Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
Previous Post: MLB open thread
Next Post: Darren Bailey’s favorite lawyer, favorite judge to vie for the same appellate district seat against appointee
Posted in:
*** UPDATE 1 *** Subscribers know more about this, too…
Sources briefed on the matter say the governor also will announce a vaccine mandate for certain state employees in positions that put them in substantial contact with the public, including prison guards and certain nursing home personnel. The state already requires masks to be worn in state facilities.
Pritzker has resisted such moves, but they have become much more frequent in other states and cities in recent days.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Tribune…
Pritzker, who’s made his handling of the pandemic central to his reelection bid next year, is stopping short of requiring all state workers to get vaccinated but will mandate it in settings where people are in the direct care of the state, including prisons, juvenile detention facilities and veterans homes. […]
Vaccine uptake has been sluggish among employees at some homes run by the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, with 63% of employees at five homes — including a brand-new one in Chicago that hasn’t opened to residents — fully vaccinated as of July 23, according to the department. That’s compared with 98% of residents of those facilities.
The vaccination rate is even lower among employees at the Department of Corrections, with just 44% fully vaccinated, spokeswoman Lindsey Hess said. While vaccination status is more challenging to track among inmates as they enter and leave the system, the rate was about 69% as of a recent count.
* Subscribers know a lot more about this announcement…
Governor Pritzker will announce new Coronavirus protocols tomorrow, which may include a statewide mask mandate for schools, according to sources briefed on the matter. Details to come. An indoor mask mandate would be in line with CDC’s recommendations.
— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) August 4, 2021
The governor’s press conference is today at 2:30. We’ll have live coverage.
* Also…
A statewide mask mandate could help provide political cover for school board members and district superintendents like this where meetings about masks get intensely heated. https://t.co/w6UojIRHZg
— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) August 4, 2021
* Here’s a short audio clip from that school board meeting provided by a subscriber. The meeting most certainly wasn’t all “civil” as the above story claimed…
“They need to help themselves,” the guy said about Black people. What that has to do with mask-wearing is kinda beyond me, except that he seemed to happily say the quiet part out loud.
Sheesh.
* Related…
* Louisiana Reinstates Indoor Mask Mandate As State’s Largest Hospital Runs Out Of Beds
* Florida COVID-19 hospitalizations break record for third straight day
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 2:31 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: MLB open thread
Next Post: Darren Bailey’s favorite lawyer, favorite judge to vie for the same appellate district seat against appointee
WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org.
powered by WordPress.
Governor Prtzker leads again. Creating a statewide mask mandate for all K-12 schools is not only the right thing to do until all students have access to covid vaccination, but it’s necessary to prevent the repeated confrontations from the luddites at normally staid school board meetings.
Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 5:25 am
Science doesn’t support that mask usage in schools changes the rate for childrens spread. What the data did find was lower the spread to adults working in the school.
But at this point in time with vaccines available and schools mandating it for the teacher you really must question are we ever going to remove the masks since these vaccines are now looking like boosters and everyone regardless of status has to wear a mask. I believe people can evaluate their own risk at this point in the pandemic
Also while we’re at it, state agencies are the worst at their employees wearing masks especially the agencies who have downstate appointed directors.
Comment by The Dude Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 6:24 am
I don’t think the majority of the kids care. My son is vaccinated and has no problem wearing a mask. None of his friends seem to mind, either. He’ll be the first to point out that he goes to school with kids under 12 who can’t yet be vaccinated. It’s all the hand wringing and gnashing of teeth by the adults that I don’t understand.
Comment by ChuckIL Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 7:03 am
My kids are fine with wearing a mask. They don’t understand what the issue is.
Comment by BTO2 Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 7:16 am
I’m very confused by the guidance. Drive carefully while seatbelted to protect against a collision I’m insured for because I may get hit by a person who is not driving carefully? So, essentially- drive carefully to maybe, possibly, lower some risks? People don’t trust the constant moving and changing of goal posts.
derp.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 7:16 am
I work in the school system and our kids didn’t have a problem wearing masks last year. They were willing to do it to get back in school. The parents and some school employees were the ones that were having the issues with it. As far as vaccines being available for teachers we had a clinic in February for all school employees and only 25% showed up in acounty where only 34% is vaccinated.
