Workers need a plan. “There’s a law that allows the governor to call a special session,” Pritzker said. Then there’s the phase we’re in now, Phase 2 – the phase we entered into with the new May 1st modified Stay at Home Order. Friday, March 19, 2021. J.B. Pritzker. Now more than ever. Illinoisans created the first skyscraper and the John Deere tractor. It’s been a violent start to 2021 in Chicago, which has recorded 131 homicides in the first three months of the year. Pritzker holding daily update 3/30/2020 Spring Valley, New York: Firefighter missing and resident dead after fire at assisted-living center UPDATE: 3/24 - Livestream expected to start at 11:30 a.m. Central Time. The state of Illinois will open in five phases, according to a plan announced by Gov. IDPH will be tracking metrics here as well. Joshua Lott/Getty Small business owners need a plan. To see the latest updates from the state, click here. I’ve heard from Democrats and Republicans, mayors and members of our General Assembly and congressional delegation about what their constituents are telling them. When we talk about “what’s next,” we cannot forget those we have lost, and those we will lose in the days, and weeks, and months ahead. Gov. CHICAGO, IL — Governor J.B. Pritzker is providing an update on the coronavirus in Illinois. Husband and father. Let us know what you need to know! Gov. This is a very real and terrible enemy that has forever altered families here at home and across the nation. Let’s begin with Phase 1 – or where we were from early March to April 30, when Illinois moved to minimum essential operations to bend the curve, curtail the rapid spread of the virus, acquire necessary protective and healthcare equipment, and give us time to expand hospital capacity. WATCH LIVE: At 1:30 p.m. today Gov. Enforcement comes in many forms, and our first and best option is to rely on Illinoisans working together to see each other through this pandemic. Using the existing medical regional breakdown allows our public health professionals to manage and monitor capacity in an existing framework. All public gatherings of 10 people or fewer can now take place. Watch Live: IL Gov. CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Gov. So what’s next? 4/16/2021 5:56:54 PM The scientists learn more things about this virus every day, and we can and will make our Restore Illinois plan smarter as we move forward. JESSICA D'ONOFRIO: Well, Stacey, the governor will be here later on this morning. Many members of the General Assembly proposed a regional approach to reopening. WATCH NOW: Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Dr. Ngozi Ezike held a COVID-19 press briefing today as cases and hospitalizations in Illinois reach record highs. We’ve been reminded every day of the preciousness of our collective health. The governor's news conference is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. But this plan, as vetted and data-driven as it is, is a plan for responding to and recovering from a global pandemic in the 21st century. Now, a measure sitting on Gov. Limited child care and summer programs can operate with DPH guidance. The state of Illinois will open in five phases, according to a plan announced by Gov. Governor Pritzker tours the Carbondale Civic Center and discusses improving vaccine equity in Southern Illinois. Those are our grandparents, our loved ones, our friends. To be clear, these regions were not arbitrarily selected – these reflect the IDPH Emergency Medical Service regions that have existed for decades, the same regions that set parameters for ambulance drivers and hospital collaborations. Science and data are our overarching guardrails for how we move forward – and within those guardrails I’ve listened to people from across the state and the nation about what can be done to put us on a path toward normalcy. “Today, as we launch the newest phase of our Vaccine Administration Plan for frontline essential workers and those 65 and over, I’m proud to announce our statewide vaccination site locator, searchable by zip code and city, at coronavirus.illinois.gov,” said Governor JB Pritzker. We have named Phase 4 “Revitalization” because it is in this phase that everyone in Illinois will be rebuilding what school and work will look like for a while, until we reach the other side of this pandemic. I’ve asked non-profit organizations and school leaders and businesses for their best ideas. February 26 We are one Illinois, but we are also one Illinois made up of 60,000 square miles – and reality on the ground looks different in different areas of our state. I believe in the people of Illinois. 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. I’m not afraid to redesign the playbook if the rules change. A panel of FOX 32 viewers ranging from a variety of trades and backgrounds grade J.B. Pritzker's performance so far as governor and look ahead to the 2022 gubernatorial race. You remain a testament to the very best of humanity – by standing up for each other in the hardest of times. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is giving a COVID-19 update today at 10 a.m. You can watch it here or on his Facebook page. The region’s state parks can open. There is no modern day precedent for this – we are quite literally writing the playbook as we go. So moving forward with Restore Illinois, we are looking at the state as four regions, each of which can move through phases at different times: Northeast Illinois; North-Central Illinois; Central Illinois; and Southern Illinois. JB Pritzker Statement on Sam McCann Entering Governor’s Race. Public gatherings in Phase 4 will be limited to 50 people, although this limit is subject to change up or down depending upon what the science tells us at that time. 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. JB Pritzker said some regions across the state may be able to move back to Tier 2 mitigations as soon as Friday. Representative André Thapedi and other Black Caucus members requested we bring more medical professionals into the black community, which has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 – which we’ve worked to do by expanding the healthcare workforce with retirees and out-of-state workers. New hope … Read the governor's full plan below. Governor J.B. Pritzker proposed a nearly $41 million budget today in Springfield and discussed the financial future of Illinois. #allinillinois Pritzker announced today that the state of Illinois will be releasing $50 million in funding for the first round of matching grants of Connect Illinois, the state’s $420 million statewide broadband expansion. What all these things have in common is that they were the product of a people who have always believed it is possible to create a better future, to build a better tomorrow. And I won’t open the door to overwhelming our hospital system and potentially tens of thousands of additional deaths by exposing everyone to the virus today just because a loud but tiny minority would like to indulge in that fantasy. Pritzker is holding a press briefing in Champaign to discuss what K-12 students returning to the classroom could look like in Illinois. Health and fitness clubs can offer outdoor classes and one-on-one personal training – all in accordance with DPH safety guidance. So as we press forward, slowly