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* UPDATED x1 * Pritzker: “We are headed down a dark, dark path toward where we were last spring”

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* Yesterday’s truly awful COVID-19 numbers prompted some warnings from Gov. Pritzker…

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday said he will again impose tougher statewide restrictions if the latest resurgence of the coronavirus, which has now claimed more than 10,000 lives in Illinois, continues to escalate. […]

“If the current trajectory continues, if our hospitals continue to fill up, if more and more people continue to lose their lives to this disease, we’re going to implement further statewide mitigations, which nobody, and I mean nobody, wants,” Pritzker said during a particularly bleak daily coronavirus briefing.

Illinois hasn’t had this many people in the hospital since May 21st. And the ICU bed situation hasn’t been this dire since June 4th.

* The governor talked about possibly moving regions into Tier 3 of the IDPH mitigation plan…

Suspend elective surgeries and procedures; implement surge capacity; assess need to open Alternate Care Facility

Institute remote work for all non-essential workers

Suspend organized indoor and outdoor recreational activities

Suspend all non-essential retail; only essential retail open (i.e. grocery stores, pharmacies)

Suspend salon and personal care operations

Ugh.

* But he also mentioned earlier phases, without committing to doing so…

“If the numbers keep going in the wrong direction, we will need to impose further mitigations,” Pritzker said. “I think we all remember what phase three looked like, what phase two looked like. Those are all things that are under consideration.”

The second phase of Pritzker’s regional, five-phase reopening plan allowed “nonessential” retail stores to reopen for curbside pickup and delivery, and for outdoor activities like golf and boating to resume. The third phase allowed for manufacturing, retail, offices, and salons and barbershops to reopen with capacity limits and physical distancing between people. Gatherings were limited to 10 people.

* NBC 5…

Illinois is currently averaging 3,400 hospitalizations due to coronavirus, well above the 1,500 the state reported at the start of October. Data has also shown a rise in the number of patients in the ICU, which have more than in the last month, Pritzker said.

“If the current trajectory continues, if our hospitals continue to fill up, if more and more people continue to lose their lives to this disease, we’re going to implement further statewide mitigations – which nobody wants to do,” Pritzker warned. […]

Pritzker warned specific regions, including Region 7, which includes suburban Will and Kankakee counties and is at a 13.4% positivity rate, and Region 1 in northwest Illinois, which is at an “alarming” 15.8% positivity.

“We are headed down a dark, dark path toward where we were last spring,” Pritzker said.

* ABC 7…

Across the state, hospital admissions have increased dramatically. In fact, every region in the Chicago area has seen hospital admissions double or more than triple in the past 30 days.

Numbers like these, Pritzker said, suggest the resurgence mitigations are not working or are simply not being followed to be effective.

Gov. Pritzker admonished municipalities that are not enforcing the indoor dining ban amid reports that a large number of bars and restaurants have continued to ignore the restrictions.

“When one of them gets a citation, others hear about it. When five of them get a citation, all of them hear about it,” Pritzker said. “They know that if there was enforcement, if there were actual consequences for their actions at the local level, and they’re supposed to enforce state laws. And when they don’t enforce them, people die.”

* Miletich…

“Far too many local governments across the state are failing to enforce any mitigation measures, allowing this continued rise in positivity to balloon out of control. It’s time to take some responsibility,” Pritzker exclaimed.

* Capitol News Illinois…

Meanwhile, Pritzker and IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike both cautioned Illinoisans about traveling, hosting parties or gathering in large get-togethers over the upcoming Thanksgiving Day holiday.

“Let’s be clear. Travel will increase your chances of contracting and spreading COVID-19, as well going to a crowded event, as well having multiple people in your home for Thanksgiving,” Ezike said. “So, in terms of travel, we do recommend avoiding travel to areas of higher risk. But as you are seeing, that is almost everywhere. That includes essentially every county here in Illinois. That includes almost every state in the United States and many countries around the world.”

*** UPDATE *** The governor said today at his briefing that he wasn’t leaning toward closing down all restaurant on-site service because outdoor service was much safer.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 3:29 am

Comments

At this point you can’t rely on anything other than yourself to stay safe.

