Springfield News
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After four days of significant decreases in reported deaths from coronavirus in Illinois, the state hit a record number of new deaths on Tuesday, signaling Illinois is nowhere near an end to its Covid-19 crisis.
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 144 new deaths among those who had previously tested positive for the virus — though The Daily Line’s accounting of Covid-19 figures showed 142 deaths — and pushed the state’s overall death toll to 2,125 in the six weeks since the first Covid-19 death was announced. -
In the same hour a downstate judge ruled State Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) could be released from Gov. JB Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, Pritzker on Monday said the remaining 12.7 million Illinoisans would see loosened social distancing restrictions when the number of coronavirus patients using intensive care unit beds and ventilators in hospitals begins to decrease.
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The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission will meet Monday to formally withdraw an emergency rule the body approved earlier this month that would have automatically granted workers’ compensation to essential workers who come down with coronavirus. Meanwhile, a former employee of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation spent a significant portion of his time on the job watching movies, doing puzzles and printing materials related to his second job, according to a report published by the Executive Ethics Commission last week.
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The number of new coronavirus test results reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health held above 10,000 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in a victory for Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration, which has held that benchmark as a goal for nearly a month. The increased testing has bent down the proportion of those who have tested positive.
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Illinois’ stay-at-home order will continue through the end of May, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday, with alterations allowing for the reopening of non-essential retailers to fulfill orders for pickup or delivery and requiring masks in public spaces as the state enters a new phase of its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Additionally, scientists from the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois and Rush University Hospital were on hand for Thursday’s daily Covid-19 press briefing to provide new insight into the data Pritzker’s office has been using to make decisions. They concluded Illinois is likely in the beginning of an extended period of plateau for the virus’ spread, which could last into mid-May. -
APR 24, 2020
A Sangamon County Judge on Thursday granted a temporary halt to a move from Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration that would automatically make essential workers who contract coronavirus eligible for workers’ compensation without first having to prove they caught it on the job. Meanwhile, the Illinois State Board of Elections acknowledged a federal ruling that loosens signature requirements for third-party candidates like the Libertarian and Green parties during the 2020 election cycle. -
Two influential business groups sued Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration this week over an emergency move made by the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission to automatically approve workers’ compensation for essential employees who contract coronavirus, creating the “rebuttable presumption” that any essential worker who contracts the virus did so at work.
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The number of new confirmed coronavirus cases reported in Illinois soared to more than 2,000 in one day for the first time on Wednesday, with the number of daily confirmed tests of the virus reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health finally nearing a key figure: 10,000.
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APR 22, 2020
UNLOCKEDFour days after Illinois’ general obligation bonds saw a downgrade from Fitch Ratings Inc. to one notch above junk status, Moody’s Investors Service on Tuesday warned the coronavirus pandemic and its accompanying economic consequences will strain the state’s creditworthiness and “are likely to exacerbate the already substantial financial challenges that Illinois faces.”
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APR 22, 2020
Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday acknowledged the peak of the coronavirus’ spread in Illinois — once forecasted for mid-April — likely won’t come for another few weeks, as 119 more people were reported dead after being diagnosed with Covid-19, pushing the death toll to 1,468.
