Wednesday’s live updates on coronavirus: 20 cases in southwestern Illinois, no deaths
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Keep up with all the coronavirus news in southwestern Illinois
Stay updated with the events in southwestern Illinois that have been canceled or postponed because of coronavirus concerns.
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Here’s a roundup of coronavirus news on Wednesday. We will be frequently updating this story throughout the day.
Six new COVID-19 cases in metro-east
Six new cases of COVID-19 were announced in the metro-east Wednesday, as the total number of cases and death in Illinois continued to rise.
Twenty coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the metro-east as of Wednesday with three new cases in Madison, Clinton and Monroe counties and three cases in St. Clair County. No deaths have been reported in southwestern Illinois. In total, there are now 10 cases in St. Clair County, three in Madison, four in Clinton, one in Washington and two in Monroe.
In Illinois, the total amount of cases rose by 330 and three new deaths were announced, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said Wednesday.
Belleville diocese announces continued suspension of Mass
The Catholic Diocese of Belleville will continue a suspension on Mass through Holy Week during the coronavirus pandemic, Bishop Edward K. Braxton said in a letter Tuesday.
The Chrism Mass on April 7 and Holy Week liturgies will not be celebrated publicly in parishes but streamed online only.
The diocese suspended all Masses earlier this month to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis has also suspended public Masses in response to the illness.
Fact or fiction?
▪ The Illinois Department of Public Health released this “fact check” on Wednesday:
“Most illness caused by coronavirus is mild. If think you have COVID-19 and your illness is mild, and you are not older or with an underlying health condition of concern, you do not need to see your doctor and you do not need to get tested. Please stay at home and self-quarantine if this is your case.”
▪ The Cahokia Police Department sent out this message on Wednesday about officers “checking for passes”:
“There has been a post being circulated that claims the Cahokia Police were setting up ‘road blocks’ and ‘checking for passes.’ This is FALSE.”
Feds extend REAL ID deadline
The federal government’s Oct. 1 deadline requiring U.S. residents to have a REAL ID driver’s license or passport to board a plane for domestic flights has been extended to a date yet to be announced.
“Current Illinois driver’s licenses or ID cards will continue to be accepted at airports, military bases and secure federal facilities until a new deadline is set by the federal government,” according to a news release from the Illinois Secretary of State’s office on Wednesday.
Secretary of State Jesse White has closed the state’s driver’s licenses offices until April 7 to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus and he had asked the federal government to delay the implementation of the new driver’s license deadline.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not yet set a new deadline for REAL IDs.
The REAL IDs have a gold star on them and you need to bring additional documentation with you when you apply for one.
Illinois preparing for increased hospital demand due to COVID-19
By PETER HANCOCK
Capitol News Illinois
phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday the state is stockpiling medical supplies and working to expand its hospital capacity, even by converting some closed hotels into isolation facilities, as it braces for a sharp increase in demand due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19.
“In a worst-case scenario surge, the state would turn existing hospitals into almost entirely COVID-19 response hospitals, moving non-COVID patients to other hospitals including these re-outfitted locations,” Pritzker said during his daily briefing in Chicago.
Meanwhile, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike reported 250 new confirmed cases of the disease in the state, including four additional deaths, bringing the total to 1,535 cases and 16 deaths. Grundy County is now the 32nd Illinois county with at least one confirmed case.
Those numbers would have been substantially worse, Pritzker said, without the social restrictions he put in place, such as closing schools, bars and restaurants, issuing a stay-at-home order and urging people to practice “social distancing.”
“In our worst-case scenario projections – that is without the stay-at-home order – in one week, we would need over 2,500 more non-ICU beds and 800 ICU beds than we have in existence in the entire state today,” Pritzker said. “Further still, in two weeks, we would need over 28,000 additional non-ICU beds, and over 9,400 additional ICU beds. That’s untenable.”
In addition to that, he said that without protective measures, the state would need 4,100 more ventilators to outfit ICU beds within two weeks.
Pritzker said hospitals in Illinois are operating at a little more than 50-percent capacity in their non-ICU units and 57.4-percent capacity in ICU beds. Approximately 28 percent of the state’s 2,229 ventilators are in use at this time, he added.
In addition to expanding their capacity, Pritzker said hospitals throughout the state are setting up triage tents where patients displaying symptoms can be prioritized. It has also set up four drive-thru testing sites in the Chicago area, including one operated by the Illinois National Guard. The other three are being operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with Walgreen’s and Walmart.