Comment by RickS Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 7:42 am
==Also while we’re at it, state agencies are the worst at their employees wearing masks especially the agencies who have downstate appointed directors.==
All the more reason for the mandatory vaccination requirement for all state employees and agencies. Get vaccinated or get fired. Also have this include a plan for all remaining state agencies who have employees working from home to bring everyone back in the office by the day after the vaccination deadline.
(This coming from someone whose office was among the first to bring all their employees back to work immediately after stay at home orders ended).
Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 7:52 am
Said the quiet part out loud……amazing how this is happening more and more.
Kids want to be in school, that’s it. They’ll deal with a mask much more than they’ll deal with having another year at home on a computer.
Comment by Frank talks Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 7:57 am
“People don’t trust the constant moving and changing of goal post”
Gee, it’s almost as if we’re in an unprecedented global crisis where our leaders are figuring this whole thing out in real time and reacting as best as they can to new information as the situation evolves.
Comment by sulla Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:01 am
I firmly believe the vaccine should be required as are other vaccines. This back and forth only hurts making that happen. Wait until it hits high school sports. Masks for indoor sports? What about spectators? Sports parents will go nuts What about band? How can a band even function ? They play indoors and are close and blow out air.
Comment by DuPage Saint Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:04 am
If the FDA suddenly approves the vaccines, The Aniti’s will suddenly find another reason not to take it.
The kids don’t have a problem wearing masks until Mom and Dad start whining.
Comment by Bruce( no not him) Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:12 am
Put yet another check mark in the column for “dissolve county health departments”.
In the past 15 months, my local health department has issued a total of zero citations, and doesn’t even have a mask requirement in its own buildings on the handful of days when they are even giving vaccines and not closed for yet another vacation.
Local control has failed in this situation. The light has been shone brightly on these boards, showing them to consist mostly of people who want the perceived prestige of holding the position, without any of the actual responsibility that comes with the job.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:13 am
Add my kids to the list of those who didn’t seem to care about wearing masks. At the end of the first day last year, they came home and were telling us all about the masks and what they can and can’t do. Then they never brought it up again for the entire school year. I agree with people above who noted it’s the parents and some school employees who make all the noise.
Comment by phenom_Anon Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:23 am
In terms of requiring vaccination, it does make me feel a little bit nervous to require a shot that isn’t fda approved. From the latest news I’ve read, supposedly that will be by Labor Day, so maybe we’re close.
Comment by phenom_Anon Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:25 am
It didn’t work before. Why are we trying it again?
Comment by Free Market Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:27 am
=I work in the school system and our kids didn’t have a problem wearing masks last year. They were willing to do it to get back in school. The parents and some school employees were the ones that were having the issues with it. As far as vaccines being available for teachers we had a clinic in February for all school employees and only 25% showed up in a county where only 34% is vaccinated.=
That sounds about right for our district as well.
We never had problems enforcing the masking with the kids or the staff really. Very common in schools for kids to comply and the parents create an issue out of a non issue.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:37 am
=People don’t trust the constant moving and changing of goal post.=
Yeah that’s the consequence of 1/2 the country and many of our elected officials not taking this seriously. You have to continue to change the guidance to compensate for their stupidity.
Part of the reason that this continues is that we haven’t been nearly prescriptive enough with the laggards. If Covid has taught us anything it’s that you can’t count on half of the country to simply do the right thing. And because of that we keep changing our “recommendations.” We have to put this behind us once and for all. We’ll only do that with clear and unequivocal mandates and consequences for those that don’t follow them. Pritzker’s directive on K-12 is a step in the right direction. But we have to do more.
Comment by Pundent Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:39 am
Reading - yes it is true. So this covid thing can’t possibly be as dangerous as they say. If it were, they would certainly not risk spreading such a dangerous and contagious virus in this manner. Will Jay Bob be addressing this issue in his big briefing? Likely not. But get masks on all those kids pronto. We must stop the spread of this deadly virus.
