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* HuffPo…
In one of the most aggressive actions taken to confront the looming crisis, Philadelphia officials on Monday ordered a ban on “indoor gatherings of any size in any location, public or private,” except among individuals who live together. […]
In neighboring New Jersey, one of the hardest-hit states in the early phase of the pandemic, Governor Phil Murphy said he was ordering indoor gatherings of individuals from different households to limit to 10 people, down from 25, while the mandatory cap on outdoor gatherings will be lowered next week to 150 from 500. […]
Under Newsom’s announcement, [California’s] commercial and social restrictions will be tightened starting Tuesday in 40 of the state’s 58 counties, covering the vast majority of its 40 million residents.
The crackdown means no indoor service in bars and restaurants and more restrictions on many other businesses and public gatherings. California is also strengthening its face covering guidance to require individuals to wear a mask whenever outside their home, with limited exceptions, Newsom said.
In Ohio, where daily case tallies have increased by 17% and total hospitalizations by at least 25% in the past week, the state’s health department issued a revised order to limit mass gatherings starting on Tuesday, Governor Mike DeWine announced.
I’ve often noted that Gov. Pritzker has never been the first one to take shutdown actions, going back to March.
* The Question: Do you think that now is the time for Gov. Pritzker to impose additional mitigations statewide? If so, what would you have him do? If not, why not?
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:02 pm
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Previous Post: 12,601 new confirmed and probable cases, 97 additional deaths, 5,887 hospitalized, 1,158 in ICU, 12.5 percent case positivity rate, 14.5 percent test positivity rate
Next Post: Another day, another loss for Tom DeVore
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Look at other states. pick a middle ground.
Comment by Gravy Bond Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:06 pm
The Governor knows what to do…if politics be damned.
Comment by Dotnonymous Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:06 pm
Mandate working from home for any jobs where it’s possible and implement a work from home tax to capture revenue lost from the fuel tax. Save lives and save the state.
Comment by Jeff S. Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:08 pm
I’ve deleted two trolls already. Kinda busy today, so stick to the topic at hand or I’ll ban you for life.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:11 pm
Yes.
California is hitting the “emergency break” and Oregon is doing a “freeze.” It’s life or death and there’s no liberty in death.
https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/11/16/california-pulls-emergency-brake-in-bid-to-stop-unprecedented-virus-surge-9424725
https://www.opb.org/article/2020/11/13/oregon-governor-kate-brown-covid-19-restrictions/
Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:12 pm
Yes. I was waiting for California or New York to announce another stay-at-home given population size and state politics. That still hasn’t happened. The Gov needs to pick a lane though either go full throttle on preserving hospital beds or keeping the economy open. The current measures don’t preserve either.
Comment by 1st Ward Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:13 pm
He probably should have a few weeks ago…but enough people won’t follow the mandates at this point so they’re likely toothless anyway. This is why we cant have nice things.
Comment by Cheap Seats Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:14 pm
He can try. But it won’t have nearly the intended effect. He’s damaged his own messaging pretty badly.
Comment by Anon y mouse Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:15 pm
I think he definitely needs to. There are plenty of places who have the ability to have employees work from home but are not doing so because it isn’t mandated (and therefore doesn’t fit the business model they have).
Comment by ktkat1 Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:15 pm
Jeff- anyone working from anywhere residing in Illinois already pays income tax. Is your proposed work from home tax in addition. 2 questions 1 how would you enforce it and 2 are you really that out of touch
Comment by Sue Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:17 pm
“Governor Pritzker, you have said that you are considering a stay-at-home order and that your decisions will continue to be based on science. If a stay-at-home order were implemented now, how long do the State’s models predict it will take to return to an 8% positivity rate, and how many deaths are predicted until that time?”
Comment by GC Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:17 pm
We need to do something, yes. We are *thisclose* to going to Tier 3 in some areas, which would close down retailers during the Christmas shopping season. I can’t imagine ANY of those small businesses surviving if that happens.