Make smart individual choices and you have a better probability of survival. Make dumb choices and well you know…

Government officials are barely making a dent. This is entirely on us to make the right decisions.

Comment by The Dude Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 5:18 am
If we do fall all the way back to Tier 3 (aka Phases 1 or 2) or have stay-at-home orders again, my gut feeling is that state employees that have already been brought back to the office will still be going to work this time. (Notably all Sec of State employees and others). Despite the request for “remote work for non-essential employees.”

If we are actually told to stay home again, this time due to the failure of the Fair Tax I anticipate we will be temporarily furloughed instead and thus no pay. Even if we are assigned work-at-home projects.

Comment by Chatham Resident Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 5:36 am
They better get McCormic place set up for the overflow.

Comment by Nummy yummy Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 6:35 am
Illinois now ranks 8th in COVID prevelance in the US, at 56 new cases per 100K.

Over the summer, our prevalence was about 10-12 per 100K.

We are not gonna get through the winter if we cannot get infections down quickly.

Yesterday’s death rate, using the standard method of comparing reported deaths to reported cases 14 days ago, was heart-wrenching

If the model holds, it means two weeks from now we can expect deaths to start approaching 200 per day. If we do not act swiftly, a month from now that will be 400 per day. We were doubling about every two weeks, the mitigations will eat into that, but there is a good chnce it won’t be enough to reverse course only slow it.

We need to set aside our partisan agendas and work together very hard for the next five months.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 7:07 am
I don’t see how we avoid another shutdown. This is going to get much worse after Thanksgiving gatherings.

Comment by B Up North Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 7:23 am
Just look at the number of European countries that have shifted back into shutdown or even lockdown mode

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 7:44 am
Why isn’t there ever any discussion about finding a vaccine? I never hear the Governor say anything about efforts to solve the problem through medicine.

Comment by From Downstate Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 7:47 am
I don’t know how we get people to comply with these orders unless and until we have non-stop news coverage of overflowing hospitals and young people dying. And even then, will people care?

There was just a report locally about a woman in her 30s dying of COVID with no underlying conditions yet so many restaurants are blowing off the indoor dining restrictions.

Back in March during the first shutdown I joined a local Facebook group that had been created specifically to promote curbside restaurant options in the community and now every other post in that page is people asking for info about what restaurants they can go to that are not following the shutdown order or restaurants advertising they are still offering dine-in.

I need to start keeping a list of them so I know which ones to not patronize ever again.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 7:49 am
== If we do fall all the way back to Tier 3 (aka Phases 1 or 2) or have stay-at-home orders again ==

A lot of the smaller businesses barely survived the last shutdown; they won’t survive another one without tons of Federal and State support. That doesn’t appear to be forthcoming.

My gut says a significant portion of businesses and people will ignore the orders.

Comment by RNUG Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 7:51 am
“And even then, will people care?” No, the target audience would just blame the “liberal media” for blowing it out of proportion.

Comment by Skeptic Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 7:54 am
Yes, this is likely to get worse.

And yes, over a period of time, people are going to get tired of masks and mitigations and will increasingly ignore them. Only to make certain that the virus will spread ever more.

This will be the ‘New Normal’ until a vaccine arrives.

Comment by Unconventionalwisdom Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 8:01 am
Hopefully “essential” and “non-essential” cateegories will be applied to Capital projects when budget-cutting time occurs. Such as a $300K splash pad for the Belleville Park District. The Belleville News-Democrat is speculating whether their city council may disapprove the project due to COVID:

https://www.bnd.com/news/local/community/belleville/article246846987.html

Comment by Chatham Resident Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 8:04 am
== people are going to get tired of masks and mitigations and will increasingly ignore them. ==

Some segments of the population are already there.

Comment by RNUG Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 8:05 am
Seeing significantly more places ignoring the indoor dining order, there was fairly recently in Aurora documentation of in uniform police officers violating the order.

Completely agree with the Governor on this, but I think at best you are going to get mask usage and some (perhaps even most) folks playing it safe, but a widespread shutdown is going to fail.

