COVID-19 Cases In U.S. Could Reach 20 Million By January, Wash U Researchers Report
ST. LOUIS — At least 13.6 million Americans have caught the coronavirus this year — more people than the entire populations of Michigan and Iowa combined. The U.S. is averaging about 1,500 COVID-19 deaths per day, or about one death per minute. But the situation likely will get much worse this winter, based on new […]
COVID Causes Health Care Logjam As Hospital Stays Increase
COVID-19 has created a health care logjam as new cases rise, but hospitals aren’t the only ones strained for space and staffing.
Today Is Deadline For Illinois Cities To Apply For Federal Aid
SPRINGFIELD — Hundreds of Illinois cities are eligible to apply for federal relief from the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration says. Local government officials have until Dec. 1 to to submit applications. Local CURE funds were approved in the congressional relief package last spring. Public health and public safety spending, COVID-19 testing and contact […]
Lawmakers Seek Additional Hearings into LaSalle Veterans’ Home Outbreak
Republican lawmakers on Monday renewed calls for a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing into the cause of a coronavirus outbreak at the state-run…
Despite Positive Signs, Pritzker Warns of Another COVID-19 Surge
Despite some slight improvement in key public health metrics over the past week, Gov. JB Pritzker said he has no immediate plans to roll back COVID-19…
217 Today — Dec. 2, 2020
Wednesday December 2, 2020 Today’s headlines: Illinois has planned for how it will distribute a COVID-19 vaccine. But there could be changes as the process moves along. The Flash Index stalled in November, interrupting five months of slow recovery from a steep drop caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the […]
New Virus Cases Drop For Third Day In Illinois
SPRINGFIELD — New cases of coronavirus illness in Illinois dropped Monday for the third day in a row, but officials fear the fallout from Thanksgiving travel and family gatherings will push the numbers back up. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, said there will be no change in current restrictions on social interaction for several weeks. […]
Food Insecurity Disproportionately Affects Certain Regions, U Of I Study Shows
URBANA – Before the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of food insecurity were lower than they had been in more than two decades, according to hunger relief nonprofit Feeding America. Now that trend is reversing, and millions more Americans are facing hunger this year due to loss of employment and reduced access to school meals. Feeding America […]
Rural Hospitals In Illinois Face Staffing, Transfer Problems As COVID-19 Surges
As hospitalizations due to COVID-19 remain at record levels, hospitals that serve small towns and rural areas in Illinois are facing unique challenges.
Champaign’s Parade Of Lights Goes Virtual & Miniature
Champaign’s 20th annual Parade of Lights went before the public for the first time, Saturday evening. But instead of a procession on downtown streets, the parade features miniature floats on your computer screen. (Watch the parade at this link). The virtual “shoebox edition” of the parade was created due to COVID-19 precautions, which have led […]
More People Are Dying During The Pandemic — And Not Just From COVID, U Of I Researchers Find
URBANA – During the first three months of the pandemic, the number of U.S. adults dying increased compared to previous years, according to a recent study led by University of Illinois researchers involving data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The statistically significant increase in deaths remained even after deaths attributed to […]
Pritzker’s Daily COVID-19 Briefing Full Transcript And Audio — Nov. 25, 2020
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Dr. Ngozi Ezike are holding daily COVID-19 press briefings as cases and hospitalizations in Illinois reach record highs. Read and listen to the latest update from the governor’s office on new cases, phased re-opening and closings of different regions and the state’s ongoing pandemic response. You can watch the most recent […]
U Of I Officials: Urbana Students Cannot Get Tested For COVID-19 At UIC Or UIS
URBANA — Coronavirus testing sites at the University of Illinois’ Chicago and Springfield campuses will not be available to students who are enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, according to U of I spokeswoman Robin Kaler. Recent social media posts from U of I students suggest that some were under the impression that […]
University Building Monitoring For COVID-19 Lax After Hiring Shortfall
URBANA — To get into University of Illinois buildings, students and employees are supposed to show an app saying that they’ve had a recent, clean COVID-19 test. Nearly one-third of the time, however, there’s no one at the door to check their status. This is the finding of a group of University of Illinois student […]
Illinois Hospitals Face Ethical Questions: ‘If Everybody’s At Capacity, What Do You Do Then?’
URBANA – Across Illinois’ Region 6, which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois, hospitals have less than 30% capacity remaining in their medical-surgical and intensive care units, local health officials reported this week. Hospitals are filling up with COVID-19 patients as rates of community transmission rise throughout the region, says Champaign-Urbana Public Health Administrator Julie […]