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* Gov. Pritzker said today at his daily news conference that a COVID-19 patient has died. Click here to watch or listen.
His announcement…
I’m deeply saddened to share news that I’ve dreaded since the earliest days of this outbreak. The first KOVID-19 related deaths in Illinois.
The patient, a woman in her 60s with an underlying condition resided in Chicago was not a nursing home resident, and was diagnosed with Cova 19 earlier this month.
I want to extend my deepest condolences to her family members. I want them to know that the entire state of Illinois mourns with them.
May her memory be a blessing.
Remember that I’m using Otter for transcription, so there will be typos.
* More bad news…
On Saturday I announced that one of our new cases was a woman residing at a private long term care facility in DuPage County. We acted immediately to send in an IDPH infectious control team to make sure that every precaution was being taken and to institute even more stringent procedures. They tested the home’s entire population, including all residents and all employees and tests so far have revealed 22 positive confirmed cases. 18 residents and four staff members. All of the individuals who have tested positive are now isolated at the facility or at a hospital and visitors have been restricted.
This situation reinforces just how critical it is especially for our vulnerable populations that we get approvals and supplies from the federal government, so that we can test large groups of vulnerable people earlier than we are able to now.
My team and I have been on the phone, day and night communicating with the medical testing supply chain. But the federal government is monopolizing supplies and not providing them to the States.
They set deadlines, and they blew through them. They told us capacity would increase and it hasn’t the powerhouse research institutions. Here in Illinois including universities, hospitals and national laboratories are lending their own world class resources to the fight against COVID-19, but they’re running into the same roadblocks that the state laboratories are. This is an incredible failure by the federal government and everyday that they continue to abdicate their responsibilities is another day that we fall behind. I’ve requested and now I’m demanding that the White House, the FDA and the CDC produce a rapid increase in test deployment nationwide, or get out of the way, and allow us to obtain them elsewhere ourselves
* Small business…
We’re also working expeditiously to mitigate the challenges that small businesses are facing. My Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has secured the necessary documentation to declare a statewide economic injury declaration, and the US Small Business Administration will receive it shortly. The SBA is offering coronavirus Disaster Assistance loans to help impacted companies get through this period of instability. And this will ensure that all of our counties qualify for assistance. Once approved by the SBA, you’ll be able to access this through our dceo website.
* Regarding the Chicago Board of Elections statement earlier today…
Last week the Chicago Board asked me to do something that is unquestionably not within my legal authority. According to their statement earlier today they wanted me unilaterally to cancel in person voting on March 17 convert Illinois to an all vote by mail state and extend vote by mail to May 12. Not surprisingly, they could not even begin to explain the legal basis for their request, nor could they explain how they believe that they at the election authorities across the state could effectively convert the election to all vote by mail, nor could they promise the people of Illinois that the state would be able to hold an election on the suggested date of May 12.
I will not use this moment, this moment to supersede my constitutional authority. I will not.
There are people out there today who want to say, ‘Oh, it’s a crisis bend the rules that overstep your authority.’ Let me tell you this. It is exactly in times like these. When the constitutional boundaries of our democracy should be respected, above all else, and if people want me want to criticize me for that if people want to criticize me for that. Well go ahead, I’ll wear it like a badge of honor.
Every step that we’ve taken during this crisis, my legal team has understood and laid out our legal authority to do it. Where we felt my authority didn’t extend to some action that we felt we needed to take to keep people safe. We have worked with the individuals or entities involved. To get to the right answer. All of them have stepped up to the plate. All except the Chicago Board of Elections.
The governor’s office provided the opportunity to use the National Guard to help staff the election. And we also worked to recruit volunteers, 2000, young people from the Mikva Challenge were turned away from volunteering, because the board wouldn’t reduce red tape.
So instead of accepting help or offering any solutions of their own, the Chicago Board of Elections decided to wait until Election Day to call the press and attempt to shift the blame for their failings. […]
If you were on Twitter one minute claiming Donald Trump is making dictatorial grabs, and the next minute screaming that the governor needs to overturn state statutes and constitutional law to deny people their right to vote, you need to get your priorities straight.
