Pritzker says he’ll provide ‘pandemic playbook’ despite one on books before COVID-19

[March 22, 2021]  By Greg Bishop

(The Center Square) – Sunday marks the one-year anniversary of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order that lasted for more than two months.

Some lawmakers want a review of how he’s handled the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pritzker recently told the State Journal-Register he will make a pandemic playbook for successors.

“[T]here had been no national strategy that had been communicated to the states about how to deal with a pandemic,” Pritzker said. “I think coming out of this, all of that will change. … We will make a pandemic playbook for successors of mine in the future.”

“It is astounding looking back on this that we really seem to either A not have a plan and B not abide by some plans that were in place,” Butler told WMAY.

Oversight is needed, he said.

“There could be a pandemic happening again in the near future, down the road, whatever, but we need to be able to plan for it and certainly learn from what’s happened over the last year,” Butler said.

Over the past year, Pritzker has unilaterally issued orders reshaping the state’s economy to slow the spread of COVID-19.

On Thursday, Pritzker again modified his plan.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker answers questions from the media during his daily press briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic from his office at the Illinois State Capitol, Friday, May 22, 2020, in Springfield, Ill.

Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

“Moving forward, Illinois will move towards normalcy with a dial-like approach, allowing us to dial it up as things are improving,” Pritzker said.

His new “bridge” to Phase 5 of his plan brings minor capacity increases when 70% of the elderly population gets vaccinated. A full reopening in Pritzker’s plan happens when 50% of people 16 and older get vaccinated.

Such economic restrictions aren’t detailed in the state’s plan that was in place before COVID-19.

State Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, said the state experienced a previous pandemic as recent as H1N1.

“Certainly a governor of the state did not put us into what amounts to a gubernatorial takeover of the entire state or a monarchical government now instead of three branches of government,” Bryant said.

Plans are made so there’s a go-to playbook for everyone to follow along with, Bryant said. That’s something she said hasn’t been the case for the past 12 months.

IDPH didn’t immediately respond to questions about why the governor seemingly disregarded the previously cultivated pandemic response plan.