Pritzker said laboratories in the state are now processing about 2,000 tests per day, up from about 50 per day at the start of the outbreak, which partially accounts for the rapidly rising number of confirmed cases. Officials have repeatedly stressed that because many people have not been tested, the actual number of cases is probably much higher.
Pritzker also said that after he spoke with President Donald Trump on Monday, he has been assured that Illinois will receive 300 more ventilators and 300,000 N95 masks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Confirmed cases increase to 14 in southwestern Illinois
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Illinois as of Tuesday was 1,535, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The number of cases in St. Clair County increased from four to seven, which raised the number of metro-east cases from 11 to 14.
The latest numbers available as of Tuesday night showed:
▪ In the metro-east: 14 coronavirus cases total, including seven in St. Clair County, three in Clinton County, two in Madison County, one in Monroe County and one in Washington County. There have been no deaths reported in southwestern Illinois.
▪ In Illinois: 1,535 cases in 32 counties and 16 deaths.
▪ In St. Louis city: 37 cases and one death.
▪ In St. Louis County: 97 cases and one death.
▪ In the U.S.: 49,619 cases and 615 deaths.
▪ In the world: 422,652 cases and 18,901 deaths.
Pandemic causes Art on the Square to be canceled
This year’s 19th annual Art on the Square in Belleville has been canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The nationally recognized art show, which annually takes over Public Square and surrounding streets in downtown Belleville, had been scheduled for May 15-17.
“After much discussion and carefully considering the responses from so many of our artists, we felt we had no choice,” Patty Gregory, the event’s founder and director, said in a message on the event’s site. “Continuing with our May date was just too risky and going to an alternate date would have unfairly infringed on other shows well established in their traditional time slots.”
Madison County pastor describes his experience with COVID-19
Senior Pastor Tim Lewis of Bethel Baptist Church in Troy returned from a trip to the Ukraine on March 10 and soon felt sick like he had the flu. He had heard the coronavirus alerts about people traveling overseas so he self-quarantined at home.
He was tested for COVID-19 at a drive-thru site in St. Louis County on March 14 and he was confirmed positive on Friday. He has been recovering at home and even gave a short sermon on Bethel’s Facebook Live service on Sunday. He hopes the quarantine will end this Saturday.
Go to bnd.com to read the full story about Lewis.
Here’s how police will enforce stay-at-home order
For Illinoisans wondering how the shelter-in-place order from Gov. J.B. Pritzker will be enforced, the Illinois State Police has announced potential violators can face a six-step process with a criminal charge being the final step.
Here are the steps law-enforcement officers can take, according to the Illinois State Police:
▪ Education about the order
▪ Verbal or written notice to comply
▪ Possible sanction from regulatory authorities that may oversee non-essential activity
▪ Civil liability
▪ Court ordered closure or quarantine
▪ Criminal charges
Go to bnd.com to read more about how law-enforcement officers will handle violators.
Local group receives federal grant to fight COVID-19
SIHF Healthcare, previously called Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation, is one of 45 Illinois groups to receive federal funding to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
SIHF Healthcare will receive $121,566, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a news release.
The funds will come from the Health Resources and Services Administration via grants approved in the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020.
“Health center recipients in Illinois may use these awards to address screening and testing needs, acquire medical supplies and boost their telehealth capacity in response to the coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, pandemic,” according to the news release.
Postponed and canceled events
The News-Democrat has compiled a list of events in Illinois and St. Louis that have been canceled due to concerns about coronavirus.
You can find the list at BND.com.
Want to help? Here’s what you need to know
The BND has compiled a list of ways you can help during the coronavirus pandemic.
Go to BND. com to learn about the opportunities to volunteer your time or donate to help communities in the metro-east without putting yourself or others at risk.
You can sew face masks, read stories for people with vision loss and deliver meals to seniors.
If you know of a recognized charitable organization looking for help that isn’t listed, please tell us about it; send an email to newsroom@bnd.com or fill out the BND’s Southwest Illinois coronavirus service and assistance guide online at BND.com.
Get the latest news on coronavirus
BND.com will keep you updated through the day with information about the spread of coronavirus through southwestern Illinois.
You can also find the most complete and up-to-date information from government sites including:
▪ State of Illinois’ coronavirus page: coronavirus.illinois.gov
▪ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/summary.html
▪ Federal government’s coronavirus page: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
How to contact the BND with tips, concerns
If you have suggestions about something for the BND to cover regarding the coronavirus pandemic or if you see a report that sounds suspicious on social media or anywhere else, please drop us a note at newsroom@bnd.com and include a link. We’ll check it out.
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 4:30 AM with the headline "Wednesday’s live updates on coronavirus: 20 cases in southwestern Illinois, no deaths."
