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St. Clair County wants a remap

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Illinois

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The Illinois Department of Public Health dismissed the suggestion by officials in St. Clair County, who say the downward trend in COVID-19 cases warrants an exemption from the stricter safety mitigation placed on Region 4.

On Monday, St. Clair County Chairman Mark Kern said the county should stand alone given its improving COVID-19 positivity rate and case numbers. He expressed hope that IDPH would consider excluding the county from metro-east restrictions.

On Tuesday, IDHP dismissed a St. Clair County exemption as a possibility.

“This appears to be a rumor and is not being considered,” IDPH Public Information Officer Melaney Arnold said in an email.

We saw this sort of thing earlier in the pandemic. If people thought the regional maps were unfair, they insisted that counties should be stand-alone. And when the counties refused to budge, they insisted that towns be given the right to decide. And when that didn’t work, they said individuals should just do what they wanted.

St. Clair County didn’t complain a bit when the map was drawn. They may have thought that they’d be hit the hardest, but it turns out it’s most of the other counties that are holding the region back with high average positivity rates…

Bond 10.1
Clinton 12.7
Madison 7.4
Monroe 8.4
Randolph 2.1
St. Clair 6.3
Washington 11.5

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 1:00 pm

Comments

===This appears to be a rumor===

That came right out of the mouth of an elected county chairman. Who no doubt was telling everyone around him the same thing before he stated it publicly.

Since none of the other members on this board have brought up a censure of their colleague it can be safely assume they are at least on board or at best just to afraid to speak up on their own. Neither bodes well for the quality of decisions coming out of any board where this same situation has repeated countless times this year.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 1:18 pm
Uhhh…..6.3% ain’t that great to brag about

Comment by sal-says Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 1:29 pm
When you’ve played yourself!

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 1:43 pm
I guess people dying at the marshmallow plant made the folks in Randolph County take things seriously.

Comment by Candy Dogood Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 1:50 pm
Honestly, I am not sure I see the harm in shifting to county-level restrictions, while the benefits to less restrictions on counties taking it seriously are tangible. We are at a better place than months ago in terms of data and testing. Counties also have more influence over their residents than they do over residents in the other counties in a somewhat arbitrarily-defined region.

Comment by thechampaignlife Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 1:52 pm
Fine and dandy, but considering the 8% number is completely arbitrary I think it’s time to allow people back inside restaurants.

Comment by Collinsville Kevin Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 2:14 pm
===I think===

Convince Dr. Ezeki and you’re home free.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 2:15 pm
Collinsville Kevin, …considering the 8% number is completely arbitrary…

Is the .08 DUI number arbitrary? Asking for a friend.

Comment by don the legend Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 2:24 pm
They can wait at least one more year and then they can get their real “remap.”

Comment by Chatham Resident Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 2:45 pm
Clinton County is home to a DeVore client, The Fainting Goat, aka The Superspreader Bar & Grill.

Comment by Southern Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 3:41 pm
Don the Legend — Yes, the .08 DUI number is rather arbitrary. I guarantee you some of us can drive better at .09 than others, and that every one of us would drive better at .09 at some times rather than others. So please tell your fiend what I said.

Comment by Collinsville Kevin Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 4:44 pm
===I guarantee you some of us can drive better at .09 than others, and that every one of us would drive better at .09 at some times rather than others.===

The last time someone argued this, they still got the DUI and it was used against them in court, lol

I dunno if arguing some drive better while legally measured as intoxicated is the argument to make on infection rates, but …

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 4:50 pm
Hospitals are not being overwhelmed, so I’m not sure why there is such a focus on “positivity rates.” I would expect them to be high. Why would healthy people with no symptoms get tested?

Comment by Dave W Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 6:21 pm
===Why would healthy people with no symptoms get tested?===

Asymptomatic spread when exposed to situations (like travel) that may lead to infection?

There’s a reason when you travel, and have no symptoms, you quarantine and in 3-4 days you get tested.

That’s one example.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 6:28 pm
Back in August when St. Clair County had the highest positivity rate in the State Herb Simmons St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency Director said he didn’t know how to enforce restrictions to lower the rate. So looking back I don’t think that will help Mr. Kern in his quest to free St. Clair County to be on their own.

Comment by Club J Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 6:32 pm