Comment by Captain Obvious Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:40 am
I’m gonna bet Pritzker just locked down the Superintendent/Administrator vote. Not sure how much that helps him, but obviously he’s doing the right thing and it’s not like he was gonna get any of the anti-mask vote anyway
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:42 am
- It didn’t work before. Why are we trying it again? -
What didn’t work? By all measurements the protocols put in place last year reduced cases and deaths.
Morons like yourself refuse to get vaccinated or wear masks, so now it looks like the rest of us will once again have to chip in to reduce risk to those that can’t be vaccinated.
The pride you take in advertising your ignorance is breathtaking.
Comment by Excitable Boy Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:49 am
“It didn’t work before. Why are we trying it again?”
My kids went in school all last year, with masks. Not only did it work (not one in-school spread was reported by the health department), none of my kids were sick even once with anything. With a large family, this was unheard of. So, yes, masking in schools work and I’m glad they are mandating it.
Comment by Simply Sayin' Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:50 am
=== Science doesn’t support that mask usage in schools changes the rate for childrens spread.===
=== It didn’t work before. Why are we trying it again?===
Cites please.
This isn’t Facebook.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:54 am
This kids are smarter and more mature than the parents, as many of these comments demonstrate. Yes, the rules change, so do the on-ground conditions. It isn’t all that confusing. Nobody is wearing masks, so now everybody has to wear masks. Would be great if we all strictly “followed the science,” but we aren’t. Half the country claims a right to spread a deadly disease, so now they’re trying social sciences.
Comment by SWIL_Voter Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:57 am
===it’s not like he was gonna get any of the anti-mask vote anyway===
The ignorant and foolish won’t be swayed, politically, the political and the actual to health and well-being is how the middle-moderates feel, and polling seems to say the governor is more thoughtful to the safety and welfare of people than the Covidiots who in the political arena scream “Freedom” as their own family members struggle with the deadly virus.
If the measure wanted is political, you’re doing it wrong. The loud minority are souls ignorant to many things including getting majority thoughts.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:00 am
“It didn’t work before. Why are we trying it again?”
Huh, that’s odd. I could’ve sworn that the New England region, which was very strict with mask usage and isn’t surrounded by anti-mask states, had exceptionally low COVID rates.
Comment by Proud Papa Bear Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:04 am
It goes without saying that protecting children under 12, who can’t get vaccinated, is a very important issue. A P-12 mask mandate is a good first step. More adults and children over 12 need to be vaccinated so schools can return to “normal” and not have to wear masks. To achieve this goal, the State and City of Chicago may need to require stronger policy incentives like in California and other states to require vaccines before adults in indoor and outdoor activities that spread COVID. Keep in mind that most schools don’t have air conditioning so wearing a mask all day long in August and September will be very challenging for young children.
Comment by Angie Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:05 am
I am so confused by all this. It is a mask. Just a *banned word* mask. Put it on. Move on with life.
Comment by Montrose Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:05 am
“ Flu will be back; your mask can’t stop it.”
17 consecutive months of not one person in my family getting so much as a sniffle.
Comment by Proud Papa Bear Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:07 am
===follow @IANMSC on Twitter===
LOL…
“Covid data, charts, and sarcasm”
I mean, is your cite something The Onion sees as mockingly ignorant, or…
Try again.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:07 am
=it’s not like he was gonna get any of the anti-mask vote anyway=
Catering to our most uninformed and belligerent citizens leads to really bad policy. See Texas and Florida. But if there were enough of those folks in this state we’d be preparing ourselves for Governor Bailey.
Comment by Pundent Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:07 am
===Flu will be back; your mask can’t stop it.===
- Nunya -
Are you vaccinated, why or why not?
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:10 am
- follow @IANMSC on Twitter -
Truly the gold standard for health news. Watch out Lancet.
Comment by Excitable Boy Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:12 am
“People don’t trust the constant moving and changing of goal posts.”