Comment by Wendy P Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:17 pm
Keep monitoring the regions and adjusting Tier levels. Once the individuals in a region begin to follow mitigations it takes time for the data to improve.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:18 pm
Not moving the goal posts unless absolutely necessary would help credibility. I would stick to the plan as much as possible, move regions 1, 5, 7 and 8 to Tier 3 and move the rest to Tier 2 with the expectation that they go to Tier 3 on schedule absent some miracle reversal. either that or move every region to Tier 3 but preserving the regions so we can at least TRY to improve things at the local/county/regional level.
Comment by Downstate hick Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:18 pm
I think the Governor needs to find a way to enforce mandates. Can he deputize people?
Words aren’t working. Stronger words won’t help
Comment by Last Bull Moose Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:18 pm
I would have all schools do remote learning until MLK day. That way over thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years when families will get together, there will be at least two weeks after New Year’s Day before kids come back to school so we should cove the spread in that area. It may not be a bad idea to that with non essential workers also as long as Federal money could help states and businesses out . By that time hopefully a vaccine will be approved and we can get the curve down.
Comment by Just an idea Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:20 pm
As Cheap Seats said, so many people just defy any mitigation efforts it’s really difficult to suggest what Pritzker should do. Especially with the state’s Republicans automatically criticizing every step Pritzker takes, just for sport.
Comment by Curious citizen Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:20 pm
Yes. He needs a lock down with significant enforcement immediately. I’m talking if people who are supposed to enforcement refuse they are charged with criminal neglegence(no governmental immunity on endangering public through neglegence).
The majority of the fines should go towards police budgets and public health practices to get us out of the pandemic.
Once we get out of pandemic there will need to be significant money available to restart businesses.
But as of right now the state needs to close harder than it ever did before.
Comment by The Dude Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:22 pm
Sue, it would be deducted from your paycheck or it could be the employers responsibility to pay. I’ll get back with you later on the second question.
Comment by Jeff S. Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:22 pm
Already starting to happen. Courts are starting to shut down in-person hearings, w rumors of some type of partial shutdown in the Circuit Court of Cook County. IL-DOC also may be stopping county-jail transfers. fwiw.
Comment by Ares Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:25 pm
I feel like 10 people gathered at a house party and 150 gathered outdoors is still a lot…
Comment by LakeCo Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:30 pm
>Keep monitoring the regions and adjusting Tier levels.
Agree. He has a plan that’s been public for some time with clear criteria.
Comment by Earnest Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:37 pm
Wasn’t he the first guv to shutdown indoor dining amid the second wave?
Comment by Tawk Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:38 pm
Sounds like casinos and video gaming will be shut down
Comment by Stu Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:43 pm
I think moving all K-12 schools and college/ university to remote learning until Mid January, moving all jobs possible back to remote/ work from home would help reduce the spread of the disease and give the vaccine a chance to begin its rollout. I’m very concerned about our hospitals and their staff being able to manage the coming surge of patients.
Comment by Moderate Mom Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:44 pm
Putting statewide restrictions in place would ensure we’re all in this together, but there is such divisiveness these days I don’t know that it would matter. JB has an incredibly difficult task in trying to keep people safe while trying not to decimate the economy even more. The vaccines can’t get here fast enough.
Comment by SSL Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 1:56 pm
“it’s really difficult to suggest what Pritzker should do. Especially with the state’s Republicans automatically criticizing every step Pritzker takes, just for sport.”
If the super-minority ILGOP is renting space (maybe rent-free) in Pritzker’s head we don’t have much of a Gov or leader. Criticism and defiance is the only power the ILGOP has in the state. This is simply politics to remind the suburbs and downstate the ILGOP has a beating heart.
Comment by 1st Ward Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 2:01 pm
It’s past time, in my opinion, for the Governor to impose additional mitigations statewide.
But that’s also easy for me to say, since I’m not the governor and wouldn’t face the backlash he would.
