Tuesday live coronavirus updates: National Guard to operate JJK Center testing site
Airmen to operate testing site at JJK Center
About 30 Illinois National Guard airmen from the 126th Air Refueling Wing based at Scott Air Force Base have been activated by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to operate the coronavirus testing site scheduled to open on Wednesday at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis.
These airmen are among about 1,150 National Guard members activated to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a National Guard news released on Tuesday.
The JJK center is located off North 25 Street near Interstate 64.
Along with the airmen from Scott Air Force Base, 30 airmen from the 183rd Wing, based in Springfield, will work at the East St. Louis site.
Illinois offers free text line for information about state services
The Illinois Department of Human Services on Tuesday reminded residents they can access the Illinois Helpline, a resource for residents who need emotional support or quick answers to questions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can text “TALK” to 55-2020 (or “HABLAR” for Spanish) for the Call4Calm service, or text their questions about services provided by the agency.
“The text line is free of charge and designed to support residents who have questions about services or who are experiencing stress” the agency said in a news release. “In addition to the Call4Calm service, the text number can help Illinoisans find help and guidance on other critical issues during the pandemic. Residents can text keywords like “UNEMPLOYMENT,” “FOOD,” or “SHELTER,” to 55-2020 to receive additional information in response.”
The agency sent out the reminder on Tuesday because the date of 5/5/2020 matched the text number.
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital to resume elective surgeries
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon announced Tuesday that it will resume elective surgeries and procedures beginning early next week after they had been put on hold for the coronavirus pandemic.
Hospitals had canceled and postponed elective medical work in March to deal with the surge of COVID-19 patients and the subsequent drop in business has caused hospitals across the region to furlough employees.
Springfield-based Hospital Sisters Hospital System, or HSHS, which owns St. Elizabeth’s and the two St. Joseph’s hospitals in Breese and Highland, said last week it would furlough an unspecified number of employees.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritizker has updated his stay-at-home order to allow elective surgeries as long as a hospital can meet certain guidelines regarding capacity.
Swansea parade honors people who helped heart attack victim
A parade of supporters drove by a Swansea home on Sunday to honor people who helped a man who suffered a heart attack while cutting grass last month.
At about 2:05 p.m. on April 28, Marvin Winkeler, 68, collapsed in his front yard in Swansea. He was suffering a heart attack while cutting grass, his sister-in-law Melissa Winkeler said.
A neighbor, Linda Tolar, a surgical nurse at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital who had been furloughed from her job, saw Marvin’s collapse and began immediately to perform CPR on him. Her friend Rick Corporon was with her at the time and helped in the life-saving efforts while they waited for an ambulance.
When Swansea police arrived, Officers Jason Tutterow and Paul Brault used a defibrillator to resuscitate Marvin before he was taken to the hospital. He has since recovered and been released from the hospital with three stents in his heart.
The family requested that parade participants also bring food donations for the Community Interfaith Food Pantry in Belleville, a place where Marvin volunteers.
Belleville discusses whether to furlough or lay off employees
After discussing whether to lay off or furlough city employees on Monday night because of revenue lost during the coronavirus pandemic, the Belleville City Council did not take action but aldermen are expected to meet later this week to vote on the issue.
Aldermen met in a closed session for about 80 minutes to discuss their options Monday night.
Mayor Mark Eckert said after the closed session that he expected to have a special meeting scheduled this week.
Before the meeting, Eckert said the closed session was necessary because specific positions would be discussed.
The number of layoffs or furloughs and the amount of revenue expected to be lost has not been announced.
With businesses closed or offering reduced services during Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, the city expects to see a drop in various sources of revenue.
“It’s very difficult to see where we could cut so much out of the budget that wouldn’t get into full-time positions in order to equalize the loss of revenue that we anticipate we’re going to feel in the next couple of months,” Eckert said.
Graduation ceremonies going virtual
Collinsville High School announced plans Monday for its Saturday, May 16, graduation ceremony.
