Wednesday live coronavirus updates: Pritzker lines up ‘secret’ flights, paper says
Here is a roundup of coronavirus news you need to know on Wednesday:
St. Clair County reports four new coronavirus deaths
St. Clair County officials announced four more deaths of coronavirus-positive patients in a live stream with the county emergency management agency on Wednesday, bringing the county death total to 15.
The new deaths included a man in his 80s with underlying conditions, a woman in her 90s with underlying conditions, a man in his 80s with underlying conditions and a man in his 70s with no known underlying conditions.
Starting Wednesday, the county also said it would begin announcing coronavirus hospitalization rates in its daily live stream. According to St. Clair County Health Department spokeswoman Samantha Bierman, as of Wednesday afternoon, the county had 39 people hospitalized that were not in the intensive care unit, 20 people in the intensive care unit and 12 people that were on ventilators in St. Clair County hospitals.
“This virus is impacting our community in a horrific way,” said St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern during the live stream.
Pritzker arranges ‘secret’ flights to get supplies from China, paper reports
The Chicago Sun-Times has reported that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is arranging “secret flights from China to bring millions of masks and gloves to Illinois” in the effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The paper cited unnamed sources in the article posted online Tuesday night.
“The governor is worried President Trump might try to seize the supplies for the federal stockpile so he’s keeping the details quiet,” is how the Sun-Times described information from a source.
Jordan Abudayyeh, the press secretary for Pritzker, declined to give the Sun-Times details about the flights.
Illinois records show that the state has approved $1.77 million for two invoices to FedEx Trade Networks Transport for “aircraft charter flight to Shanghai, China for COVID-19 response,” the paper reported.
Pritzker wants federal stimulus to help states fight coronavirus
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday called on the federal government to approve another economic stimulus bill to support state governments during the coronavirus pandemic.
President Donald Trump last month signed a bipartisan bill for a $2 trillion boost to the economy as businesses across the country are struggling and COVID-19 has claimed thousands of lives.
But Pritzker said during his daily news conference Wednesday in Chicago that Illinois faces an estimated $2.7 billion reduction in revenues in the fiscal year that ends this summer and a $4.6 billion reduction in the next fiscal year.
Pritzker said the state plans to borrow $1.2 billion to support the state’s budget. With this move, the state’s total shortfall on the fiscal year 2021 budget is estimated to be $6.2 billion, Pritzker said.
Also, Pritzker said that the shortfall would increase to $7.4 billion if voters in November do not pass the constitutional amendment for the proposed progressive income tax. The state currently has a flat rate of 4.95%.
The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, ACT approved last month has funding to help states pay for new expenditures related to coronavirus, Pritzker said.
“Currently, this funding cannot be used to make up for state government shortfalls that have been a result of coronavirus,” he said. “That leaves states to face this unprecedented financial hole on their own if the Congress doesn’t pass a CARES Act Two to support state governments.”
Pritzker noted that the first CARES Act included the following:
▪ More than $9 billion for Illinois governments for a variety of programs for education, aid for seniors, child nutrition and transit systems.
▪ $150 billion in direct aid for COVID-19 related expenditures to the states, of which Illinois is expected to receive $4.9 billion – at least $2.7 billion to the state of Illinois directly and up to $2.2 billion to larger local governments.
Pritzker says Trump is ‘near irrelevant’ on coronavirus testing
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday continued his criticism of President Donald Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic by saying the president is “near irrelevant” regarding coronavirus testing, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
“I mean, the president at this point is near irrelevant when it comes to this question of testing anyway,” Pritzker said on CNN Tuesday, the newspaper reported. “And they’ve gotten very little for us as a state. So, we’re doing the work.”
Since he began conducting daily news conferences last month regarding the coronavirus pandemic, Pritzker has often criticized the federal government’s delivery of medical supplies to Illinois.
Last week, Pritzker said state leaders do not trust the White House.
Earlier on Tuesday during his daily news conference before his appearance on CNN, Pritzker acknowledged he has criticized the federal government but he said he also praised federal officials when they perform well.
Trump last week said this about Pritzker: “He has not performed well” and “He’s always complaining.”
GOP lawmakers urge Pritzker to reopen state parks and trails
Seven Republican state representatives have sent a letter to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker urging him to reopen state parks and trails.
The state closed the parks last month in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Since then, hunters and people who fish have inundated the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Facebook page with comments criticizing the decision to close the parks.
