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 How many people have coronavirus in Illinois and where do
they live?
Seventy-four more deaths were reported April 13 for a total of 794 related to
the coronavirus. There were 1,173 new cases reported Monday, bringing the total
confirmed cases to 22,025 in Illinois. Approximately 85% of fatalities are among
patients age 60 and older, IDPH reported. The first Illinois death was on March
17. Deaths reported Monday included: in Cook County, two males in their 30s, one
female and three males in their 40s, seven males in their 50s, six females and
eight males in their 60s, eight females and five males in their 70s, eight
females and four males in their 80s, three females and two males in their 90s,
and one female older than 100; in DuPage County, one male in his 40s, one female
in her 60s, one male in his 70s, one male in his 80s, and one female in her 90s;
in Fayette County, one female in her 90s; in Jasper County, one female in her
90s; in Kane County, one female in her 90s; in Lake County, one male in his 40s,
one male in his 60s, and one female in her 80s; in McHenry County, one male in
his 70s; and in Will County, one female in her 60s, one male in his 70s, and two
males in their 80s.
The total counties reporting COVID-19 cases is 87. State officials on March 17
announced the first death in Illinois attributed to the coronavirus – a Chicago
woman in her 60s with an underlying health condition who was diagnosed with
COVID-19 earlier in March. Of the state’s 794 deaths, 543 have been in Cook
County and 308 of those in Chicago.
Johnson County reported its first case on Monday as the total
grew to 22,025 cases in 87 Illinois counties on April 13 from 105 cases in 15
counties on March 16. Cases were reported in Adams, Bond, Boone, Bureau,
Calhoun, Carroll, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford,
Cumberland, DeKalb, DeWitt, Douglas, DuPage, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin,
Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper,
Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, Lake,
LaSalle, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Logan, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Macon,
Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Massac, Menard, Mercer, Monroe,
Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pulaski,
Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, Saline, Sangamon, St. Clair, Schuyler, Shelby,
Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Whiteside,
Will, Williamson, Winnebago and Woodford counties. Because of the lack of
testing abilities, delays in results and the behavior of the virus, the number
of people with coronavirus in Illinois is likely significantly higher than the
22,025 reported. The state tested over 105,768 specimens for the virus as of
Monday. IDPH has been updating the spread at 2:30 p.m. daily.
Statewide, COVID-19 was infecting 174 of very 100,000 residents through April
13, compared to a national infection rate of 169 of every 100,000 residents. The
infection rate was 300 of every 100,000 residents in Cook County, the highest
infection rate in Illinois. Cases are being tracked by ZIP code on this map
compiled by the Chicago Tribune.
Economic impacts of COVID-19 in Illinois
Illinois’ unemployment claims were hitting record levels, with more than 201,041
new unemployment claims filed for the week ending April 4. That is more than
2100% higher than new claims filed for the same week a year earlier. Nationally,
6.6 million Americans sought unemployment in that same week, bringing the U.S.
total since the beginning of March to 10 million. The Illinois Department of
Employment Security has struggled to keep up. No timeline has been offered for
adding self-employed workers despite funding for them being provided by the
federal government. The job sectors immediately impacted by the
COVID-19 virus employ 24% of Illinois’ job force, or 1.5 million workers. The
sectors were responsible for $100 billion in Illinois economic activity last
year, or $103 million per day. Depending on the length of the closures, COVID-19
is expected to take away between 24% to 50% of the nation’s gross domestic
product, worth between $54 billion and $113 billion.
The Illinois Policy Institute has recommended the state enact measures to blunt
the economic damage from the virus. They include delaying commercial property
tax payments, suspending collection of traffic fees and fines that do not impact
public safety, and removing the progressive tax question from the Nov. 3 ballot
so small businesses and the state economy are not hit by $3.7 billion in new
taxes just as the economic recovery is expected to begin.
Illinois issues ‘shelter-in-place’ order
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a “shelter-in-place” order that started 5
p.m., Saturday, March 21, for all of Illinois. The drastic order intended to
curb the spread of the virus continues through April 30, and schools were
ordered to remain closed until then as well. The order was originally to expire
April 7 but was extended by Pritzker on March 31. The order means Illinoisans
should stay home as much as possible, but allows them to take walks, drive on
both local roads and interstate highways as well as go to grocery stores, gas
stations and pharmacies.Pritzker’s list of essential workers was long, including
health care, industry, trades, food production and distribution. A complete list
is below.
What to do if you think you have coronavirus and how to stay healthy
Symptoms of COVID-19 include a fever, shortness of breath and coughing. The
strength of the symptoms will vary from person to person. If an individual
exhibits symptoms, it is imperative they immediately minimize contact with other
people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a list of directions
for infected people to follow:
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Stay in a single room in your home away from other people.
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Call ahead to your doctor, health care provider or
emergency room to let them know you may have coronavirus so they can prepare
for your arrival and limit your exposure to others.
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If you are sick, wear a face mask.
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Cover your coughs and sneezes. Then, wash your hands with
soap and water or hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol.
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Avoid touching your face. Your eyes, nose and mouth are the
easiest way to transfer the virus into your body from your hands.
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Do not share things with others. This includes eating
utensils, cups, dishes, towels or even bedding.
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Avoid contact with pets. If you must come in contact for
their care, wash hands before and after.
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Clean frequently. Disinfect surfaces in your house
including tables, sinks, toilets, phones and computers.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may not need
medical attention and can remain in your home for 14 days until the symptoms
subside. Remember, there is no treatment for the coronavirus, but the strength
of symptoms is different for each person. This why it is important to minimize
contact as much as possible. Check the CDC website for more information.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also provides information specific to
the state about best practices and information for dealing with exposure to the
virus.
