a long list of examples. She asks a question such as this to create a story for the entertainment of her radio listeners. A true reporter would not do this. If we’re going to allow her to ask inane questions might as well open the pressers up to Limbaugh and Hannity.

Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:11 pm
=“Yeah, no one says they have accepted infections, we just roll along as infections continue”=

If you haven’t accepted a certain number of infections or deaths, then how do we move from phase 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4? Neither number was 0. This is the point. You can act like you support everything possible to reduce risks, but you don’t support that, if you support opening restaurants, schools, theatres, retail stores, or anything more than the absolute minimum possible.

Comment by phenom_Anon Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:15 pm
People arguing for reopening sports now, did you happen to see that LSU’s football coach admitted today that “most” of his team has contracted Covid in the past few months? Does that change your opinion, or do you think this is just like the flu?

Comment by Not a Superstar Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:19 pm
I’m no COVID-19 denier and exercise a lot of caution in various aspects of my life (facemasks, avoiding large gatherings, indoor activities, etc.) - however, as the Governor and others have said all along, we must learn to coexist with the threat of the virus while continuing to live our lives meaningfully.

I believe we have to manage risks, and I think with risks reducing strategies in place, I think sports can resume safely - just as many schools have resumed in class instruction.

I think hockey was misclassified too, btw.

Comment by DoinStuff Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:19 pm
=== If you haven’t accepted a certain number of infections or deaths, then how do we move from phase 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4? Neither number was 0.===

I wrote, clearly, even with small words…

=== The most important thing I’ve learned was back in March. A national closure and clampdown for 8 weeks, with PPP, PPE, financial relief for worker and employer alike, we’d be better off as a country… as Canada had no deaths Sunday.===

If that’s too difficult for you to grasp, please move on from me as you seemingly want people to agree that it’s “cool” with accepted infections or worse so you can feel better.

The President of the United States purposely duped America with his own phony take, and purposely downplayed the sheer dangers of this virus he called deadly… on tape.

I’m not here to make you feel good that “everyone has a number”.

That’s aiding Covidiot thinking.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:21 pm
phenom_Anon may be speaking to my question so I’ll answer:

Less than 200,000. How’s that for an answer? So we’ve failed miserably.

If this point has been lost or some of you have forgotten-

It’s a novel virus. No one is immune. Nobody knew how it was going to play out. Our scientists now know more than they did so millions of lives have been saved. But it is still novel, and the safest way to mitigate the hazard is to wear masks and practice social distancing. This can be done inside buildings such as schools and stores, but with a risk. How big a risk? Not completely quantifiable, not now and maybe not ever.

So you can’t address phenom_Anon’s issue - that issue is the same one as whether we should wear seatbelts, take ibuprofen every day, or vape. Except we’re talking about a NOVEL VIRUS that kills and permanently maims.

Notice I haven’t mentioned testing/tracing or a vaccine. That’s because we don’t have either of them in Illinois. Boston University does. It has tested nearly everyone on campus 2x/week and isolated positives. This brings the R(0) to near zero and the positivity rate to less than 0.1%. This makes it safe to have almost normal lives.

But you know what? They aren’t conducting themselves normally. Why? BECAUSE IT’S A NOVEL VIRUS and they don’t want to spread it to the community, to their peers, and to their families and friends. It has become a point of pride. As it should be and should have been, but I digress.

We’ll get back to normal when we have those 2 things mentioned previously — testing/tracing and a vaccine. Until then, don’t be stupid.

Comment by Lefty Lefty Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:29 pm
Trying to ban Amy Jacobson from these briefings because she is “not a journalist” was one of the stupidest things the Pritzker camp has ever done. Apparently, they weren’t very well-versed in the First Amendment.
However, banning her - after a warning - for making speeches instead of asking questions is exactly what they should do, providing they make the same policy for all media.
She is only there for the purpose of lecturing the Governor. That doesn’t entitle her to 1st Amendment protection.

Comment by filmmaker prof Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:32 pm
I have a niece who is a senior and a theater/chorus kid. All of her extra curriculars are shut done, possibly for the rest of her high school career. However, unlike the people like this Amy Whoever, she understands that while it stinks, she’s more likely to live to graduate because her school is taking this seriously.

Comment by Cheryl44 Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:34 pm
No one–the Governor, nor anyone else–has yet answered this question:

If all of our border states are playing High School football with no significant covid outbreaks, why can’t Illinois?