I have a responsibility to the people of the state of Illinois to make sure that democracy survives through everything that through everything democracy will be preserved. That through everything democracy will be venerated. And I have a responsibility to the life and safety of the people of my state to their well being and to their health.
Whew.
* From a press release…
Currently, IDPH is reporting 160 cases in 15 counties in Illinois. Cases have occurred in ages 9 to 91.
* Updated graph…
* On to questions. The governor was asked about the federal recommendation to limit crowd sizes to 10 and if he would do that here…
I’m continuing to consult with medical doctors and the scientists about this, as you’ve seen guidance that has come forward from the CDC and others has changed really from day to day. There’s been an increasing concern about the numbers of people who gather and the potential for passing coronavirus from one person to another. And so we’re going to continue to evaluate that every day and consider what options we may need to take going forward.
The governor said he offered to send National Guard members in “plain clothes” to help with Chicago’s polling place issues and that was rejected.
* Asked again about preschool and daycare…
Yeah, at the moment our belief is that providing daycare in small groups, providing preschool, again, in small groups - remember preschool got closed if it was in a K 12 facility to many people in that location. But in small groups, we wanted to make sure that we kept at least an opportunity for there to be daycare. We’re continuing to evaluate that, but right now I think that’s where we’ll stay.
Presser has ended.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 2:37 pm
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Didnt the FDA get out bnn of the way yesterday?
Comment by Pretzel Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 2:48 pm
J.B has eyes on a national stage. He is blaming others while squandering opportunities to help people in Illinois
Comment by Plutocrat03 Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 2:51 pm
Trump’s administration has said they want to give every adult in this country $1000 checks. What every adult in this country needs is to be tested ASAP They’re still tone deaf.
Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 2:51 pm
===…the face of hundreds of health professionals cautioning otherwise.===
* The White House, and the professionals at the White House… that constantly *contradict* the White House while advising… not one stated that elections should not take place.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 2:52 pm
Or you could wash your hands, vote, wash your hands again, and get on with your day. I’m all for an Oregon-style full vote-by-mail system but you’re not going to build it in a week.
Comment by Michael Feltes Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 2:54 pm
If this were to happen on the federal level, I would be shouting about attempts to subvert the will of the people. Elections are about the most sacred thing we have. Voting now is probably more safe than voting in a month or two, but I agree that it is the second worst thing to happen. The worst is to not hold the vote. And Anon, did you not see that part about exceeding constitutional authority?
Comment by Jibba Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 2:55 pm
Anon(s?) -
You keep saying the election shouldn’t be held. Where is Pritzker’s authority to stop it? If you are such an expert in Illinois constitutional and election law, perhaps you should have a chat with his legal team, and show them why they’re wrong.
Comment by JoanP Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 2:55 pm
I think… if elections were to be postponed, that’s a decision that should have been made weeks ago, not the night or even morning of like Ohio and Florida.
I do think this shows we need greater flexibility in the system, in the event of unexpected emergencies and disasters. It sounds like if we had a massive earthquake tomorrow of the SBoE wouldn’t have any power to delay the primary. And we should have the ability to go to all mail, if required.
Comment by Nick Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 2:56 pm
Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough let us down. Why didn’t we have hand sanitizer and wipes for the equipment? She promised in an email to have these available to those of us working as election judges. Plus, the training we received was very confusing and no one is answering the phone when we call.
Comment by Help me Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 2:56 pm
== not one stated that elections should not take place. ==
Here’s 1,600 professionals unaffiliated with the White House: https://medium.com/@kevin_33184/open-letter-to-dnc-to-reschedule-march-primaries-amid-pandemic-579cb42ea27a
And no one is saying “elections should not take place.” They should be postponed a few weeks and converted to vote by mail.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 2:57 pm
What does the testing really accomplish? If you test negative does that mean you should not follow all of the recommendations? If you test positive - is there a shot/cure available? We should be acting as if all of us have it - follow the recommendations - including going to the hospital when critical. I for one do not need a test to guide my actions
Comment by Former Candidate on the Ballot Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 2:59 pm
=== unaffiliated===
Are they constitutional scholars too?
