I'm putting this here for myself. It's about what the Governor of Illinois, J. B. Pritzker, said about the reopening of the state’s economy. I live in Henry County, Illinois.

The Prairie News

Pritzker says reopening could take up to a year.

By Peter Hancock

Capitol News Illinois

Gov. JB Pritzker unveiled a plan Tuesday for the gradual reopening of the state’s economy on a region-by-region basis, but he suggested it could take several months or even a year before the state fully reopens.

“Until we have a vaccine or an effective treatment or enough widespread immunity that new cases fail to materialize, the option of returning to normalcy doesn’t exist,” Pritzker said during his daily briefing in Chicago. “That means we have to learn how to live with COVID-19 until it can be vanquished.”

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 2,122 new cases of COVID-19 and 176 additional virus-related deaths over the previous 24 hours. That represented a sharp increase in daily deaths compared to Monday when only 46 deaths were announced. There were 13,139 tests results reported during that span.

That brings the statewide total for Illinois to 65,962 confirmed cases and 2,838 virus-related deaths since the pandemic first appeared in Illinois.

Locally, Stark County still had one confirmed case as of Tuesday, while Henry County was at 55 cases – 13 of those cases connected to a cluster outbreak stemming from the Tyson Plant in Joslin.

Pritzker outlined the “Restore Illinois” plan that divides the state into four regions and lays out the criteria for each one to move through five stages of reopening.

The first phase, known as the “Rapid Spread”, is what Illinois was in from mid-March through the end of April.

Beginning May 1, Illinois moved into the second phase, “Flattening,” in which the rate of infection and the number of patients admitted to hospital and ICU beds increases at a slower rate. Residents are directed to wear face coverings outside the home and outdoor activities like golf, boating and fishing are allowed while observing social distancing guidelines.

Once a region’s infection rates and hospital usage begins to stabilize or decline, it can enter the third phase, “Recovery,” in which face coverings and social distancing are still the norm. Manufacturing, offices, retail, barbershops and salons may reopen to the public, provided they comply with capacity limits and other safety precautions mandated by IDPH. People will also be allowed to gather in public in groups of 10 or fewer. Once a region reaches the point when 20 percent or fewer of people tested are positive for the disease and the hospitalization rate remains stable or declines over 28 days, it can enter the fourth phase, “Revitalization,” in which public gatherings of up to 50 people are allowed, bars and restaurants reopen, travel resumes and child care and schools reopen under guidance from IDPH. Face coverings and social distancing will remain the norm.

The earliest that could happen for any region would be May 29, Pritzker said.

To be cleared for that phase, regions also must demonstrate that testing is available for anyone and that contact-tracing can be done within 24 hours on at least 90 percent of patients who test positive.

The final phase, “Illinois Restored,” will occur only when a vaccine or highly effective treatment is widely available, or there are no new cases reported over a period.

“It brings me no joy to say this, but based on what the experts tell us and everything we know about this virus and how easily it spreads in a crowd, large conventions, festivals and other major events will be on hold until we reach Phase 5,” Pritzker said.

Pritzker also said the General Assembly might begin meeting before the end of May to address critical issues, including the state budget.

“This is a big state and representatives come from all over the state, hours away, so it may be very difficult to do a lot during the month of May, and certainly while we’re in a stay-athome order and need to remain in this order,” he said.

According to the latest revenue reports, lawmakers might have a bigger budget hole to fill when they return than was initially feared.

The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, or CoGFA, reported that base revenues in April came in $2.6 billion lower than the same month last year, largely because the state pushed the income tax filing deadline from April 15 to July 15. CoGFA also reported that total revenues so far this year are now $1 billion below last year.

In mid-April, Pritzker said Illinois would likely come up $2.7 billion short in the current fiscal year, and $6.2 billion short in the fiscal year that begins July 1. Those were based on estimates from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, which works closely with CoGFA.

Asked when he plans to release concrete details, Pritzker said he is working with members of the General Assembly.

“This is clearly the most unusual budget that anybody will have ever seen, because who has ever seen – at least in our lifetimes – the drop-off of revenue because of a pandemic?” he said.