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| Home / College Guide / Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVI |
| Posted on Thursday, September 24 @ 00:00:16 PDT |
Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned Wednesday the region of northwest Illinois that includes Rockford and Northern Illinois University and borders Wisconsin and Iowa could soon see stricter rules aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus. The nine-county region, as defined by Pritzker’s reopening plan, had a 7.5% test positivity rate as of Wednesday, which has climbed “at a concerning rate,†the governor said at a news conference in Chicago. Meanwhile, Small business owners in suburban Cook County who saw their revenue evaporate during the coronavirus pandemic could get up to $10,000 in grants by the end of the year, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Wednesday. Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois: 5:10 p.m.: CPS plan for reopening schools remains unclear as parents share remote learning woes with Board of Education: ‘It’s just not working’ Wednesday’s Chicago Board of Education meeting offered little clarity for everyone who wants to know if students will be back in classrooms when second quarter begins in November. Allison Gorsuch, who has a child in kindergarten at Pulaski International School of Chicago, called on the board to be transparent and “release criteria for reopening as soon as possible.
†“Remote learning is not developmentally appropriate for kindergartners,†she said. “… I’ve watched my student and his teacher work really hard at remote learning, but he’s 5, and it’s just not working.†Gorsuch said she would push for reopening as soon as it was safe to do so. “I’m not asking for schools to reopen before it’s safe, but I’m asking for this not to be a lost year for our youngest students,†she said. She also asked for students to have access to rapid testing for COVID-19. “I believe this is the way forward.†As parents spoke about their experiences so far with remote learning, many praised their children’s teachers but still had concerns about some of the rules, such as screen time. Though some schools have been relaxed about camera usage, others are requiring students to keep their cameras on during class in order to get credit for participating, parents said. A district plan that would bring some students back into buildings for special education services has met opposition from the Chicago Teachers Union, which earlier this week called the proposal “unworkable and dangerous.
†5:05 p.m.: Pritzker warns northwest Illinois region could be headed for stricter COVID-19 regulations Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned Wednesday the region of northwest Illinois that includes Rockford and Northern Illinois University and borders Wisconsin and Iowa could soon see stricter rules aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus. The nine-county region, as defined by Pritzker’s reopening plan, had a 7.5% test positivity rate as of Wednesday, which has climbed “at a concerning rate,†the governor said at a news conference in Chicago. Pritzker’s administration scales back reopening when a region reaches or surpasses the state-set threshold of 8% positivity rate for three consecutive days, and Illinois Department of Public Health officials have been in talks with local public health departments to discuss ways to slow the spread and prevent renewed limits on bars, restaurants and other businesses. 4 p.m.: Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine advances, sparking optimism in feverish race to defend against the coronavirus The feverish race for a coronavirus vaccine got an infusion of energy Wednesday as Johnson & Johnson announced that it has begun the final stage of its clinical trials, the fourth company to do so in the United States as the country hits a grim milestone of 200,000 deaths from the pandemic.
Johnson & Johnson is a couple of months behind the leaders, but its advanced vaccine trial will be by far the largest, enrolling 60,000 participants. The company said it could know by the end of this year if its vaccine works. And its vaccine has potentially consequential advantages over some competitors. It uses a technology that has a long safety record in vaccines for other diseases. Its vaccine could require just one shot instead of two — important considering that the entire population of the world needs vaccination. And it does not have to be kept frozen as it is delivered to hospitals and other places where it will be given to patients, simplifying the logistics of hundreds of millions of doses. 3:20 p.m.: Indiana governor keeps mask order until mid-October, drops other restrictions on businesses and crowd sizes Indiana’s statewide mask order will continue for another three weeks under a new order the governor announced Wednesday even as he has faced public discontent over coronavirus restrictions amid his reelection campaign. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb said he would be dropping most other limits on businesses and crowd sizes as of Saturday. The mask order will be extended until Oct.
17. Holcomb said those restrictions could be removed because the state has seen progress in recent weeks in slowing the coronavirus spread. His action lifts statewide capacity limits for restaurants and bars and crowd limits for social events. 3:01 p.m.: Empty roads, trains, buses and airports: How COVID-19 and staying at home changed how Chicago gets around Chicago’s roads and airports were among some of the busiest in the United States before COVID-19 entered our lexicon. Public transportation by bus and rail, too, carried thousands of people between the city and suburbs each weekday. Yet, after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a stay-at-home order for the entire state effective at 5 p.m. March 21 — six months ago — movement around the Chicago metro area halted. People stayed home in an effort to socially distance themselves from others and, as work and school have become largely home-based, continued to adjust their travel habits accordingly. Speeds on local interstates have decreased in recent months, indicating more vehicles are now on the roads. Yet, it could take longer for airlines and public transportation to experience the same demand they experienced pre-pandemic.
2:54 p.m.: Cook County plans to give out grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses hit hard by pandemic Small business owners in suburban Cook County who saw their revenue evaporate during the coronavirus pandemic could get up to $10,000 in grants by the end of the year, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Wednesday. A small business assistance program will give to businesses a total $12.6 million in federal CARES Act money that was allocated to the county’s coronavirus relief fund. The county aims to serve about 1,200 businesses through these one-time payments that are slated to go out by the end of the year. “Small business owners are used to dealing with the unexpected, but few have ever been through a crisis like COVID-19 before,†Preckwinkle said at a news conference at Thornton Distillery Company. “Small businesses need recovery and resilience support to weather the storm and then come out stronger on the other side of it. That’s the objective of the program.†To be eligible, the businesses must be for-profit, have 20 or fewer employees and prove sales dropped by more than 20% during any month from March to July, compared to February.
