Tuesday live coronavirus updates: Fauci has ‘serious’ concerns of reopening too soon
Southwest Illinois lawmakers say Pritzker is too slow on removing COVID-19 limits
Democrats in southwestern Illinois broke ranks Tuesday with Gov. J.B. Pritzker and urged him to allow more businesses to reopen, a day after he doubled down on his gradual approach.
They asked the governor to allow retail shops, manufacturing, barbershops and salons to reopen with capacity limits and other precautions on Friday. Under the governor’s plan, the earliest they can return is May 29.
Data showing decreases in hospital admissions and infection rates in southern Illinois convinced metro-east lawmakers it would be safe to move from phase two to three in the governor’s plan this week.
Lawmakers who signed the letter include state Sens. Rachelle Crowe, D-Glen Carbon, and Christopher Belt, D-Centreville, and state Reps. Monica Bristow, D-Alton, Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, and Nathan Reitz, D-Steeleville.
You can read more about the issue at bnd.com.
Madison County votes to reopen in defiance of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
Madison County will begin its phased plan to reopen the county on Wednesday, officially going against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s statewide plan to reopen Illinois.
The Madison County Board of Health on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to approve the resolution, 27-2, becoming one of the first counties in Illinois to defy the statewide stay-at-home order.
The four-phase plan will begin Wednesday and stretch until late June.
Phase 1 allows nonessential travel to resume while advising against social gatherings of 10 or more people. Retail businesses may open with 25% occupancy and restaurants may have seated dining at a rate of 25% occupancy.
Before the vote, county Democrats came out against the plan Tuesday afternoon in a news release, calling it dangerous and risky for small businesses.
“We all understand that there must be a plan in place to help reopen Madison County, and to help save small businesses, retailers and manufacturers, but this plan would ultimately endanger those same small businesses across our county,” said Madison County Democratic Party Chair Randy Harris. “Item 7 in the Resolution clearly shows Prenzler knows that small businesses may not be insured, may put their business licenses in a risky position, and he’s trying to avoid any legal liability for the county, while still encouraging businesses to open. This is politics, plain and simple.”
You can read more about Madison County’s plans at bnd.com
Fauci says ‘consequences could be really serious’ if states reopen too quickly
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned Tuesday in a Senate hearing that “the consequences could be really serious” if the country’s economy reopens too quickly amid the coronavirus pandemic, The Associated Press reported.
Fauci, who is self-quarantining because a White House staffer had tested positive for COVID-19, spoke via video conference before the Senate Health, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Before the hearing, Fauci told The New York Times that Americans would experience “needless suffering and death” if the country opens up prematurely.
“If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to ‘Open America Again,’ then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country,” he said in an email. “This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal.”
The Times notes that these comments were at odds with the “things are looking up” argument that President Trump makes that states are ready to reopen.
Lebanon gym reopens despite Pritzker’s order
David Tate owner of the Fit 4 All gym in Lebanon decided to reopen on Monday in defiance of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s statewide shutdown of “non-essential” businesses in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19,
Tate said he and other small business owners have been left with no good choices: It’s either defy order or go out of business. “Pick your poison,” is how he puts it.
Tate said for many small business owners, the state’s stay-at-home order created a harsh financial situation, sinking income to zero for many. He said he’s not sure if some businesses, especially in Lebanon, will be able to return when the pandemic is over.
You can read more about Tate’s decision at bnd.com.
Parade scheduled to honor Valmeyer graduates
The 21 graduating seniors of Valmeyer High School will be honored with a parade at 7 p.m. Friday.
Students have been asked to wear their cap and gown while they ride in vehicles following a fire truck since the traditional ceremony has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
They will start at the high school and the route includes Cedar Bluff, West Woodland Ridge and Meyer Avenue, according to Kelly Rowold, who is a teacher at the school and the parent of a junior.
The parade is not an official school event.
Rowold invites residents to stand along the route to cheer on the graduates.
White House recommends testing all nursing home residents
In a video conference call Monday, Vice President Mike Pence told governors that the federal government is recommending testing for all nursing home residents and staff, the Associated Press reported after it obtained a recording of the meeting.
Pence leads the White House coronavirus task force. The task force’s coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, told governors to focus on testing all 1 million nursing home residents over the next two weeks. She said the White House would help states that need it, according to the Associated Press.
The news agency reported that it was unclear why the federal government was not ordering the testing to be done and why the recommendation was coming now, over two months after the first major outbreak at a U.S. nursing home.
Belleville’s Four Fountains reaches 102 possible coronavirus patients
The St. Clair County Health Department reported Sunday that 102 people connected to Four Fountains in Belleville had either tested positive for COVID-19 or had symptoms since a coronavirus outbreak started there. Sixteen people from Four Fountains have died, according to health officials.
There was no change in the numbers out of Four Fountains on Monday.