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IDPH also maintains a hotline at 800-889-3931. It
supports English and Spanish at present but will soon be in Polish
and Mandarin as well. You can email questions to
dph.sick@illinois.gov.
Social distancing
The best way to stop the spread of coronavirus is to practice social
distancing. Social distancing means staying away from others as much
as possible, both in public and private spaces. The IDPH further
outlines exactly how Illinoisans can practice social distancing:
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Stay six feet away from others. Exchange verbal
greetings instead of hugs or handshakes. Chicago officials also
recommend an elbow bump instead of a handshake.
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Work with your employer to find alternate ways
to work. While many jobs require social interaction and must go
on, those who work in offices should find ways to work remotely
and minimize in-person meetings.
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Avoid public transportation and travel in
general to areas with high rates of the coronavirus.
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Avoid going to large events. The state has
already taken action to limit event sizes to fewer than 1,000
people and has asked any event with over 250 people be canceled
through May 1. Avoid going to any sporting event that has not
been canceled, visiting crowded stores or attending religious
services. The Archdiocese of Chicago canceled all Masses in Cook
and Lake counties until further notice.
For more information on how to practice social
distancing, visit the IDPH’s website. Experts believe social
distancing is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The Illinois Retail Merchants Association has published a list of
grocery stores adopting special shopping hours for senior citizens
and other vulnerable residents.
Policy responses
State and local leaders have taken a variety of actions in response
to the coronavirus.
Shelter in place for non-essential workers: Pritzker ordered
people to stay home statewide from 5 p.m., March 21, through April
30. He defined essential workers as: Health care and public health
operations, human services operations, essential infrastructure,
stores that sell groceries and medicine, food, beverage and cannabis
production and agriculture, organizations that provide charitable
and social services, media, gas stations and businesses needed for
transportation, financial institutions, hardware and supply stores,
critical trades, mail and delivery services, educational
institutions to provide distance learning, laundry services,
restaurants for consumption off-premises, supplies to work from home
or for essential businesses, home-based care and services,
residential facilities and shelters, professional services, day care
centers for employees exempted by the executive order, manufacture,
distribution, and supply chain for critical products and industries,
critical labor union functions, hotels and motels for lodging or
carry-out food services, and funeral services.
Bars and restaurants: Pritzker announced all restaurants and
bars in Illinois will be closed to dine-in service from March 16
through at least April 30. Establishments will still be allowed to
continue drive-thru and take-out services, including pickup and
delivery.
Schools: Schools in Illinois will also be closed through
April 7. Chicago Public School will be closed until April 20, Mayor
Lori Lightfoot said. Pritzker’s order applies to all schools with
students in kindergarten through seniors in high school. Day care
centers will still be allowed to remain open to care for children of
essential workers. Universities across the state have also suspended
most in-person learning. Many have moved all classes online for the
remainder of the spring semester and told their students to move
home.
Unemployment: On March 11 the Pritzker Administration
announced it was filing emergency rules so those unemployed as a
result of the COVID-19 outbreak could receive benefits. For the week
ending March 28 there were more than 178,000 new unemployment
benefits claims, about 1800% more than the same week a year earlier.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security has a guide to
COVID-19 and unemployment benefits, including answers to frequently
asked questions. IDES offices closed to the public on March 19 to
prevent the virus from spreading, but services are available online
or by phone. To file an unemployment claim, click here. IDES staff
can answer questions by calling 800-244-5631, or persons using TTY
devices may call 866-488-4016. Benefits certification can be
performed at this link or by calling 312-338-4337 between 5 a.m. and
7:30 p.m. weekdays.
Primary elections: The March 17 primary elections went
forward as planned, despite state guidance to cancel gatherings of
over 50 people and federal guidance to limit gatherings to 10 people
or fewer. The chief spokesman for Chicago’s Board of Election
Commissioners told reporters March 17 that local election officials
on March 11 requested Pritzker suspend in-person voting. Ohio shut
down polling places ahead of the March 17 primary. Ohio Health
Director Dr. Amy Acton ordered the closures to “avoid the imminent
threat with a high probability of widespread exposure to COVID-19
with a significant risk of substantial harm to a large number of the
people in the general population, including the elderly and people
with weakened immune systems and chronic medical conditions.”
Georgia and Louisiana also postponed their primary elections, which
were slated for late March.
Public events: Pritzker recommended avoiding any gathering of
more than 10 people. Gatherings have been canceled until at least
May 1. In addition, Pritzker spoke with the owners of all major
sports teams in Illinois and asked they not host any home games
until at least May 1. The owners agreed, meaning the home opener for
the Cubs and White Sox will not take place until at least May 1 and
possibly as late as July depending on how Major League Baseball
reacts to the situation. The Bulls and Blackhawks will most likely
not play at the United Center again this season based on this
recommendation and their playoff chances.
Casinos: All 10 casinos in Illinois have been told by state
gambling regulators to shut their doors through April 30.
State parks: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources
also announced they will be closing all state parks until further
notice.
Toll roads: The Illinois Tollway also announced all tolls
will need to be paid electronically, and it will not operate toll
booths staffed by employees for the time being.
Metra: Metra cut weekday train service in half starting March
23, due to severe drops in ridership.
Relief efforts for small businesses
United States Bartender Guild’s National Charity Foundation:
Offering emergency grants to bartenders.
The Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation: Funds on-the-ground
relief efforts in the restaurant industry, zero-interest loans for
affected businesses and direct aid to workers.
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