“It does not make sense that state parks and trails are closed, and why activities like hunting and fishing on state property are currently prohibited,” state Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, said in a news release announcing the GOP letter.
“Social distancing can be practiced quite easily while engaging in these activities. A one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t work here - parks in Chicago are not the same as our parks around here. I urge the governor to recognize that people can still be safe while enjoying some of their favorite outdoor activities,” Bourne said.
Along with Bourne, the other lawmakers who signed the letter include Rep. Tony McCombie, Rep. Terri Bryant, Rep. Amy Grant, Rep. Norine Hammond, Rep. Margo McDermed and Rep. Lindsay Parkhurst.
Illinois spends millions on pandemic supplies
The state has spent more than $168 million on supplies in response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new website established by the Illinois comptroller’s office.
The public can use the website illinoiscomptroller.gov/covid19-information to view each of state’s purchases, including how much it paid and to whom. The largest single purchase to date was on April 9: $13 million for 200 ventilators.
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said in a news release that the website will be updated daily.
“I hope our online portal showing Illinois’ investment in fighting this deadly virus will help drive home the message that none of this should be taken lightly and that people need to stay home and stay safe,” Mendoza said.
Patients respond to state survey on recovery
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said Tuesday that the state has received more responses to a survey asking COVID-19 patients if they had recovered from the disease.
These are the latest results:
- 44% said they were recovered seven days after their diagnosis.
- 50% said they were recovered 14 days after their diagnosis.
- 61% said they were recovered at 21 days after their diagnosis.
- 69% said they were recovered at 28 days after their diagnosis.
Ezike said 23 state employees were making 300 calls a day to people who didn’t respond to the survey, and about half of those calls resulted in an interview about how they were feeling.
“People are getting better,” Ezike said. “People recover from this disease.”
College students getting emergency financial aid
The U.S. Department of Education gave $218 million to Illinois colleges and universities for their students, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth announced Tuesday.
Schools can use the funding to provide cash grants to college students “for expenses related to disruptions to their education due to the COVID-19 outbreak,” Durbin and Duckworth stated in a news release. Those expenses could include course materials, technology, food, housing, health care and childcare, according to the release.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is getting at least $4.8 million for its students. For Southwestern Illinois College students, it’s $2.3 million. Lewis and Clark Community College’s allocation for students is $1 million. And McKendree University is getting $818,151 for students.
Centralia pool won’t open for summer
WJBD radio on Tuesday reported that the outdoor Fairview Park Pool in Centralia won’t open for the summer this year.
“I think there is so much uncertainty we can hold off this year,” Acting City Manager Bill Agee told the City Council on Monday night, according to the radio station.
A representative from the Centralia Recreation Complex, which operates the outdoor pool, could not immediately be reached for comment. The complex is closed due to social distancing guidelines until at least April 30.
Southwestern Illinois coronavirus cases by county
Here’s a breakdown of the coronavirus cases in southwestern Illinois as of Wednesday afternoon:
- St. Clair: 228 positives, 15 deaths, 90 tests pending
- Madison: 137 positives, two deaths, 50 recovered
- Monroe: 50 positives, five deaths
- Randolph: 47 positives, 29 recovered
- Clinton: 41 positives, 196 tests administered, nine recovered
Washington: Three positive cases
- Macoupin: 16 positives, 159 tests administered, nine recovered, two pending
- Jersey: Eight positive cases, five recovered
- Bond: Four positives, two recovered, five pending
- Calhoun: One positive
- Perry: One positive
Local, state, nation, world cases totals
As of Wednesday, the latest statistics available showed:
- Southwestern Illinois: 536 cases, 22 deaths
- Illinois: 24,593 cases, 948 deaths
- U.S.: 601,472 cases, 24,429 deaths
- World: 2,023,663 cases, 132,276 deaths
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.
If you’re a health care worker, we’d like to hear from you
The BND would like to speak with nurses, doctors and other health care professionals who are on the front lines caring for patients in doctor’s offices, clinics and hospitals during this difficult time. We’re interested in hearing about your challenges and rewards, frustrations and accomplishments. How is this affecting you? Send us an email at newsroom@bnd.com.
Recovering from COVID-19? The BND would like to talk to you
Have you recovered from coronavirus or are you in the process of recovering from COVID-19? We would like to hear from you on how you dealt with the respiratory disease. Send us an email at newsroom@bnd.com.
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Wednesday live coronavirus updates: Pritzker lines up ‘secret’ flights, paper says."
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