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:01 pm
Anon, you are pounding the desk pretty hard here to blast JB for this, but so far I haven’t heard a single suggestion about how to legally give you what you want. You just keep yelling “I want, I want”, and run your mouth when no one can give it to you. Notice i said “can” give it to you.
Sheesh, man.
Comment by Perrid Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:01 pm
=and if you’re among those advocating today’s elections go forward, you’ll share in the blame.
I await my opportunity to testify at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings.
Comment by Archpundit Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:02 pm
@Anon 2:57 pm:
Why would they send a letter to the DNC? The DNC doesn’t schedule primaries. States do.
And, once again, ad nauseum, ad infinitum, where is the legal authority for the Governor of Illinois to postpone the primary? You refuse to say - why? Probably because there is none.
Comment by JoanP Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:02 pm
God bless Pritzker. It is ok to be a dictator when I think necessary? This is why we have a constitution and laws. You cannot make it up as you go. We had a civil war we had depression and a Spanish flu and polio outbreaks you follow rules. What if Trump banned election would you be fine with it. Again Pritzker understands the rule of law
Comment by DuPage Saint Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:02 pm
=What does the testing really accomplish? If you test negative does that mean you should not follow all of the recommendations? If you test positive - is there a shot/cure available? We should be acting as if all of us have it - follow the recommendations - including going to the hospital when critical. I for one do not need a test to guide my actions=
The point with mass testing is it allows a public response that, ideally, wouldn’t have involved shutting down entire states or economies.
So at the first time someone shows symptoms, they can be tested, and told to stay home. And people they interacted with can be tested, and told to stay home or not.
South Korea hasn’t had to shut down entire parts of their economy, close restaurants, bars, tell people to shelter in place. And that’s because they’ve tested so aggressively that they’ve (mostly) been able to get a handle on the outbreak.
Comment by Nick Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:05 pm
The Governor’s Office needs to stop being so thin-skinned and punching down.
Jim Allen’s statements were petty and out-of-Line.
But neither the governor’s chief-of-staff nor especially the governor himself should be devoting bandwidth to Allen. The ballots will be counted in four hours.
And for god’s sake, get the Chicago Board of Health out of this press conference. Every time she says “people most vulnerable” she is effectively telling younger people it is safer for them to go out. Her message is harmful.
Comment by Charlie Brown Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:06 pm
“But the federal government is monopolizing supplies and not providing them to the States.“
Trump said for states to try to get supplies on their own. Just how woefully unprepared are we at the federal level? It seems that governors are doing so much on their own.
Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:09 pm
ComEd just emailed me. They’re “Voluntarily suspending service disconnections for customers who cannot pay and waiving new late payment charges through at least May 1, 2020.”
Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:09 pm
===They should be postponed a few weeks===
The POTUS said yesterday that this could last until August. Maybe longer.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:10 pm
=== What does the testing really accomplish?===
The Director of WHO explained and this is being discussed on another thread. Basically, it’s hard to fight something when you have a blindfold on. We can have a better, more focused response when we know where the virus is.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:12 pm
This is why we need to switch the Washington’s system. Mail everyone a ballot. No precinct voting. No more County Clerks having to scramble to find judges. It will make our results take a little longer to come in, but this shows why we need it.
Comment by Sensible Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:15 pm
“What every adult in this country needs is to be tested ASAP”
This is the opposite of what we need. We need a ready supply of tests with a reasonable turnaround time. Having everyone, whether they present symptoms or not, tested is NOT a viable solution and would only serve to overwhelm the medical system. 350 million tests, you have to be kidding.
Comment by Just Another Anon Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:19 pm
Pay attention to that chart. Cases went up 50% in a day. Part of that is because of more testing and part is because this is how this disease is expected to proceed. Stay safe.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:20 pm
=== punching down===
Correcting a misrepresentation of facts isn’t punching down.
With respect.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:20 pm
Holding the vote today created incredible risk for those that voted, and suppressed the vote of those too afraid to participate.