Comment by OneMan Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 8:13 am
So far, it appears, that the vaccines currently being developed will not be affected by the major mutation that has happened to the COVID-19 virus (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201008083753.htm ). However, just look at how our regular vaccine programs have to sometimes scramble to get ready for the flu season with its various strains of influenza. By continuing to ignore basic health mitigations, those who rail against masks and distancing and limitations, are only helping this particular coronavirus on to possible multi-versions, some like the H1N1 influenza A virus of 1918 which proved very deadly very quickly. There’s one commenter on Facebook locally who rants and raves about freedom, “Live free or, what’s the point” is his common scree. To me the point is to Live, not eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we all die anyway. This fall will test us all in ways generations haven’t had to tested in decades. We need to pull together instead of tearing ourselves apart.

Comment by Anon221 Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 8:23 am
Of course we are, Joe Biden told us it’s going to be a dark winter haha

Comment by ;) Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 8:31 am
Didn’t someone we were rounding the turn? Pretty big radius.

Comment by bogey golfer Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 8:58 am
The number of deaths are up in my county and it is because it is in at least 7 nursing homes in the county. I haven’t been doing inside dining but the overwhelming majority of people in the stores are masked properly. All but 3 people that voted at the precinct I worked wore their mask properly and most used the hand sanitizer before and after voting. The cleaning person cleaned each booth after each use.

Comment by Arock Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 9:01 am
==At this point you can’t rely on anything other than yourself to stay safe.==

So true. Heeding the advice of public health officials and other experts while I see so many ignorantly flouting guidance and throwing caution to the wind has become an exercise in absolute aggravation. I can’t count on anyone else outside my family to do the right thing even though I know many people are.

The only silver lining of COVID is that it has exposed the true colors of many people. Unfortunately those true colors are ugly. It’s safe to say there are some people with whom I have no further interest in maintaining friendships.

Comment by Zim Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 9:04 am
=We need to set aside our partisan agendas and work together very hard for the next five months.=

Absolutely right.

We are struggling to straff our schools due to the number of teachers that have to quarantine. Next week we may have to move to remote as a result. Mind you, it is not because of students or school spread, but what our teachers are doing outside of school. Only one is positive, all others are due to close contacts.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 9:12 am
Pritzker has utterly failed. The state failed for months to stand up a contact tracing program, and now it’s too late. No one in government is willing to take meaningful steps to halt the spread of the virus, or to provide meaningful relief for the many Illinoisans who have been economically devastated by it. Now we see the result. At this rate, Pritzker will not be re-elected, nor does he deserve to be.

Comment by Quibbler Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 9:22 am
“Some segments of the population are already there.”

Some segments of the population never actually attempted to do anything at all. Where I’m from, that would be about 1/3 to 1/2.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 9:23 am
== We need to set aside our partisan agendas and work together very hard for the next five months.==

What partisan agendas? Democrats have the governorship and supermajorities in the legislature. Republicans suck, but they are not the obstacle to dealing with the virus in this state. Pritzker et al. have simply decided that they’re not willing to pay the political price to do what’s necessary to stop the spread of the virus or mitigate its fallout.

Comment by Quibbler Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 9:25 am
My issue with further lockdowns is that other than requiring non-essential workers to work from home, I don’t see how the other items would reduce the spread of the virus. Informal social gatherings and parties are driving the spread as well as large indoor gatherings where people get lax on wearing masks.

Comment by Chicagonk Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 9:28 am
===Make smart individual choices and you have a better probability of survival. Make dumb choices and well you know…===

It’s a real shame about those physician and nurses that keep having to make the dumb choice about going into work to treat COVID-19 positive patients and be exposed to the people who insist they don’t have COVID-19.

It’s a real shame about those people that have to make the dumb choice of continuing to go to work because they can’t afford to not have a job.

It’s a real shame about those teachers that are so stupid they keep having to report to work for in person education.

This isn’t a pandemic where only the dumb get sick. When people continue to ignore guidelines, when local law enforcement and local elected officials continue to flout state law out of their arrogance and ignorance they are playing Russian roulette, but not with their own lives.

Being smart and making all the right choices doesn’t guarantee success. You still have risks and the people that are being intentionally dumb about this are making your risks worse.