The totals could include residents or employees. And unlike other coronavirus data, the numbers out of long-term care facilities include both people who have tested positive and people who have COVID-19 like symptoms based on guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“In facilities where cases already exist, residents who display symptoms are to be treated as if positive, but staff are to be tested to determine who can care for residents and who should be isolated,” the Illinois Department of Public Health states on its website.
Here is the information the St. Clair County Health Department provided Monday during the 3:30 p.m. live stream by the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency on Facebook about the number of people known or suspected to have COVID-19, either because of a test result or their symptoms:
- Four Fountains in Belleville - 102 people, including 16 deaths
- Memorial Care Center in Belleville - 43 people, including five deaths
- Lebanon Care Center - 37 people, including seven deaths
- BRIA of Belleville - 23 people, including two deaths
- St. Paul’s Home in Belleville - 10 people, including three deaths
- BRIA of Cahokia - Eight people
- Caritas Family Solutions in Belleville - Six people
- Help at Home in O’Fallon - Five people
- TDL Inc. in Belleville - Four people
- Colonnade in O’Fallon - Three people
Senior staff member for governor has COVID-19
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office announced Monday that a senior staff member who did not have symptoms of COVID-19 tested positive for the respiratory disease late last week.
The senior staff member was in close contact with the governor and other employees, but Pritzker and all other staff who report to the governor’s office have tested negative for COVID-19, according to a news release from Pritzker.
Employees in the governor’s office will now work from home “for an appropriate isolation period,” the release stated.
Pritzker’s daily press briefings will continue, according to his office. The briefings are live streamed at illinois.gov/LiveVideo and on Facebook and Twitter.
Businesses that defy stay-at-home order could face legal issues
Businesses and municipalities that defy the governor’s stay-at-home order by opening their doors early could face lawsuits, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association said in a statement to Rich Miller, contributor to the Chicago Sun-Times.
“The risk of opening early outweighs the benefit of limiting liability not only for the municipality but also for any employer who follows the guidelines of the municipality,” said ITLA President Antonio Romanucci in a written statement, according to the Sun-Times. “The prudent course would be to stay closed for another 25 days and limit any further potential spread which could lead to litigation.”
Kevin Martin, executive director of the Illinois Insurance Association, also told Miller that insurance policies are “not going to cover intentional acts” like intentionally reopening in violation of the executive order.
The Illinois Department of Insurance further stated in a news release, “If businesses reopen contrary to public health guidelines and the state’s executive orders, there is risk that an insurer could find reason within the policy language to deny COVID-19 related claims,” the Sun-Times reported.
Southwestern Illinois coronavirus cases
Since the pandemic began, a total of 1,770 people in the region have tested positive for COVID-19 and 125 have died.
Here are the statistics for southwestern Illinois counties as of Tuesday:
- St. Clair: 771 positives, 63 deaths, 3,694 tests administered, 32 tests pending
- Madison: 446 positives, 33 deaths, 85 hospitalizations, 186 recoveries
- Clinton: 124 positives, 12 deaths, 731 tests administered, nine hospitalizations, 39 recoveries
- Monroe: 83 positives, 11 deaths, 29 recoveries
- Washington: 16 positives, 14 recoveries
- Randolph: 227 positives, three deaths, 1,099 tests administered, six hospitalizations, 145 recoveries
- Bond: Eight positives, one death, 140 tests administered, six tests pending, three recoveries
- Jersey: 17 positives, one death, 10 recoveries
- Calhoun: One positive, one recovery
- Macoupin: 39 positives, one death, 877 tests administered, 22 tests pending, three hospitalizations, 28 recoveries
- Perry: 38 positives, 18 recoveries
Nation, world coronavirus cases
According to data from John Hopkins University, this is how many people have been affected by COVID-19 across the nation and world as of 6 p.m. Tuesday:
- United States: 1,367,491 people tested positive; 230,287 people recovered; 82,227 people died.
- World: 4,254,302 people tested positive; 1,483,198 people recovered; 291,334 people died.
Federal grants to help region expand testing
Democratic U.S. Sens. from Illinois Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth announced Monday that federal grants will be awarded to communities across the state for coronavirus testing.
In a news release, Durbin and Duckworth said the money could go toward purchasing personal protective equipment, training staff or and expanding walk-up or drive-up testing capabilities, among those uses.
Here is how much funding is going to southwestern Illinois, according to the release:
- Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation (East St. Louis): $1,688,104
- Macoupin County (Carlinville): $214,909
MLB season could start in July
Major League Baseball owners are proposing a July start for the season delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press reported Monday.
Games would start around the Fourth of July weekend in ballparks without fans if the players’ union accepts the plan, according to the report.
Want to help? Here are some ideas
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 about mental health
Here are some resources from mental health professionals for anyone struggling during the coronavirus pandemic:
- Touchette Regional Hospital’s 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 Support Line for health care professionals: call 618-381-5173.
Contact 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.
We’d like to hear from health care workers
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.
Willing to share your COVID-19 story?
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 12, 2020 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Tuesday live coronavirus updates: Fauci has ‘serious’ concerns of reopening too soon."
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