Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker says gig workers could receive benefits next month
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday independent contractors and other self-employed individuals could begin to receive unemployment benefits as soon as early May.
The federal government’s pandemic unemployment assistance plan offers unemployment benefits for those workers who are not covered under traditional unemployment programs.
Workers can apply now for benefits through the state’s unemployment benefits application, and the state will begin making determinations in early to mid-May.
To extend benefits to those workers, the state hired employment services firm Deloitte to “implement and maintain a web-based solution,” which is expected to be up and running by the week of May 11, Pritzker said.
The federal government’s coronavirus stimulus package provides an additional $600 each week for anyone entitled to state unemployment benefits, the governor added. The extra compensation is available for weeks beginning March 29 through July 25.
The state began disbursing that money to unemployed workers earlier in April, Pritzker said.
Another federally funded program provides 13 additional weeks of compensation to workers who have exhausted the state’s 26 weeks of unemployment benefits. The additional benefits are available retroactively from March through December, and the state hopes to have the program implemented by the week of April 20.
More than 513,000 initial claims filed between March 1 through April 4 overwhelmed the state’s unemployment benefits system, which was developed in 2010 after the Great Recession. The Illinois Department of Employment Security has received five times the number of applications during the coronavirus pandemic than during the last recession.
“So many families are hurting at a scale this country hasn’t seen ever in our lifetimes,” Pritzker said.
Since the beginning of March, Pritzker said the state has implemented changes to accommodate the unprecedented surge in applications, including increasing capacity on the unemployment website and establishing call schedules according to last name.
Statewide as of Monday afternoon, there were 22,025 confirmed cases, including 794 deaths.
No update on school closures
Pritzker declined to say if he has decided to close public and private schools in Illinois through the rest of the academic year.
The governor said he reviews the decision on a daily basis, but did not say when he would make an announcement.
Governors in other states, including Republican Gov. Mike Parson in Missouri, have announced schools would remain closed for the remainder of the academic year.
Southwestern Illinois coronavirus cases by county
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in southwestern Illinois reached 467 on Monday, while the number of deaths increased to 15, with three more announced by St. Clair and Monroe counties.
Two coronavirus-positive patients died as a result of complications from the virus, the Monroe County Health Department director said Monday. Both people were associated with an outbreak of COVID-19 at Garden Place assisted living facility for seniors in Columbia.
Also on Monday, St. Clair County reported the death of a man in his 70s who had underlying health conditions.
Here’s a breakdown of the coronavirus cases in southwestern Illinois as of Monday afternoon:
St. Clair County
193 positives, 10 deaths, 896 tests administered, 40 tests pending
ZIP codes with positive cases (ZIP codes with five or fewer cases are not reported):
- 62201 (East St. Louis, Sauget): 7
- 62203 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Washington Park, Caseyville): 6
- 62204 (East St. Louis, Washington Park, Caseyville): 6
- 62206 (Cahokia, Centreville, Sauget): 14
- 62207 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Alorton): 8
- 62208 (Fairview Heights, O’Fallon): 13
- 62220 (Belleville, Smithton): 8
- 62221 (Belleville, Shiloh): 19
- 62223 (Belleville, Swansea): 15
- 62226 (Belleville, Swansea, Shiloh): 27
- 62258 (Mascoutah, Fayetteville): 9
- 62269 (O’Fallon, Shiloh): 18
Madison County
120 positives, two deaths, 43 recovered
ZIP codes with positive cases:
- 62002 (Alton, East Alton, Godfrey): 18
- 62025 (Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana): 16
- 62034 (Glen Carbon): 8
- 62035 (Godfrey): 6
- 62040 (Granite City, Pontoon Beach, Madison): 21
- 62060 (Granite City, Madison, Venice): 6
- 62234 (Collinsville, Pontoon Beach, State Park): 12
Clinton County
39 positives, 180 tests administered, eight recovered
ZIP codes with positive cases:
- 62265 (New Baden): 7
- 62801 (Centralia): 29
Monroe County
46 positives, three deaths
ZIP codes with positive cases:
- 62236 (Columbia): 23
- 62298 (Waterloo): 20
Washington County
Two positive cases, 22 tests administered, two recovered
Randolph County
40 positives, 19 recovered
ZIP code with positive cases:
- 62233 (Chester): 21
- 62278 (Red Bud): 8
Bond County
Four positives, 30 tested, one recovered
Jersey County
Six positive cases, four recovered
Macoupin County
15 positives, 150 tests administered, seven recovered, none pending
Calhoun County
One positive
Perry County
One positive
This story was originally published April 13, 2020 at 2:57 PM.