If the business received federal funding in the past, the applicant must demonstrate they will use this grant for different expenses. Finally, the business cannot have an IRS tax lien or other judgment, and the owners and partners cannot be in the process of bankruptcy. 2:17 p.m.: University of Wisconsin reopens campus but asks students who can to move out of dorms With new COVID-19 cases falling, the University of Wisconsin at Madison has tentative plans to resume in-person classes this week. But the school continues to crack down on students who don’t follow the restrictions on socializing and is asking those who can’t to consider ending their housing contracts and moving out of residence halls. That’s part of an effort to reduce the density on campus of students, some of whom have only online classes. While noting that most students have followed the rules, officials said the university is investigating 550 students and 11 student organizations, such as fraternities or sororities, for public health violations. About 20 students are under review for emergency suspension, a vice chancellor said Wednesday. 2:05 p.m.: Though high schools across the region are closed, many of them reopened Wednesday — for the SAT test Thousands of high school seniors across the Chicago area, sidelined from in-person learning this fall by COVID-19, were back in their schools Wednesday for the first time in six months – not for classes, but to take the SAT exam.
The free in-school college entrance exam , typically taken by every high school junior in Illinois, was scuttled last spring by the pandemic. Wednesday’s test was one of a series of makeup dates the state’s education agency, using $6.5 million left over from last year, has set for those students, who are now seniors. The state isn’t waiving the test as a graduation requirement, even though many colleges are not requiring it for 2021 admissions, and some critics say it’s too risky to open schools and puts undue stress on students. 12:10 p.m.: 1,848 new known COVID-19 cases and 22 additional deaths reported Illinois public health officials on Wednesday reported 1,848 newly diagnosed cases and 22 additional deaths of people with COVID-19, raising the statewide tally to 279,114 known cases and 279,114 deaths. 11:23 a.m.: Employers could require workers to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Will it come to that? Here’s one way to get a lot more people to take a vaccine: require it as a condition of employment. Private companies can adopt that policy, which could have a big impact on the uptake of the new COVID-19 vaccines now under rapid development. But such a move would be controversial.
The risk of a potential backlash can be seen in the vocal reaction against mask mandates coming from some corners. Given the current politics, imagine the potential opposition to requiring a coronavirus vaccine in order to come to the workplace. 10:53 a.m.: Illinois extends renewal deadline for motorists with expiring driver’s licenses Illinois motorists with expired or expiring driver’s licenses are getting a further reprieve as Secretary of State Jesse White announced on Wednesday that his office is extending the renewal deadline until Feb. 1. The latest extension, a response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, includes those whose driver’s licenses and state ID cards with expiration dates in October, November, December and January. White’s office had previously extended the expiration date until Nov. 1. The extended expiration date for license plate stickers remains Nov. 1. Vehicle registrations can be renewed online. The secretary of state’s office has extended the expiration date by one year for qualified drivers 75 and older. Those drivers have until their birthday in 2021 to renew their licenses. 10:20 a.m.: Red Cross: COVID-19 antibody testing now done through standard blood donation, recovered patients can donate at any site Those who have recovered from coronavirus can now give blood or platelets at any American Red Cross donation site to help save the lives of struggling COVID-19 patients, the Red Cross announced Wednesday.
Previously, only 170 Red Cross donation centers nationwide could accept donations of convalescent plasma, containing COVID-19 antibodies that “may help the most critical patients actively fighting this virus,†people who’ve already been diagnosed and recovered, the agency said in a news release. Now, whole blood and platelet donations can be made at any Red Cross blood drive or donation center, including those in the Chicago area. Donors are encouraged to make an appointment soon to help coronavirus patients and others who depend on transfusions. For those who may have been asymptomatic or don’t know if they have had COVID-19, the Red Cross now is testing blood donations for antibodies. Results typically are available in one to two weeks. Although the test is not a diagnostic one that would confirm infection or immunity, the presence of antibodies means that a person’s blood donation could be used to help COVID-19 patients. 6:50 a.m. Utilities agree to extend moratorium on disconnections to spring 2021 Peoples Gas, Commonwealth Edison, Ameren and other state utilities have agreed to extend a moratorium on residential disconnections until March 31 for low income customers and those affected by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Illinois Commerce Commission.
The voluntary agreement by the utilities is for a much longer time than a moratorium extension announced earlier this month. At that time, most of the state’s utilities agreed to extend the disconnect moratorium only until the end of September. Ameren and ComEd only agreed to extend it until September 10. The latest agreement comes only days after the Illinois Commerce Commission sent a letter to the utilities asking them to extend the moratorium until the end of March. Johnson & Johnson is beginning a huge final study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus. The study starting Wednesday will be one of the world’s largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing the shot in 60,000 volunteers in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. A handful of other vaccines in the U.S. — including shots made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. — and others in other countries are already in final-stage testing. Hopes are high that answers about at least one candidate being tested in the U.S. could come by year’s end, maybe sooner.
U.S. health officials insist the race for a vaccine isn’t cutting corners.
Breaking coronavirus news
Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts. Here are five stories related to COVID-19 from Tuesday: Post navigation
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