Illinois’ stay-at-home order still in place because judge’s ruling affects just 1 person
As Illinois reported its largest single-day death count yet from COVID-19, Gov. J.B. Pritzker reminded residents pandemic stay-at-home rules still apply to them despite an exemption granted to a Republican state representative.
Fourteen percent of the people who died were from southern Illinois, according to Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the state Department of Public Health, and 6% were from central Illinois.
State Rep. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, alleged Pritzker does not have the authority to extend an executive order beyond 30 days, according to the lawsuit filed in Clay County Circuit Court. The governor said his office has “acted well within its legal authority.”
But Judge Michael McHaney ruled Monday in favor of Bailey. The ruling releases only Bailey from stay-at-home restrictions, though other residents could join the lawsuit or file suit separately.
Pritzker repeated at a Tuesday daily news briefing his assertion that Bailey’s actions were political and detrimental to “progress” the state has made in slowing the spread of coronavirus.
“We are making much progress, and much of the progress that we had hoped to make, and we will not let one irresponsible state representative deter us from success,” Pritzker said.
Lawyers from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office appealed the judge’s decision Monday.
Bailey says the governor’s actions disrespect local powers.
“I believe this lawsuit is the mechanism by which ‘we the people’ will be allowed to govern ourselves as our constitution demands,” Bailey said in a prepared statement.
Public health officials reported 2,219 new cases of coronavirus disease statewide, including 144 additional deaths, for a total of 48,102 cases and 2,125 deaths.
Southwestern Illinois coronavirus cases
Here’s a breakdown of the 1,041 COVID-19 cases in southwestern Illinois as of Monday afternoon. These numbers are updated by 4 p.m. daily at BND.com.
- St. Clair: 404 positives, 23 deaths, 1,780 tests administered, 29 tests pending
- Madison: 308 positives, 19 deaths, 73 hospitalizations, 94 recoveries
- Monroe: 67 positives, 10 deaths
- Clinton: 91 positives, one death, 355 tests administered, 16 recoveries
- Bond: Five positives, one death, 90 tests administered, two tests pending, three recoveries
- Washington: Eight positive, five recoveries
- Randolph: 106 positive, one death, three hospitalizations, 48 recoveries
- Jersey: 12 positive, five recoveries
- Macoupin: 30 positive, 495 tests administered, 22 tests pending, 18 recoveries
- Calhoun: One positive, one recovery
- Perry: Nine positive