The ceremony, including music, speakers and the reading of each graduate’s name, will be live streamed at 10 a.m. on the school district’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Family and community members can also watch on Collinsville District 10’s and Tomahawk Studios’ YouTube channels.
Instead of walking across a stage, the graduates will drive through the high school campus in alphabetical order wearing their caps and gowns to receive their diplomas. For a schedule and instructions, visit kahoks.org/headlines/celebrating-the-class-of-2020.
Belleville District 201 also has plans for virtual graduation ceremonies for students at Belleville East and West high schools. The district is tentatively planning an in-person graduation event in early August, too.
No Memorial Day ceremony at Jefferson Barracks
The Greater St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America announced Monday that Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery will not have a Memorial Day Ceremony this year. And the Boy Scouts will not place flags on veterans’ graves.
It would have been the 70th year the Boy Scouts had honored war veterans with the flags, according to a post on the council’s social media.
2 businesses sue St. Louis city, county
A St. Louis antique store and a St. Louis County gym filed a lawsuit Monday over officials’ stay-at-home orders, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s statewide stay-at-home order expired, allowing economic and social activity to begin Monday, according to the governor’s office. But stay-at-home orders are still in place in St. Louis city and county, which account for more than half of state’s 8,754 COVID-19 patients and about two-thirds of the 358 deaths, the Associated Press reported.
Mayor Lyda Krewson and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page have said they will revisit their stay-at-home orders in mid-May, according to the Post-Dispatch.
The St. Louis newspaper reported that the owners of Anytime Fitness and Elder’s Antiques wanted to reopen on Monday and are arguing in their lawsuit that only the director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has the authority to order businesses closed.
New testing site opening in East St. Louis
A new drive-thru and walk-up testing site is opening Wednesday at the Jackie Joyner Kersee Community Center.
The state announced the site through a news release distributed Monday. Testing will be free and can be obtained without a doctor’s referral, according to the release.
The center’s testing site at Argonne Drive in East St. Louis will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week while supplies last.
Visitors will be asked to show photo identification. Health care workers and first responders will also be asked to show a badge or ID from their employer.
Southwestern Illinois coronavirus cases
Here’s a breakdown of the 1,452 COVID-19 cases in southwestern Illinois as of Tuesday. These numbers are updated by 4 p.m. daily at BND.com.
- St. Clair: 592 positives, 51 deaths, 2,449 tests administered, 49 tests pending
- Madison: 371 positives, 27 deaths, 78 hospitalizations, 108 recoveries
- Clinton: 114 positives, six deaths, 545 tests administered, 20 recoveries
- Randolph: 197 positives, two deaths, 75 recoveries
- Monroe: 74 positives, 11 deaths
- Macoupin: 35 positives, one death, 720 tests administered, seven tests pending, 27 recoveries
- Perry: 32 positives
- Jersey: 14 positives, one death, nine recoveries
- Washington: 14 positives, nine recoveries
- Bond: Eight positives, one death, 140 tests administered, six tests pending, three recoveries
- Calhoun: One positive, one recovery
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
Who to call if you need help with mental health
Here are some resources from mental health professionals for anyone struggling during the coronavirus pandemic:
- Touchette Regional Hospital’s new Mental Health Support and Resource Line to talk to trained therapy staff: call 618-482-7158
- Illinois Human Services Mental Health Division’s Call4Calm to text with a mental health care professional for free: text the word “talk” to 552020.
Centerstone of Illinois, Inc. for virtual mental health services: call 618-462-2331.
Chestnut Health Systems for virtual mental health services: call 618-877-4420.
Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous for virtual meetings: call 618-398-9409 or email metroeastnapr@gmail.com.
Regional Disaster Mental Health Volunteer response team’s new Support Line for health care professionals: call 618-381-5173.
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 May 5, 2020 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Tuesday live coronavirus updates: National Guard to operate JJK Center testing site."
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