I wish people would stop acting like chickens, imprinting on the first thing they read/hear and refusing to acknowledge that with new information comes new guidance. I’m so sick of this deliberate ignorance.
Comment by skutt Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:13 am
We should acknowledge that mandates are not being followed. State mandates are effectively just mandates for the willing. Mandates where enforced. The areas with the highest rates of spread also have concentrated populations of people who for a variety of different factors have opted to both not receive the vaccine and do not follow any public safety protocols.
They also live in communities where local leaders have abandoned all attempts to follow those protocols and disregarded their duty to the public in such a fashion that some residents of their community owe their deaths to this inaction.
In some cases it is the elephant in the room, but one of the reasons for low rates of vaccination among employees at the state’s 24/7 facilities is because the employees that work there are products of the communities surrounding the facilities where for multiple factors they simply have opted to be contrarians to efforts to fight this deadly pandemic.
Pritzker should have negotiated the mandate language for a vaccine before one ever existed. We’re responsible for the veterans we house, we’re responsible for the people in our mental health facilities, we’re responsible for the people in our prisons, and we’re responsible for the people we employee.
Make the selfish ignorant public employees get vaccinated or fire them for cause. Whatever is driving their refusal to be vaccinated is a red flag that they should not be employed as a public servant. They have clearly demonstrated their lack of concern for their duties to others.
Are there some people who shouldn’t receive the vaccine for medical reasons? Sure. But that’s a pretty small share of our public employees, and we should protect them by forcing the self centered ignoramuses on our payrolls to get vaccinated or find a career where no one needs to depend on their dedication to others.
Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:16 am
It’s time to bring back a statewide indoor and outdoor, when social distancing is not possible, mask mandate for everyone.
Comment by Bob Meter Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:16 am
== Masking doesn’t work. If you want extensive evidence, please follow @IANMSC on Twitter ==
I spent most of the last week at a Mayo Clinic Hospital facility with a family member (the surgery was a success) and the Hospital had us all masked. Am I going to go with the folks at Mayor or some twitter account? Golly that’s a tough one.
Also there is in fact research that shows masking with kids does work, some nitwit on twitter may not be sharing it with you, but it is there.
North Carolina
https://abcsciencecollaborative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ABCs-Final-Report-June-2021.06-esig-DB-KZ-6-29-21.pdf
But yeah that twitter account knows better.
Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:17 am
“Masking doesn’t work.” So you’re saying we’ve been wasting our money for masks in operating rooms for all these decades?
Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:21 am
I’m wondering since Illinois is a progressive state, can you identify as being masked without wearing a mask? It’s sort of like going into the women’s lock room and identifying as female.
Comment by Gillian from Springfield Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:23 am
There is some risk in going outside and being around others, who knew??? Wear your mask. Get your covid booster.
Comment by Davis Junction Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:24 am
===masks in operating rooms===
I’m 37.6% seriously waiting for the uninformed to “uncle in-law” me with “facts and figures” how masks in operating rooms do nothing to keep all from infection.
“C’mon, you know, it’s a fact”
- The “In-Law Uncle” fact checking
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:24 am
===I’m wondering since Illinois is a progressive state, can you identify as being masked without wearing a mask? It’s sort of like going into the women’s lock room and identifying as female.===
Is that you, Jeanne Ives? Shouldn’t you be protecting confederate statutes somewhere?
I know, it felt good to type to “own the libs”, which actually means “looking ignorant to science while left-handly trying to show transgender ignorance to boot.
It’s tiring, trying to save the anti-science folks from themselves, lol
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:28 am
A lot of ignorant posts today but Gillian tops them all.
Comment by Proud Papa Bear Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:33 am
“It didn’t work before. Why are we trying it again?”
Both my kids were exposed to COVID in the classroom (more than 15 minutes at approximately 3 feet distance). Neither fell ill despite being unvaccinated at the time. Both they and the infected students they sat next to wore masks.
So please explain again how masks don’t work.
