Wednesday live coronavirus updates: State Fairs likely to be canceled due to COVID-19
Pritzker says State Fairs likely to be canceled due to COVID-19
Governor J.B. Pritzker said during his press briefing Wednesday it is unlikely the Illinois and DuQuoin state fairs will take place this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Both fairs are scheduled for mid to late August, with the Illinois State Fair scheduled for Aug. 12-23 in Springfield and DuQuoin State fair scheduled for Aug. 28 to Sept. 7.
As of Wednesday both fairs are still scheduled to go according to their websites, but all events at the Illinois State Fairgrounds scheduled through May 31, 2020 have been canceled.
Visitors, patients and employees required to wear masks at all BJC facilities
Starting Wednesday, visitors to any BJC HealthCare facility will be required to wear face masks to help deter the spread of COVID-19.
The new policy follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines, according to a statement from BJC. All patients, visitors and employees will be required to wear masks. Only children under 2 and anyone with breathing difficulty being exempt from the rule.
The rule is in effect at all BJC facilities, including Memorial Hospital East in Shiloah, Memorial Hospital Belleville and Alton Memorial Hospital.
“This additional measure of caution inside our facilities is an important step, especially as we begin to resume some of our normal operations,” Dr. Hilary Babcock, director of infection prevention at BJC HealthCare and an infectious disease specialist at the Washington University School of Medicine, said in a news release. “Many people already use masks when they need to be in public places where social distancing is difficult to maintain.”
Patients are encouraged to wear their own masks to appointments but BJC locations can provide masks if needed. Patients that have respiratory systems will be provided medical-grade isolation masks.
Edwardsville Senator says Pritzker reopen Illinois plan falls short
State Senator. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, criticized Governor J.B. Pritzker’s plan Wednesday, calling it a “modified stay-at-home order” that fails to address the challenges facing Illinoisans.
Pritzker detailed his five-phase regional plan for reopening businesses coronavirus pandemic contagion curve begins to flatten Tuesday, outlining statistical hurdles the region must clear to gradually reopen. Those statistics include declines in positives tests and hospitalizations.
In a statement, Plummer called the plan a “baseless, modified year-long stay-at-home order” and questioned its accountability and transparency.
“While I recognize and appreciate the fact that the Governor has finally provided his vision for moving Illinois forward, it is, unfortunately, a plan that fails to address the very real concerns and challenges facing many Illinoisans,” he said. “In my opinion, this is not a plan to re-open Illinois. It is a baseless year-long, modified stay-at-home order with almost zero accountability or transparency.”
Plummer said Pritzker has “overreached” with his authority and added that small businesses are being “devastated” due to being declared non-essential.
“Jobs, businesses, livelihoods, and much more are being permanently - and unnecessarily - lost by the Governor’s ham-handed approach to reopening Illinois,” he said.
Trump says COVID-19 task force will shift focus, instead of ‘winding down’
A day after saying the White House COVID-19 task force would be “winding down,” President Donald Trump says the task force will continue “indefinitely” but shift focus to rebooting the economy.
The Associated Press reported an anonymous White House official acknowledged the “signaling” that the task force was preparing to shut down had sent the wrong message. The official said members the group will shift as the “nature of the crisis” evolves.
Trump echoed that statement in a tweet Wednesday, in which he acknowledged he may “add or subtract” individuals to the task force.
Madison County Health Board to discuss plans for reopening businesses
Officials on the Madison County Board of Health will meet twice this week to discuss a phased approach for reopening businesses and a “return to normal.”
The board will meet at 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday to discuss the plan at the direction of County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler. Prenzler is the chair of the committee.
“This is the most important issue we are facing as a county,” Prenzler said in a statement. “We are doing the best we can and need to work together on a plan to restart Madison County in a safe and responsible way.”
The committee is advised by Health Department Director Tony Corona, the Health Advisory Committee and the Health Department Committee of the county board.
“The first meeting is to discuss core principles, recommendations and guidelines for how individuals and small businesses can ‘return to normal’ in a safe and responsible manner,” Prenzler said. “The second meeting is to take any action necessary to ease the burdens on the citizens and businesses of this county.”
The meeting can be viewed at the county’s Twitch page, at twitch.tv/madisoncountyil.
Visiting a St. Louis business? You’ll need a mask.
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page announced today some non-essential businesses reopening later this month will be asked to have their employees wear masks and may be allowed to deny service to customers without masks.
The announcement follows Page and St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson’s decision, announced Tuesday, to begin a gradual reopening of the city and county May 18. Page said non-essential businesses opening in the county during that time will have to follow some rules.
Along with asking employees to wear masks, Page said businesses should limit crowd sizes and maintain social distancing.
He added the county is mulling over rules that would allow businesses to deny service to customers who don’t have masks but said enforcement would most likely be left to the public.
Bus, MetroLink passengers will need face masks beginning Monday
All MetroBus and MetroLink passengers will be required to wear a face mask beginning Monday and the collection of cash fares on buses will resume June 1.
“Face coverings need to fit over both the nose and mouth, and non-medical masks, scarves, handkerchiefs, bandanas and other types of cloth coverings are permitted,” Metro Transit said in a news release Tuesday. “Transit riders must wear their face coverings during their entire trip on a Metro Transit vehicle.”
This policy does not apply to children ages 2 and under, and passengers who have trouble breathing, are incapacitated or are unable to remove the cover without assistance.
Metro noted that Illinois already requires people to wear face masks in public places where social distancing is not always possible.
“To reduce the person-to-person contact between bus operators and passengers, Metro has been waiving the collection of cash fares on MetroBus since March 21, and riders have been boarding buses via the rear doors,” according to the news release.
However, the agency thinks that it safely will be able to resume fare collection on June 1.
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 release.
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 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. 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 suffered 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 Winkeler collapse and began immediately to perform CPR. Her friend Rick Corporon 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 Winkeler before he was taken to the hospital. He has since recovered and has 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 Winkeler volunteers.
Southwestern Illinois coronavirus cases
Here’s a breakdown of the 1,520 COVID-19 cases in southwestern Illinois as of Wednesday. These numbers are updated by 4 p.m. daily at BND.com.
- St. Clair: 621 positives, 53 deaths, 2,705 tests administered, 45 tests pending
- Madison: 389 positives, 28 deaths, 79 hospitalizations, 116 recoveries
- Clinton: 116 positives, eight deaths, 570 tests administered, 20 recoveries
- Randolph: 205 positives, two deaths, 89 recoveries
- Monroe: 76 positives, 11 deaths
- Macoupin: 38 positives, one death, 758 tests administered, 14 tests pending, 28 recoveries
- Perry: 32 positives
- Jersey: 16 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 6, 2020 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Wednesday live coronavirus updates: State Fairs likely to be canceled due to COVID-19."
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