IDPH Preps For Expected Initial 400,000 Doses Of Vaccine
After Pfizer submitted its application for a COVID-19 vaccine to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week, Illinois public health officials have…
As COVID-19 Cases Rise In Macon County, Officials Urge Residents To Take Precautions
DECATUR – Half all Illinois counties are now considered at a warning level for the coronavirus, according to the state’s public health department. Macon County, in central Illinois, is among them. In the county of just over 100,000 people, 52 residents have died from the virus, and there are now more than a thousand active […]
Champaign Unit 4 Elementary Students Can Return To In-Person Instruction
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign Unit 4 elementary school students will have the option to return to some in-person instruction at the end of this month. Unit 4 officials unveiled plans this week to bring students back into classrooms for shortened school days. The first day of in-person instruction is scheduled for Oct. 27. Parents can still […]
‘A High Degree Of Suffering In Silence’: Opioid Overdoses On The Rise In Illinois
SPRINGFIELD – Opioid overdoses are on the rise in Illinois, according to state health officials. The year 2019 saw a 22% increase in opioid-related emergency room visits compared to the prior year — and a 3% increase in overdose deaths, from 2,167 in 2018 to 2,233 in 2019. Preliminary data for the first half of […]
Pritzker Issues Halloween Guidance, Says No To Exempting Counties From Regional Mitigations
The state announced Halloween COVID-19 guidance encouraging social distancing while trick-or-treating, and the governor took questions in a virtual news…
Bayer’s Rejection Of Quick COVID-19 Testing Resulted In Delayed Isolation For Migrant Workers, Officials Say
RANTOUL – At least eight migrant workers who were infected with COVID-19 waited several days before isolating because the company they worked for, Bayer, declined to pay for expedited tests, Champaign County health officials said. The company’s rejection came after its occupational health team had agreed to pay about $5,000 in quick testing for about […]
News Around Illinois – August 21, 2020
Illinois Reports 1,832 COVID-19 Cases And 27 Deaths SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 1,832 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 27 deaths. The number of confirmed cases on Thursday come from the state conducting 51,612 tests in the previous 24 hours. The state now has reported 213,721 cases and 7,833 fatalities. […]
State Officials: Mask Mandate Enforcement Necessary To Curb Uptick In COVID-19 Cases
CHICAGO – As the number of COVID-19 cases trends upwards in Illinois, state officials want to see better enforcement of mask-wearing and other public health guidance. The average daily number of new COVID-19 cases in the state is up 31% compared to two weeks ago. The seven-day positivity rate stands at 4.1% Dr. Ngozi Ezike, […]
U Of I Scientists Use COVID-19 Data To Make Predictions, Inform Action For Campus, State
CHAMPAIGN – Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have been analyzing COVID-19 data to help the state — and campus — make decisions throughout the pandemic. Nigel Goldenfeld, professor of physics, and Sergei Maslov, professor of bioengineering and physics, spoke at a live-streamed COVID-19 briefing Thursday. Goldenfeld said that at the start of […]
Health Experts: Masks, Distancing Key To Preventing COVID-19 Outbreaks In Schools
As schools across Illinois finalize their plans to reopen this fall, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is urging students, teachers and school staff members to wear masks at all times and stay at least six feet apart. The C-UPHD recently released guidelines and recommendations for schools and families as they prepare to begin the next […]
Champaign Unit 4 Schools To Prioritize In-Person Teaching For The Most Vulnerable Students This Fall
CHAMPAIGN – The Champaign Unit 4 School District is changing their reopening plans for this fall. At a meeting this week, the district’s Board of Education asked school administrators to target special education, emergent bilingual learners and other vulnerable students for in-person instruction — with everyone else beginning the school year virtually. The district released […]
New Guidelines For High School Sports Amid COVID-19 Released
CHAMPAIGN – On Friday, the Illinois High School Association released guidelines for allowing student athletes to practice and play. It comes as the Illinois Department of Public Health announced the number of confirmed coronavirus cases grew to 145,750 including 7,005 deaths. Here are a few of the Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines: Schools must […]
News Around Illinois – June 9, 2020
Remnants of Cristobal Will Bring Winds And Heavy Rains To Illinois Tropical Storm Cristobal could soon renew its strength by merging with another storm system to form a large cyclone. After drenching much of the South, forecasters now expect the storm to bring fierce winds and heavy rain to much of the Midwest by Tuesday. […]
News Around Illinois – June 5, 2020
Fire Chief Apologizes For Sharing Post On Shooting Looters LINCOLN — The fire chief of the central Illinois city of Lincoln is apologizing for sharing a social media post asserting supporters of President Donald Trump would blow the heads off looters. Chief Bob Dunovsky said Thursday the decision to share the Facebook post was made […]
Illinois Health Officials: Protesters Should Get Tested For COVID-19
CHAMPAIGN – Health officials say anyone who’s been out to a rally, protest or other mass gathering should get tested for COVID-19. Champaign-Urbana Public Health Administrator Julie Pryde says anyone experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 should get tested right away. Otherwise, she says it’s best to get tested five to seven days after possible exposure […]