Comment by Dance Band on the Titanic Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:34 am
-It’s tiring, trying to save the anti-science folks from themselves-
That’s what’s great about Illinois. It elects progressives that make decisions based on science. Check out Governor Pritzker, he’s a man that makes decisions based on science. A vision of science.
Comment by Cairo Sage Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:39 am
I’m basically with The Dude @6:24am’s first two paragraphs. Last year, I was very supportive of mask mandates, but now the widely available vaccines are proving safe & effective at preventing hospitalizations & deaths. It may be okay to have a mask-exemption for those who prove themselves fully vaccinated or under age 12, but universal masking requirements appear unnecessary now. Also see what can be done in the education budget to get the staff N95 or KN95 masks which work better than cloth masks.
Comment by Blake Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:41 am
Good for the Governor to get ahead of this and take the pressure of school boards. Conflicts like that meeting are only going to get worse. It’s so sad to have these parents acting like a mask is “injuring” their child. Totally brainwashed.
Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:46 am
I wonder how school districts plan to enforce this. Last year, there was remote learning so if a student didn’t comply with the masks they were forced into remote learning. This year remote learning requires a medical exemption. If a student doesn’t wear a mask, what can they do? Suspend them? Not possible with new state laws that limit the type of actions that require a suspension. In school suspension (definitely extreme) .. great more time with students outside of the classroom. Still doesn’t get them to wear the mask. 95% of the school body will wear their mask but with vaccines available and masks optional, is the mandate worth it for high school
Comment by Suburban Teacher Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:49 am
Covid crisis addicts get more satisfaction.
Comment by Vax this Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:49 am
“Masking doesn’t work.” You know, people get DCFS called on them for sending their kids to school with no shoes, but I have yet to hear even an anecdote about someone being killed by stinky feet.
Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:51 am
Our school district’s handbook for the coming year gives the authority to return to virtual learning and mask mandates to the superintendent, County Health Department, IDPH, and the Governor. Mark hit it spot-on: The political coverage for the school board is very real. It makes me sick. (Pun intended.)
No wonder requiring a population ineligible for vaccination to wear masks when they return to gathering en masse during a pandemic - an otherwise low-hanging step in public health management - is big news. Locals pass the buck up to the top, which is where they place the Governor in their own policies and procedures. Watch now as these public servants campaign on how big government Chicago Libs and their authoritarian superintendents chip away at their authority. smh
Comment by Dirty Red Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 9:52 am
Best thing the Gov could say today is, “OK all you football coaches and parents who are medical experts, either mask up and get vaccinated or no football season, your choice”.
Comment by Give Me A Break Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 10:08 am
== Covid crisis addicts get more satisfaction. ==
I am not going to use the two words that would get me banned for life, so I will use.
Bit Me
Do you have a family member who had to watch people die from this disease? Did they come home and talk to you about how once it gets into a facility what it is like to watch it run its course. To explain to families they can’t see Grandma because a large % of patients are infected. Trust me, the people who deal with this want this over much more than your mildly inconvenienced rear-end. Not even close. There is no one on the medical side who thinks ‘Oh boy, everyone needs to wear a mask again’ besides in some sort of Fox News Fantasy Land. They want this over. How many people come home working in health care, looking tired and just say ‘I don’t know if I can do this again’…
Yeah, they are COVID crisis addicts, who have the big dream of making everyone wear a mask.
Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 10:15 am
please follow @IANMSC
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. No.
Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 10:30 am
===Covid crisis addicts get more satisfaction.===
You can’t un-die. Keep up, get vaccinated.
- OneMan -, again, showing his Golden Horseshoe chops. Good stuff, bud.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 10:32 am
Another unproductive school year
Comment by Masker Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 10:32 am
===Suspend them? Not possible with new state laws that limit the type of actions that require a suspension.===
Meh.
If a child isn’t potty trained, no kindergarten.
If the premise is your child can be potty trained bud can’t keep a mask on…
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 10:34 am
In the words of that great fictional character Sherman T. Potter
“Horse Hockey”.