We’re all in this together. Your stupid neighbor. My stupid neighbor. Your stupid mayor. My stupid mayor. We all own their stupidity.

Comment by Candy Dogood Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 9:30 am
== people are going to get tired of masks and mitigations and will increasingly ignore them. ==

Or get used to them as part of their everyday routine and adapt to the conditions. They know that if enough of us are consistent in following guidelines we will reduce the spread of the virus and be able to be more open for business and activities. The pro-business stance is to promote safety.

Comment by Earnest Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 9:46 am
Pritzker better be working behind the scenes for what Illinois needs if there is a stimulus package at the federal level.

And if he’s going to float this idea out to the public and media I hope he cleaned up the IDES shop.

Comment by Almost the weekend Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 9:53 am
I really don’t understand people getting tired of the masks and mitigations. I mean, I understand if you own a business, getting tired of it, but that’s a small sliver of the population. People who are getting sick and hospitalized now have much better odds than people who were hospitalized in April. There is at least a trend predicting that people who get sick in February of next year will have an even easier time of it than people who get sick now. Therefore I tend to think of this as a tortoise and hare race. I’d rather be a tortoise than a hare in this instance.

Comment by cermak_rd Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 10:03 am
The science is right but to hear the Guv say jobs and businesses have been lost for nearly nothing is hard to swallow; on top of threats of cuts and tax hikes.

Comment by PraireState Sense Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 10:27 am
==told us it’s going to be a dark winter haha==

It is also past November 4 and the virus did not disappear. Shocker.

===Pritzker has utterly failed.===

I love it when the opposition claims you failed when they did everything they could to oppose the measures that would have led to success.

Comment by Jibba Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 10:28 am
==My gut says a significant portion of businesses and people will ignore the orders.== I think RNUG is right.

Comment by Southwest Sider Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 10:46 am
== I love it when the opposition claims you failed when they did everything they could to oppose the measures that would have led to success.==

I’m not a republican, so I don’t know what you’re talking about. What ‘opposition’ prevented Pritzker from implementing a contact tracing program for eight months? Or lifting the ban on rent control, as he campaigned on?

Comment by Quibbler Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 10:58 am
=== What ‘opposition’ prevented Pritzker from implementing a contact tracing program===

Mainly the City of Chicago.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 11:00 am
==What ‘opposition’ prevented Pritzker from implementing a contact tracing program for eight months==

Cripes (exclamation point) We can’t get (much less enforce) face coverings and you think people can recall (much less tell strangers) when, where and who they’ve been in contact with?

Comment by Jocko Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 11:23 am
@Quibbler -

ICYMI - Republicans have been crisscrossing the state telling people not to wear masks and ignore the governor’s executive orders.

That partisan agenda.

Also, the Governor has promised a reckoning for opponents of the Fair Tax. That partisan agenda.

Also, Ken Griffin has suggested their should be no budget deal without partisan pension changes. That partisan agenda.

I could go on all day, but I am running out of electrons.

Comment by Thomas Paine Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 11:24 am
Ezike is right to talk about travel. Telling people to stay close to home like staying in the county is a lot more realistic than some of the phase 3 cutbacks to business capacity.

Comment by Blake Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 11:24 am
So the rest of the state doesn’t get it because…

===Mainly the City of Chicago.===

This ‘tail wagging the dog’ example adds to why those down staters have the opinion of chicago politicians they do. I am not saying any of them “down there” wanted it, but just nope no one gets it because Chicago doesn’t just seems like another stumble by the Adminstration..

Comment by 618er Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 11:30 am
==Also, the Governor has promised a reckoning for opponents of the Fair Tax. That partisan agenda.==

After yesterday, I wonder if some of that reckoning will also go to remaining Madigan allies in the House too. Such as deep cuts in their districts as well (e.g., Scherer’s 96th including Capitol Complex and state buildings downtown and on Dirksen) as those in strong Republican/Eastern & Western Bloc districts too.

Comment by Chatham Resident Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 11:41 am
Anybody seen a State of Illinois liquor or video gambling license suspension for disregarding the Executive Orders filed yet?

Comment by ChicagoBars Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 12:09 pm