Comment by Downstate Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:22 pm
=== This is why we need to switch the Washington’s system. Mail everyone a ballot.===
Write a bill.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:22 pm
We should all dispense with the idea that this is going to last a few weeks. No one should expect any large-scale social activity to resume until the middle of the summer, at the earliest. Remember that the logic of flattening the curve does not reduce the total number of infections. It spreads out the number of cases so that the health care system doesn’t blow out, everyone who needs treatment can get it and the number of serious cases and deaths is held down. Spreading out the number of cases implies that the measures to lower the infection rate have to act on the order of months. Ubiquitious testing plus social distancing can reduce the overall number of cases because then you know where the infection is strongest and where the strictest measures will be most helpful, but that ship may have already sailed.
Comment by Michael Feltes Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:25 pm
“The state has every bit of responsibility for the public health”
The Feds are in the way. Read this part.
“I’ve requested and now I’m demanding that the White House, the FDA and the CDC produce a rapid increase in test deployment nationwide, or get out of the way, and allow us to obtain them elsewhere ourselves”
Comment by Jibba Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:30 pm
==South Korea hasn’t had to shut down entire parts of their economy, close restaurants, bars, tell people to shelter in place. And that’s because they’ve tested so aggressively that they’ve (mostly) been able to get a handle on the outbreak.==
South Korea and a few other Asian nations are indeed outliers. They were hit hard by the SARS outbreak in 2002 and took preparations that others, like the U.S., did not.
It’s somewhat similar to 9/11 in that we weren’t prepared for an attack on the homeland. We changed everything after that. Sadly, sometimes you need to get punched in the mouth, before you realize you need to keep your guard up.
Comment by CrazyHorse Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:30 pm
It’s unfortunate that childcare center workers are expected to keep working. They work in groups larger than 10, serve food that is consumed on site, and children are proven to be asymptomatic.
Then they go home to their immune-compromised and elderly loved ones.
Pritzker is not as smart as he wants everyone to think he is.
Comment by child care worker Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:33 pm
I admire Governor Pritzker every day,
Comment by Soccermom Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:36 pm
Thank you Soccermom. He’s been one of the national leaders on this response.
Comment by Lt Guv Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:38 pm
I, for one, am glad that Governor Pritzker is at the helm. I could not imagine the trouble we would be in as a state if Rauner were still Governor during this crisis.
Comment by Marty Meh-lan Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:39 pm
China also has tested tens of millions of people, instituted tracing which is far and beyond what we’re currently doing or might tolerate, and basically sheltered in place parts of their entire country two over two weeks including road blocks.
And it’s also not even immediately clear how quickly they’re getting ‘back to work.’ Wuhan still is under lockdown, for instance.
Comment by Nick Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:42 pm
=== Correcting a misrepresentation of facts isn’t punching down ===
The governor of the Fifth largest state calling out by name the spokesperson of an Election Board — and getting his title wrong in the process — is the definition of punching down.
22 people are infected at a nursing home licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health. That is a lot more important at the moment than whatever Jim Allen said at 10:30 am.
The governor and his office are going to be criticized daily. Hourly on social media. They cant be worried about winning or losing every news cycle, and trust time will prove them right.
They need one person whose job it is to follow twitter, and everyone else turn it off.
Comment by Charlie Brown Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:44 pm
Leadership doesn’t mean always doing things that everyone agrees with. Pritzker made a call based on the circumstances and believes it was the right call. And clearly from his detailed response it wasn’t a knee jerk reaction as some commentators would suggest.
There’s no guarantee that the election could have simply been rescheduled at a later date. His response makes that clear. But I’m sure there would have been a very reasoned response if people were denied the opportunity for in person voting by our Democratic governor.
Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:45 pm
=Nonsense, after peaking just a few weeks ago China is back to work.=
China got on top of this a lot quicker than we did. Took extreme measures, and they have test kits. Makes a big difference.
Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:47 pm
== punching down ==
I kinda feel the same way. I don’t disagree with anything JB said about the Chicago Brd of Elections and the feds. He’s right on the facts, I’m just not sure that’s the kind of stuff people want to hear right now. He even took time to complain about the intellectual inconsistency of social media trolls.
I’ve always felt like the governor has maintained a thick skin that some of the folks around him lack. He shed a little of it today.