Comment by Your Mom Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 10:37 am
==Sources briefed on the matter say the governor also will announce a vaccine mandate for certain state employees in positions that put them in substantial contact with the public, including prison guards and certain nursing home personnel. ==
Good. As long as it’s mandatory and strictly enforced. Hopefully that will also include drivers’ facility employees. Coming off the heels of SOS having to close Klein and Mason facility in Springfield due to COVID (I think today was the reopening after the 2-week shutdown). Also one recently in Deerfield.
Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 10:46 am
“wearing a seatbelt doesn’t generally affect the other driver you collide with. Poor analogy all around.”
How does a mask on my face affect you?
What part of delta variant do you not understand? More contagious, more virulent, and just as deadly. Younger people who are unvaccinated are ending up in the ICU and dying.
I wear a mask to protect myself and my family.
If you don’t like it, go down the hall to someone else who might care what you think.
Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 10:49 am
Again from the stands….
Kids don’t care about wearing masks - parents do.
I think it might be why so many parents and other adults who aren’t even directly involved seem to lose their mind about this tiny issue. They have conflated wearing a mask or anything else this entire time with being a sheep, or brainwashed, or liberal or whatever. And they actually see, perhaps their own kids, not really caring about a mask and it drives them up a wall.
Glad that kids can continue to show the adults what’s really important right now.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 10:50 am
Louisiana has to reinstate an indoor mask mandate because hospitals are filling up and sufficient care can’t be given to patients. Think about it, you get sick with a non-COVID illness, or seriously injured, and there’s little or no room to be admitted to a hospital. The healthcare system is overloaded. How is this not outrageous?
The current COVID surge is different because it’s more preventable than ever, with vaccines. The people who hate vax and mask mandates are a big reason why these rules being mandated.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 10:51 am
“Louisiana has to reinstate an indoor mask mandate” The Republican Governor of Arkansas just came out and said he regretted signing a bill banning mask mandates.
Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 11:22 am
Louisiana is seeing more kids in hospitals. Delta is different. What we got used to just a few months ago, under older variants, ain’t working. What’s so hard to understand?
Comment by Sir Reel Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 11:38 am
“What’s so hard to understand?” Apparently what’s hard for them to understand is that freedom isn’t free.
Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 11:44 am
Sheesh a Covid vax thread draws more hits then a guns or pension thread.
This seems pretty simple kids under 12 can’t be vaxxed, yet, makes sense to protect them right? Just saying.
As for Vaccine mandates for State Employees seems logical to require it for all of them, but especially for DOC and nursing homes. It’s part of serving the public that maybe you don’t get them sick. Seems simple.
Comment by Mason born Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 11:51 am
=Keep in mind that most schools don’t have air conditioning so wearing a mask all day long in August and September will be very challenging for young children.=
Those same kids wore the masks last year and it was hot. We adapt and the kids are great.
=I wonder how school districts plan to enforce this.=
Since you claim to be a teacher maybe emailk your admin, or maybe you don’t want an answer just a chance to complain.
And you can exclude kids from school if they refuse to mask during a pandemic. They can work from home.
=Another unproductive school year=. That is just a pathetic comment. Last year was productive, but it was different. we adjust.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:08 pm
==If a child isn’t potty trained, no kindergarten.
If the premise is your child can be potty trained bud can’t keep a mask on… ==
Maybe the state can spend some of it’s ARPA money on installing air conditioners in schools to make life a little easier for young children caught in the middle. In the alternative, moving the school year back to mid-September may be a more workable alternative.
Comment by Angie Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:14 pm
==In the alternative, moving the school year back to mid-September may be a more workable alternative.==
Or have ISBE reconsider their previous stance against remote learning for this coming school year. Perhaps allow it until at least Labor Day, or later if Delta still rages on.
Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:17 pm
===Or have ISBE reconsider their previous stance ===
That’s coming from the federal government.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:22 pm
Just more rights taken away. They will NOT force inmates to receive the vaccine but WILL force in lieu of termination state workers to get the vaccine as a condition of employment (set forth after employment).
Comment by I’m vaccinated Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:25 pm
=== Just more rights taken away===
You can choose not to be a correction officer.
