Wednesday November 25, 2020
Today’s headlines:
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One in four people hospitalized in Illinois are COVID-19 patients –even as the rate of COVID diagnosis has slowed down in the last two weeks.
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Champaign Unit 4 Schools distributed nearly 500 Thanksgiving meals to families this week.
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Hospitals in central Illinois are exploring ways to increase capacity to care for an increasing number of COVID patients.
In today’s deep dive, health reporter Christine Herman continues her check-ins with area hospitals amid the continued rise in COVID-19 cases. She talks with Dr. Jared Rogers with OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana.
217 Today is produced by Olivia Butts and hosted by Brian Moline. Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel, Lee Gaines, and Christine Herman.
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Today’s headlines:
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As the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Illinois continues to climb, the state health department is changing how it defines hospital capacity.
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The average cost of all the ingredients for a classic Thanksgiving meal is the lowest it’s been in a decade, despite the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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In east-central Illinois, hospitals are filling up with COVID-19 patients as rates of community transmission continue to rise.
In today’s deep dive, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Illinois Department of Public Health warn this Thanksgiving could become a super-spreader COVID-19 event if the proper precautions aren’t taken. We learn more about those precautions from Tim Shelley.
217 Today is produced by Olivia Butts and hosted by Brian Moline. Reporting today contributed by Mary Hansen, Dana Cronin, Christine Herman, and Tim Shelley.
Monday November 23, 2020
Today’s headlines:
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The state of Illinois reported just over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, and the number of hospitalizations fell slightly to just over 6,000. Officials reported 76 additional deaths.
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Criminal defendants in Cook County saved more than 31 million dollars over a six-month period after cash bail was no longer required in most felony cases.
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Champaign County has passed 10,000 total COVID-19 cases after reporting 194 new cases yesterday and one additional death. Forty-six Champaign County residents have now died of COVID-19.
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Illinois food banks are gearing up for the incoming cold weather and the holiday season.
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The University of Illinois reported 12 new COVID-19 cases on its Urbana campus from tests conducted on Saturday. There have been nearly 3,900 confirmed cases on campus since students returned in August.
In today’s deep dive, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, ethanol producers feared what mass quarantines would do to their bottom lines. About half of U.S. plants shuttered their doors. Most plants have reopened, but some are questioning if the industry should go back to business as usual.
217 Today is produced by Olivia Butts and hosted by Brian Moline. Reporting today contributed by Dave McKinney, Maureen McKinney, Dana Cronin, and Christina Stella.