Comment by Roman Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:49 pm
J.B. has been a steady and competent force each day. Our state is better off with him at the helm.
Comment by Tired Teacher Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:56 pm
This Anon, for one, washed their hands, voted, washed their hands and arms, and now is going to have a beer in a small celebration of this holiday.
Extreme measures are necessary right now. Trying times don’t end because something was easy, they end because people made decisions–good and bad–that people didn’t like but were decisions that had to be made.
Comment by Anon for Now Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:57 pm
“Nonsense, after peaking just a few weeks ago China is back to work.”
1) I don’t trust anything the Chinese Communist Party says and neither should you.
2) Even when the total number of infections has passed the peak, it will be very difficult to disentangle how much of that reduction to attribute to social distancing measures and how much to attribute to the virus exhausting its supply of potential new victims, so you should expect the social distancing measures to be kept in place for a long time after the peak. I worry that this virus is going to become endemic and recurrent like the flu and that we’ll have a second wave in the fall once everyone is tired of being in their house and resumes their regular habits.
Comment by Michael Feltes Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:57 pm
===He even took time to complain about the intellectual inconsistency of social media trolls===
That absolutely needed to be pointed out. People have gone nuts this week. One the one hand, they hate the president for being a “dictator,” and on the other hand they want the governor to exercise powers outside of constitutional reach to postpone an election that they’re not currently winning. It’s so unbelievably crass and anti-democratic.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 3:59 pm
How has the Governor manage to avoid being the target of The presidents Twitter insults of governors?
Comment by thoughts matter Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 4:02 pm
“It’s somewhat similar to 9/11 in that we weren’t prepared for an attack on the homeland. We changed everything after that. Sadly, sometimes you need to get punched in the mouth, before you realize you need to keep your guard up.”
And sometimes we enact a whole pile of useless, counterproductive, morally reprehensible measures and damage our country because we didn’t plan ahead of time, didn’t understand the situation once we were in the midst of it and let the maniacs use the crisis to their advantage.
Comment by Michael Feltes Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 4:06 pm
“China got on top of this a lot quicker than we did. Took extreme measures”
Such as suppressing dissent, silencing critics, enacting martial law, and probably killing a bunch of people. They certainly have made people “disappear”. These are all effective tools for government to control the masses.
Comment by Just Another Anon Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 4:15 pm
A daily crisis update from someone who is smart, engaged, and gracious is so refreshing in these times. I think Biss and even Rauner and any number of folks could do things this well, but good lord how much more coherent and reassuring than the show in D.C.
Comment by State Sen. Clay Davis Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 4:23 pm
I hope my math is not right…but based on the exponential rate cases are being confirmed, we could see well near, if not more than, 10,000 cases by the end of the month. (I did a best-fit exponential analysis on the data)
Comment by JBFan Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 4:39 pm
As to social media trolls, I have those who went apoplectic when JB closed restaurants, bars, and limited social gatherings but not a peep a day letter when POTUS went even further than that.
Since it now appears that POTUS has finally gotten on board with taking this seriously, I’d like to see JB give them some credit where credit is due such as the $1000 proposed payments. It’s also OK for him to smack them around where they are dragging their heels.
Comment by Original Rambler Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 4:47 pm
=If the Governor can limit gatherings, he can close facilities based on a health emergency.=
Closing facilities is not the same as cancelling an election. Nobody is disputing his ability to close facilities. The law said that today was election day. He has no constitutional authority to “close” an election. He would be ignoring the constitution if he did so. And he would add a level of uncertainty around whether or not we would even have another election day. Because election day was today.
Can you imagine the uproar if we had no in person voting this year? You can yell all you want about other options. But arguments and laws are two different things.
Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 4:50 pm
=Finally, I have tired of Pritzker’s continued rants about testing.=
Well the WHO and Dr. Fauci have those same rants. And they keep saying we don’t have enough tests. But now that we know that it’s bothering you, maybe it is time to stop.
Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 5:04 pm
=== He may, under the power I cited, have the power to convert the election to vote by mail.===
This is a flat out lie.
=== If not===
No *if* about it.