Comment by thunderspirit Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 2:02 pm
I think I was on record back in October in saying that he should’ve done it then, so yes, I do believe now is the time - better late than never.
Rumors sure are flying this week. I’ve heard variously that it will happen today, tomorrow, or by the end of the week. Based on sourcing, I know which I’d bet on if forced, but I still wouldn’t bet on it.
Seems like the right time with other Governors making news this week about restrictions.
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 2:04 pm
I think stricter facemask requirements make sense. I do not think more blanket bans are the answer though.
Comment by Boone's is Back Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 2:04 pm
Decatur City Council passed a mask ordinance last night 5-2; effective immediately, fines can be assessed to either the business or the maskless individual
Comment by What Do We Do Next Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 2:04 pm
Does anyone think it’s going to get better the week after Thanksgiving? If not, then shut it down and hope you can reopen by Christmas.
=If a stay-at-home order were implemented now, how long do the State’s models predict it will take to return to an 8% positivity rate, and how many deaths are predicted until that time?”=
This. Everyone is ready to jam the “how many deaths” question at everyone who disagrees with the gov. He’s keeping the state more-open now than last spring when the numbers weren’t as bad. So to everyone voting no, how many deaths are you going to accept?
Comment by phenom_Anon Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 2:05 pm
To the folks hoping for school in January, probably best to put on some reality glasses. All the gatherings that docs are worried about for Thanksgiving will probably be replicated at Christmas and perhaps be larger in scope. After that, it’s about two weeks before the increased infections surge and two weeks after that is when hospitalizations surge. It’s more likely that we’ll have a peak in late January/early February than it is for kids across the state to be in schools
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 2:07 pm
Strange way to incentivize working from home.
Taxing it and making it more expensive to do so.
What would the enforcement mechanism be?
Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 2:10 pm
Imposing more mitigations won’t help if the current ones are not enforced.
Local law enforcement and mayors don’t seem to want to enforce the Governor’s restrictions. Whether they don’t want to make hard feelings locally, whether it’s a protest against a Democrat governor, or whether they don’t have the manpower, I don’t know.
When half or a third of the population still refuse to wear a mask, further mitigations seem kind of pointless.
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 2:11 pm
=To the folks hoping for school in January, probably best to put on some reality glasses. All the gatherings that docs are worried about for Thanksgiving will probably be replicated at Christmas and perhaps be larger in scope.=
Valentines Day is circled on my 2021 calendar. Not much better until then for all the reasons you laid out.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 2:17 pm
=== Gov. Pritzker has never been the first ===
That’s some leadership statement.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest drinking night of the year. Thanksgiving is the largest private gathering day of the year. The Friday after Thanksgiving is the busiest retail day of the year. If the governor fails to intervene in unequivocal terms, there will be a lot of deaths around Christmas because of that decision.
It is the Pandemic Trifecta.
Comment by Thomas Paine Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 2:22 pm
Unfortunately the Governor can’t administer all levels of government across the State of Illinois, and he shouldn’t try because he’ll fail. The locals have to step up.
Slightly off topic: The Governor should find a different ambassador/spokesperson to ask people to change their behavior. People are directing their anger at him and refusing to listen to whatever he says.
Comment by Just Me 2 Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 2:23 pm
I think he should stick to his Tier plan. Most regions should move to Tier 2 and some to Tier 3. Tier 3 is basically a stay at order. And it gives the Governor the ability to point at the locals own actions when they come crying to him.
Comment by DuPage Guy Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 2:24 pm
The work from home tax was actually proposed by a German economist recently. The reason being that working from home exempts the person from buying coffee, food, drinks, cleaning, new clothes (from local stores especialy near work places) etc. which affects other people’s livelihoods and also they are not paying for roads since they are not using gas. I don’t like it but it makes some degree of sense.
Comment by cermak_rd Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 4:08 pm
Mitigations are useless unless there’s enforcement. Bars and restaurants are staying open.
Comment by Car 54 where are you? Tuesday, Nov 17, 20 @ 10:45 pm