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* Press release…
Sens. Sue Rezin (38th District) and John Curran (41st District), both of whom represent portions of Region 7, have issued the following statement regarding the Governor’s double-standard when it comes to applying COVID-19 mitigation restrictions.
“In making his announcement today, the Governor has decided to place partisan politics above science. As a result, Will and Kankakee Counties will be forced to ban indoor dining while the Metro-East (Region 4) will be given an extra week to improve their numbers. Why the double standard? Because Democrat elected officials from that region pressured the Governor to change this stance. Backroom political deals should not be how public health decisions are made. The same rules should apply to all regions, and they should be based on science, not politics.”
I’ve asked the governor’s office for a response.
…Adding… I’m told that neither Curran nor Rezin were contacted or briefed about this decision.
* BND…
State health officials reversed a decision to preemptively ban indoor dining in the metro-east after facing pressure from lawmakers and mayors, St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency director Herb Simmons said Monday.
The state was planning to reimpose a ban on indoor dining and drinking at bars and restaurants in the metro-east Wednesday as the region sees a resurgence of coronavirus cases — a week before the original deadline they’d given regional leaders to reduce cases. […]
Illinois Department of Public Health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike told mayors in a Monday morning conference call that their communities could see restrictions this week because cases are increasing so rapidly, said Jordan Abudayyeh, a spokeswoman for Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
But area mayors and county leaders reacted with outrage and frustration at being cut short by a week. […]
Democratic State Reps. Jay Hoffman of Swansea, LaToya Greenwood of East St. Louis, Nathan Reitz of Steeleville, Katie Stuart of Edwardsville and state Sen. Christopher Belt of Cahokia “worked to combat the additional restrictions set to be imposed,” the county emergency management agency posted on social media after the reversal.
…Adding… The latest IDPH numbers show the Metro East’s positivity rate is 9.8 percent, far higher than Region 7’s 8.4 percent. Yet, the mitigation measures are far more restrictive in Region 7.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Gov. Pritzker said today that the mitigation efforts in Region 4 haven’t worked. The mitigations were based on advice from local public health directors who had worked with St. Louis to devise a standard set of guidelines on both sides of the Mississippi River. In retrospect, Pritzker said, bowing to that arrangement “was not a good idea.”
When asked why Region 4 was given another week before mitigation efforts would match Region 7, Pritzker said “We had said when we put the mitigations in place that they would have two weeks under those sets of mitigations and so there’s one week left.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Sen. Hastings, a Democrat, is not pleased…
My letter to Governor Pritzker based on feedback from residents, community and elected leaders and business from the Will County residents of the 19th Legislative District. pic.twitter.com/6V7SIqwiix
— Michael E. Hastings (@HastingsforIL) August 25, 2020
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 12:03 pm
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Previous Post: Since everyone seems to want to talk about this…
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It seems like using a consistent data standard that was laid out months ago with clear expectations when positivity rates, is the opposite of backroom politics. Meanwhile, many GOP governors seem very clearly to have been swayed by reactionary anti-mask politics when deciding policies.
Comment by Common sense Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 12:12 pm
Well except they are not enforcing that “consistent data standard” evenly. Work on your reading comprehension.
Comment by Captain Obvious Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 12:16 pm
Will also add Fox2 has Senator Crowe on the press release from Kern.
Comment by Bob_Loblaw Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 12:22 pm
this agenda based on science, is starting to crumble right before our eyes.
Comment by iggy Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 12:29 pm
I would think with not standardizing the State’s response to these regional changes and the way individual school districts were allowed to come up with their own plan,for the upcoming year, as commented yesterday, the Governor opens himself to the same criticisms he, and other Governors have been so vocal of the federal government about..
Comment by 618er Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 12:49 pm
That was a mistake. If anything he should have given Region 7 the same opportunity he’s giving Region 4. For all the politics talk that the gop has put out during this pandemic this actually seems spot on double standard.
Comment by Frank talks Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 12:49 pm
In a rational world, the Region 7 politicians would be thanking the Governor for keeping their constituents safer than those in Metro East. I guess the businesses they represent are more important than their residents’ lives.
Comment by Rasselas Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 12:50 pm
If I’m the Pritzker staff I just respond with that photo of Lasalle speedway. That sums up all you need to know why local officials were not consulted.