Are we really the only ones who are right and everyone else is wrong?

Comment by ajjacksson Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:53 pm
Yes. Texas and Florida proved that.

Comment by Simple Simon Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:55 pm
Many of the youth sports leagues are now encouraging their teams to go play at out of state tournaments, as the current youth sports guidelines just state that “out of state travel is strongly discouraged.” Not saying the governor is wrong, but the current stance is forcing these sports to go play in states with much higher positivity rates. So they either need an outright ban on out of state sports, or they need to allow games in state, as the current situation is a failure.

Comment by Smalls Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:57 pm
=== Texas and Florida proved that.===

Quick question;

How are the governors of Texas and Florida polling on their handling of the virus?

How is Illinois’ Governor polling in handling the crisis.

People prefer science versus ‘Merica?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:57 pm
Where are the covid outbreaks in High School Football in Texas and Florida? I didn’t hear about those.

Comment by ajjacksson Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 2:58 pm
“An outright ban on out of state sports?” For the Land of Liberty, isn’t that a little problematic?

Comment by ajjacksson Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 3:01 pm
== Where are the covid outbreaks in High School Football in Texas and Florida? I didn’t hear about those. ==

Google is a wonderful tool if you are really interested in answers to your question. Just picked the first result, but there are many more. And the third result is “Texas Tech records 75 positive tests among players.”

https://www.kwtx.com/2020/09/15/more-area-high-school-football-games-canceled-because-of-covid-19/

Comment by Smalls Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 3:11 pm
When did Texas Tech become a high school? I didn’t hear about that either

Comment by ajjacksson Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 3:22 pm
“How can Amy Jacobson be so utterly flippant as to claim the ‘pandemic is over?’”

She hasn’t been the same since she was fired from NBC.

Comment by Politix Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 3:28 pm
“We are, we are. Amy. Can I, can I resp… I want to respond to your, to your comment. Let me. Amy. It’s not a. I understand. Amy, I got your question.”

JB doing his Joe Biden impersonation.

Comment by Birds on the Bat Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 3:34 pm
===…doing his Joe Biden impersonation.===

Good reporters ask questions then want a response to them.

Grandstanding gadflies who are opinion radio hosts who impersonate reporters make the questions about highlighting the reporter to the desired audience.

As far as being a reporter, Amy Jacobson is a heck of a grandstanding gadfly / opinion radio host who impersonates a reporter to make the questions about highlighting herself to the desired audience… brilliantly.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 3:39 pm
Count me in as one of those people who wants to flip a switch and end this pandemic. I now realize it’s not so simple as long as it could still infect multiple people in a period of time. Some things business or activities might take years to return to normal.

Comment by Levois J Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 4:30 pm
Indiana? Iowa? Kentucky? Missouri? Ohio? All those states are wrong too?

The governor says “it’s not political.” Count me as one who doesn’t believe him.

Comment by ajjacksson Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 4:50 pm
President of University of Nebraska caught on hot mike today saying Big Ten will announce tonight that football is restarting.

But again, like the NFL, they have better resources than high schools do when it comes to testing.

Comment by Stu Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 4:56 pm
Ajjackson…check out the daily virus cases from each of those states. Every single one is still generally rising. I’d say none of them have a handle on it, so yes. We are right.

Comment by Simple Simon Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 4:58 pm
For Amy ‘All is Well’ Jacobson (and others), JB should simply say, “If every American put on (and kept wearing) masks when going outside for two weeks, this pandemic would be over. Until that happens, we need to stay the course.”

Comment by Jocko Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 5:01 pm
“==However, the Bears will be playing==

For better or worse, and fair or not, the NFL has the resources to regularly test and isolate athletes. Can’t compare to high schooler”

Good as explanation as any.

Comment by Unconventionalwisdom Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 5:31 pm
Simple Simon….do you mean the actual infection rate, it the positivity rate? Because they are not the same……

Comment by ajacksson Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 7:18 pm
Infection rate does not equal positivity rate

Comment by ajjacksson Tuesday, Sep 15, 20 @ 7:19 pm
“I think sports can resume safely”

Based on what exactly?

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 12:42 pm
We lost half as many souls in 7 months as we did in the almost four years of World War II. Hard to win an argument with a smart person, impossible to win with the stupid one.

Comment by Drake Mallard Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 12:52 pm