You can choose to be vaccinated.
Life is full of choices.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:26 pm
=Just more rights taken away.=
What right is being taken away. Please be specific and not where the constitution defines it as a right and not something floating around in your head.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:28 pm
What OW said.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:28 pm
AFSCME needs to get on board, and go along with a mandate for the vaccine. TheSODCs in all parts of the state have a very poor rate of their employees being vaccinated. Those employees are putting the most vulnerable at risk.
Comment by Grateful Gail Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:31 pm
As someone who is high risk and was ready to camp out to get the vaccine and is now awaiting results to see if I have a breakthru infection because I feel like absolute crud, I’m getting really frustrated with basically half the country. I wear my mask. I hardly leave my home. I finally had to return to work. And here I am, in this position.
Comment by Awaiting results Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:32 pm
==Just more rights taken away.==
Please enumerate these stolen rights. There’s a lot of things I have to do if I want to keep my job. Here’s a few:
Continuing education, license renewals, live in a certain jurisdiction, have a valid driver’s license, keep my work place safe, arrive on time, not leave early, only take one hour for lunch, keep my hands to myself….
Comment by don the legend Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:32 pm
=What right is being taken away.=
I’m guessing it’s the right to die. Maybe the right to be taken care of by overworked doctors and nurses, the right to infect other people, and the right to inflict damage on our economy by allowing the virus to do whatever it wants. You know, the rights that are founding fathers envisioned when they drafted the constitution and/or wrote the bible.
Comment by Pundent Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:53 pm
===I’m guessing it’s the===
Right to goldbrick on the public dime.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 1:03 pm
Wow. If we fought in WWII like we fought Covid, we’d be speaking Japanese and German. The constant cries of “freedom” and “rights” are from those who have no idea just how far governments can legally go. Go look up WWII rationing for starters. And remember to ask yourself “Is this trip REALLY necessary??” Because guess what? You COULDN’T do what you wanted all the time, how you wanted or why you wanted to. Too bad your rights were infringed. As SCOTUS reminded everyone in 1905, those rights are NOT absolute, and vaccines can be mandated for all but the medically compromised. It’s time to issue mandatory vaccination orders, mandatory mask orders, ending large crowded parties, bars, and sports venues, and take all other necessary measures to defeat Covid. We played with Covid, and we’re losing ground once again.
Comment by thisjustinagain Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 1:07 pm
I noticed some hospitals in Wisconsin have gone from “mandatory mask” to “fully vaccinated by Nov. 1st” for all employees. This has happened in the last day or two.
Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 1:10 pm
Rights taken away…people don’t understand science. Time to make people choose. Get vaccinated and be protected by our healthcare system or stand with your rights to be unvaccinated, and therefore if you catch COVID you must pay out of pocket for all costs associated with the disease. Easy to understand.
Comment by BluegrassBoy Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 1:19 pm
Boy, the guys at Wirepoints and IPI are sure riled up today
Comment by Morty Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 1:50 pm
-thisjustinagain-
Thank you.
Comment by Westender Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 1:50 pm
==ending large crowded parties, bars, and sports venues==
And that should include the cancellation of this year’s State Fairs too. Even with 8 days left until opening day in Springfield.
Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 1:56 pm
Either state employees pick to feed their family and get vaccinated or get terminated and hope they find a decent livable job…most all will take the jab, I took it and recommend most to take it…but I still stand that the a person shouldn’t be forced to pick what they put or not put in their bodies in order to save their job they currently have.
Comment by I’m vaccinated Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 2:32 pm
=And that should include the cancellation of this year’s State Fairs too.=
Or maybe use it as a catalyst to get the vaccine by requiring it for attendance or masks depending on age. We cancelled events over the last year because we had no choice. The virus was in control. That’s no longer the case. What happens from this point forward is largely up to us and those in leadership positions.
Comment by Pundent Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 2:40 pm
==reconsider their previous stance against remote learning==
Absolutely not. Remote learning was a disaster. My kids struggled immensely and cannot handle another year of being out of school.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 4:33 pm