Wednesday live coronavirus updates: Clinton County asks police to not enforce order
Illinois SNAP recipients will be able to shop for groceries online come June
People who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will soon be able to purchase food online.
Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office announced Wednesday that beginning Tuesday, June 2, Illinois’ 1.8 million SNAP recipients will be able to purchase food from certain grocery retailers online after the federal government approved the state’s plan to allow online purchasing.
“To keep more families safe and healthy, my administration is expanding the ways in which SNAP recipients can acquire groceries to include online purchasing,” Pritzker said in a statement. “The best part is that in addition to helping families shop a little easier and safer during this pandemic, this is a permanent new feature of the SNAP landscape in Illinois that will support our residents for many years to come.”
Governor denies plan to speed up opening of Southern Illinois
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said no to a plan to advance the reopening of Southern Illinois ahead of schedule Wednesday.
Pritzker denied State Representative Blaine WIlhour’s Back to Business plan, according to WJBD Radio. The decision was announced by the Marion County Health Department at a meeting of the county board Tuesday.
Beforehand, the plan was presented to Illinois Health Department Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the station reported.
St. Louis Zoo to reopen in June with new social distancing rules
The St. Louis Zoo announced it will reopen Saturday, June 13 to the public with new guidelines.
“I am excited to share the news about our reopening and I hope everyone knows that the Saint Louis Zoo values safety,” said Jeffrey Bonner, Ph.D., Dana Brown President & CEO, Saint Louis Zoo. “I am amazed at the incredible care our staff has provided to the animals during this pandemic as well as the diligent work underway in preparation to provide our guests with safe and memorable experiences.”
According to a statement, Zoo leadership said the “unique characteristics” of the Zoo campus and the many outdoor areas make it possible to open the zoo with “numerous” safety measures.
Those measures include social distancing made possible by limited attendance and timed, free reservations for entrance to the Zoo, which will be open seven days a week. Guests can make reservations at stlzoo.org beginning Monday, June 8, at 9 a.m.
Clinton County Board asks police not to enforce order
The Clinton County Board has passed a proclamation calling for local police officers, prosecutors and the health department to not enforce Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order.
Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus, remains in place until the end of May.
The Clinton County Board voted 12-1 on Monday in favor of the proclamation. Deb Wesselman cast the lone dissenting vote while Keith Nordike was absent.
Here are highlights of the proclamation:
▪ Board members say Clinton County is a rural place with 40,000 people and is “dissimilar” to large metropolitan areas of the state.
▪ Many residents have told the board members about their “dissatisfaction of the ongoing imposition of restrictions on their personal liberties.” Businesses and residents have suffered “undue and unnecessary personal distress and economic hardship” during the pandemic, according to the proclamation.
▪ The board acknowledged that it did not have the legal authority to tell local agencies not to enforce the stay-at-home rules.
The Madison County Board has passed a resolution calling for a phased plan to allow businesses to reopen in the county.
State lawmakers from the metro-east and elected officials in St. Clair County have asked Pritzker to let the metro-east advance to Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan. They wanted this to happen last Friday but Pritzker did not approve the request.
Instead, his administration on Friday filed emergency rules that state if business owners defy the stay-at-home order, they can face a Class A misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $2,500.
Randolph County Commission requests permission to open early
The Randolph County Board approved a resolution Tuesday requesting Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker to amend this stay-at-home executive order to allow small businesses to open.
The resolution specifically asks Pritzker to allow barber shops, beauty salons, retail stores, private massage therapists, gyms, restaurants and bars to reopen under “reasonable and responsible regulations from the state,” The Southern reported Tuesday.
“I’ve been involved in small businesses all my life and have a big heart for them,” said County Commissioner Ronald White. “We have flattened the curve and now it’s time to start reopening.”
The resolution was voted unanimously. Copies of the resolution will be delivered to Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly.
The Southern reported that Randolph County had one of the highest COVID-19-per capita infection rates last month.
More than 100 million in China face new lockdown from COVID-19
Almost 108 million people in China may be put back under quarantine as a growing group of new coronavirus infections have been discovered, according to Fox News.
Nearly 108 million people in China’s Jilin province may need to go back into lockdown due to the outbreak, an “abrupt” reversal in China’s northeast region.
St. Louis to reopen pools, summer camps in June
St. Louis County executive Sam Page announced Wednesday summer camps and pools in the county will be allowed to reopen in June.
Page said both the YMCA’s summer camps and pools in the county will be opening with guidelines next month and that meetings with county gym owners are expected to take place Wednesday.
He said a “gradual reopening” is the right way to reopen the county and to get the economy moving again.
The St. Louis Zoo also announced plans to reopen in June Wednesday, marking June 13 as its reopening date.
Southern Illinois on track to move to Phase 3 of restoration plan
The latest state health metrics showed that Southern Illinois is on track to start Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan at the end of the current stay-at-home order on May 30. Phase 3 includes the reopening of manufacturing, offices, retail, barbershops and salons with proper safety precautions and groups of 10 or fewer will be allowed.
The requirements to reopen under Phase 3:
- At or under a 20 percent positivity rate of all COVID-19 tests and increasing no more than 10% over a 14-day period,
- No overall increase in hospital admissions for COVID-19-like illness for 28 days, and
- Available surge capacity of at least 14 percent of ICU beds, medical and surgical beds and ventilators.
As of Tuesday, Southern Illinois was on pace on all three metrics:
- A positivity rate of 6 percent and a decrease of 5.2 percentage points over a 14-day period
- A 63.7% decrease in hospital admissions for COVID-like illness since May 1
- A surge capacity of 35.4 percent of ICU beds, 46.6 percent of medical and surgical beds and 79.3 percent of ventilators.
Southwestern Illinois coronavirus cases
Since the pandemic began, the metro-east has had 2,037 cases and 146 coronavirus-related deaths.
Here are the statistics for southwestern Illinois counties as of Tuesday:
- St. Clair County: 905 positives, 69 deaths, 62 hospitalizations, 433 recoveries, 5,070 tests administered, 88 tests pending
- Madison County: 502 positives, 45 deaths, 94 hospitalizations, 242 recoveries
Randolph County: 248 positives, three deaths, four hospitalizations, 1,353 tests administered, 200 recoveries
- Clinton County: 162 positives, 15 deaths, seven hospitalizations, 768 tests administered, 56 recoveries
- Monroe County: 89 positives, 11 deaths, 12 hospitalizations, 33 recoveries
Macoupin County: 41 positives, one death, three hospitalizations, 1,732 tests administered, , 28 recoveries, 16 tests pending
Perry County: 39 positives, 29 recoveries
- Jersey County: 20 positives, one death, 14 recoveries
- Washington County: 18 positives, 15 recoveries
- Bond County: 12 positives, one death, one hospitalization, 214 tests administered, six recoveries, one test pending
- Calhoun County: One positive, one recovery
State, nation, world coronavirus cases
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 1,545 new positive COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and reported that 146 more people had died.
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 7 p.m. Tuesday:
- United States: 1,527,355 people tested positive; 289,392 people recovered; 91,845 people died
- World: 4,892,550 people tested positive; 1,686,448 people recovered; 322,821 people died
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 20, 2020 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Wednesday live coronavirus updates: Clinton County asks police to not enforce order."
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