Comment by Almost the weekend Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 12:50 pm
GOP pols crying that the governor is placing partisan politics above science is so laughable. The GOP, with a sickening few GOP governors, has played the partisan politics game from the earliest stage of the pandemic. GOP pols in Ohio are now trying to impeach their GOP governor for actually following the science.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 12:53 pm
Oops, … with the exception of a sickening few …
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 12:54 pm
Jelly Bean’s credibility is eroding rather quickly. If you’re going to set a rule, make it the same for all. JB’s afraid to get tough just because Hoffman’s stomping his feet in the Metro-East while the numbers skyrocket…where’s the gubernatorial muscle?
Comment by Wylie Coyote Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 12:59 pm
As a former Metro East guy I can hear the politicians down there screaming “you said we have two weeks”. We are talking about Madison County for one who had Attorney Tom DeVore advising them on how to get around the Governor’s orders. I stay pretty close to the politics around that area and this is the most I’ve heard from some of the leaders down there.
From the business owners I know that aren’t in the hospitality business. They are getting pretty frustrated with the fear things are going back to being shutdown again. Plus a lot of people are going across the river to St. Louis and St. Charles on the weekends where as they say they can have some freedom. Even if they get sick I guess.
Comment by Club J Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 1:07 pm
Why does the public continue to go to indoor bars and restaurants in region 4 when the positivity rate is almost 10%?
Comment by pool boy Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 1:08 pm
* following the science. *
I get so sick of hearing that nonsense, as if the left had a monopoly on science. We all believe in the science (well, most of us), but feel that the risk is not great enough to warrant all of these restrictions. Thats what it boils down to for me.
Comment by Blue State Blues Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 1:40 pm
How can Pritzker justify excluding schools in regions 4 and 7 from the newest mitigations?! If Pritzker administration wants us to take everything seriously, why would he exclude the our children?
Comment by Southern Parent Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 2:21 pm
==We all believe in the science (well, most of us), but feel that the risk is not great enough to warrant all of these restrictions.==
If you believed the science, then you wouldn’t think these limitations were frivolous. It’s not just the 1% chance of death. This disease can irreparably damage the human body while clogging up hospitals leading to further injuries and deaths as people can’t get in to have non-COVID illness/injury treated.
Comment by Nuke the Whales Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 2:34 pm
== I get so sick of hearing that nonsense, as if the left had a monopoly on science.==
Not wanting the pandemic to spread makes a person “the left?” Who knew?
Comment by 17% Solution Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 2:39 pm
JB needs to stop with the waffling. Make a decision and stick with it. He was decisive at the beginning of this and, love them or hate them, folks knew what the rules were. He’s trying too hard to be a people pleaser.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 2:59 pm
Tough to make the right decision when your own team questions your decisions publicly. Especially when it goes against what you’ve been doing all along and were applauded as to how you really handled this issue.
Now you get your own folks starting to sound like the Bailey crowd at the beginning of this pandemic.
Comment by Frank talks Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 4:22 pm
* This disease can irreparably damage the human body *
Not proven
* clogging up hospitals *
Not happening - we’ve never even come close.
The virus is a risk like any other. I don’t want to die in a car or motorcycle accident, but I drive and ride, I’m overweight, but I still had pizza last night, I don’t want the virus, but if I catch it, my odds look pretty good.
Comment by Blue State Blues Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 4:39 pm
=== Not proven===
Go back on Facebook. The facts are victims of this disease, including an offensive lineman at Indiana with heart issues and blood issues due to the disease.
That’s one, one of many.
=== The virus is a risk like any other. I don’t want to die in a car or motorcycle accident, but I drive and ride===
Argue like an adult or go yell at the TV.
Your choices may hurt me, others, maybe someone you care about. Your examples don’t include a global pandemic where breathing or droplets will cause lifelong damage.
Please go be a Covidiot elsewhere if you have this need to seem intelligent by claiming ignorance.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 4:46 pm
I’m with OW - and I’m tired of people seemingly not caring when their actions are harming others. Is that who we are?
Comment by Lincoln Lad Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 5:48 pm
I give J.B. a bit of credit on the region 4 reprieve. He was told by a few mayors that with the proximity to St. Louis and county multiple businesses(many) are on life support.
Comment by Blue Dog Dem Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 7:19 pm
Also got a copy of the Post Dispatch that said St Louis county was making mask requirement stricter. Same as Illinois. Probably brought time but didn’t work.
The also closed the Eads bridge because of drag racing inn the empty downtown.
Comment by Not a Billionaire Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 7:57 pm
Senator Hastings is exactly right. Time to dial it back a notch.
Comment by Cadillac Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 9:18 pm