===the GA could be involved.===
They are the *only* body… “could”… jeez, Louise.
=== Again, repercussions from low turnout and disenfranchisement of vulnerable populations, to any other issues are on Pritzker.===
(Sigh)
Ok. Feel better?
I’m guessing you’re gonna blame him for everything anyway, so if it makes you feel better, I already said governors own, but your blatant and blind understanding is noted.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 5:13 pm
Not everyone needs testing. Testing should be limited to those with symptoms and those known contact (including health providers and first responders). The US triaged testing from those with some combination of those two factors (plus a negative flu/strep tests). As testing has broadened, people who meet even one have gotten testing.
Comment by Still anon Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 5:14 pm
Fauci and Trump, neither said to not have an Election Day.
So there’s that
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 5:16 pm
====Please provide the case that says the broad language granting the governor power to promote and secure the safety and protection of the population does not include closing election sites.
The language doesn’t say he can cancel elections and neither does the law on elections in 10 ILCS 5. Wanting it to be true doesn’t make it so.
Even then the notion that this would be a good idea within a few days of the election is silly. Illinois has significant early voting and trying to move all voting mail is assume the capacity at the board of elections. They do not have that capacity across the state.
Assuming it can just be done doesn’t make it so.
Comment by Archpundit Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 5:24 pm
===provide the case that says the broad language granting the governor power to promote and secure the safety and protection of the population does not include closing election sites.===
SECTION 4. ELECTION LAWS
The General Assembly by law shall define permanent residence for voting purposes, insure secrecy of voting and the integrity of the election process, and facilitate registration and voting by all qualified persons. Laws governing voter registration and conduct of elections shall be general and uniform. (Source: Illinois Constitution.)
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 5:24 pm
===Since it now appears that POTUS has finally gotten on board with taking this seriously, I’d like to see JB give them some credit where credit is due ===
With all due respect, eff that. Once we get on the other side, maybe - maybe - there will be time to note positives in the Feds response, but we are nowhere near that point now.
But don’t worry. POTUS will pat himself on the back even if we don’t. 10 out of 10, amiright?
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 5:24 pm
==And sometimes we enact a whole pile of useless, counterproductive, morally reprehensible measures and damage our country because we didn’t plan ahead of time, didn’t understand the situation once we were in the midst of it and let the maniacs use the crisis to their advantage.==
True.
I was only trying to illustrate that South Korea was hit extremely hard by SARS while we were not. They then took a more aggressive approach towards preparedness for another such occurrence. We didn’t because we weren’t affected nearly as much.
Comment by CrazyHorse Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 5:32 pm
“I’m continuing to consult with medical doctors and the scientists about this”
And are they advising you to wait, Governor? This makes no sense to me.
Comment by Retiree Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 5:45 pm
IDOC continues to have full classes and groups inside the prisons .. gym is open with hundreds of offenders. Only time until a total disaster.
Comment by State worker Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 6:19 pm
“But don’t worry. POTUS will pat himself on the back even if we don’t. 10 out of 10, amiright?”
And probably throw out his shoulder in the process. /s
Comment by Huh? Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 6:24 pm
In times of crisis leaders lead. They do so out of a sense of duty. They don’t pat themselves on the back. They don’t score their “responses”. They show empathy and humility when others are suffering.
Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 7:06 pm
“In times of crisis leaders lead.”
I’m all for it. The Governor needs to lead by following CDC directives to limit crowd sizes to 10 or less instead of continuing to individually consult with medical doctors and scientists. Seriously.
Comment by Retiree Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 7:21 pm
===following CDC directives===
That’s not a directive.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 7:41 pm
Interim guidance from the CDC - I stand corrected.
Comment by Retiree Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 7:46 pm
I don’t understand the picking and choosing of who can work remotely in state govt. but the workers in an office in East st.louis dealing with food stamp recepients are still being exposed to this terrible virus. IDOT sent their folks home today
Comment by R Miles Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 8:40 pm
The governor has previously been proactive about limiting social contact in the community, so he should actively support recent CDC recommendations to limit gatherings to 10 or less. Sooner rather than later.
Comment by Retiree Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 9:26 pm