and steadily – let’s embody the spirit of our nation’s greatest president, Abraham Lincoln, and the wisdom he offered the nation in the final days of his presidency: “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in…”. And I want to stress this point: Even as businesses reopen, employers should do everything in their power to provide remote accommodation for older and COVID-vulnerable employees. More specifically the metrics are: 1) A region must be at or under a 20 percent test positivity rate and increasing by no more than 10 percentage points over a 14-day period, AND 2) A region must have either not had an overall increase OR must have maintained overall stability in hospital admissions for COVID-like illness in the last 28 days, AND 3) A region must maintain the availability of a surge threshold of 14 percent availability of ICU beds, Medical and surgery beds, and ventilators. Illinois – over the past two months, you’ve dropped off groceries for our elderly neighbors, you’ve ordered meals from our family restaurants, you’ve raised funds for nonprofits, you’ve sewn face coverings for your communities, you’ve delivered educational packets to children, danced from your driveways, practiced your faith in new ways, cheered for our frontline heroes – you’ve been All In for Illinois. In Phase 4, a region would need to see continued declines in its positivity rate and hospitalizations and maintain surge capacity – and if so, restaurants, bars, spas, cinemas, theaters, retail and health and fitness clubs can open with new capacity limits and DPH approved safety guidance. Pritzker also addressed Monday's announcement about a COVID-19 vaccine and said the state is preparing for when it becomes available. The only way we can cross into Phase 5 – Illinois Restored, with all sectors of the economy running with completely normal operations – is with a vaccine, or a widely available and highly effective treatment, or with the elimination of any new cases over a sustained period. With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration releasing its analysis of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine ahead of the December 10th meeting, today I want to directly address those of you who may be hesitant to take a vaccine because you have questions about how quickly this came to be. Proudly serving as Illinois’ 43rd governor. I still believe that our strongest weapon against COVID-19 is one that this virus can never take away from us: the strength of the people who call Illinois home. I know we all have a passionate desire to return to the sense of normalcy we felt before the world knew of COVID-19. Since Pritzker’s press conference yesterday, California Gov. Changes to mitigation strategies in each phase will impact the data in each phase, so the assessment period begins when each new phase begins. On that note, I do want to touch on the enforcement of these phases. Many regional and municipal reopening approaches have been submitted to me – such as the West Central Illinois plan from Adams County Chairman Kent Snider and Quincy Mayor Kyle Moore, or the consultations I’ve had with Peoria’s House Democratic Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth and Mayor Jim Ardis – as well as the many great ideas I hear from my regular conversations with other key stakeholders like Brad Cole at the Illinois Municipal League. Telework, wherever possible, is strongly encouraged. And many of those ideas are in the Executive Order I issued last week, and many more are in the plan I present to you today. The first cell phone, the first zipper, the first dishwasher – all were invented here. In short: this data-driven plan follows the best epidemiological recommendations, but it’s also inspired by people across our state who carry real passion to make sure that their communities can begin thriving again even in the face of this pandemic. Pritzker will make an announcement on improving healthcare equity across Illinois Friday morning. While there’s no feasible way to talk to every single official in the state of Illinois, I have made it a priority to listen to, and read the plans submitted from a widely representative number of folks. And the people of our state have proven your mettle. CHICAGO —Governor JB Pritzker announced the easing of restrictions in three Illinois regions during a news conference Friday. It’s important to remember that we put this plan together not only because the state needs a plan, but because mayors need a plan. Here’s the truth – and I don’t like it any more than you do – 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. Moving backward is the last thing anyone wants to do, but if the virus begins to attack more people or the healthcare systems are heading toward becoming overwhelmed, swift action will need to be taken. Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady and his COVID-19 Caucus suggested using our EMS regions to shape a reopening plan – indeed that’s the structure of the plan I present today. With that very much in mind, I want to introduce you to our framework for moving forward: Restore Illinois is a public health plan to safely reintroduce the parts of our lives that have been put on hold in our fight against COVID-19. TINLEY PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- Governor JB Pritzker announced thousands of new COVID vaccine appointments will come to the Chicago area Monday with the state set to expand eligibility. I spent decades in business, so I understand the urge to try and flip the switch and reopen our entire economy. The three regions have moved into … Mayor Jim Langfelder of Springfield offered early support for a grab and-go pick-up policy at retail businesses – an option now available to these businesses under my May 1st executive order. The governor’s sobering warning came as the state announced its sixth straight day of more than 1,200 new COVID-19 cases — and a positivity rate that keeps creeping up. The questions we receive from you directly inform the stories we tell and what we investigate. We were the first state to ratify two of the most important amendments to the U.S. Constitution, one abolishing slavery and another granting women the right to vote. Pritzker gives an update on COVID-19 in Illinois, 2021 Paducah Dogwood Trail Celebration begins, A look back at Calloway County and Murray, Fire at Cape Girardeau church investigated as arson, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet begin construction on R-cut intersection to prevent crashes, Person of interest located in Wisconsin shooting that killed 3 people, injured 3 others, police say, Homeowner holds trespasser at gunpoint, two men arrested for burglary, County and city leaders pick up trash along highway after complaints, Martin, TN, shooting victim dies, suspect charged with murder, McCracken County sheriff says claims made against deputies regarding drug bust are false, Grand jury indicts Calloway County man accused of killing Murray State student, Fauci predicts J&J vaccine to come back to market with restrictions or warnings by Friday. “Governor Pritzker had a chance today to share his plan to cut government spending today. Restore Illinois operates with five phases, beginning with Phase 1 where we saw a state of “Rapid Spread” and needed to impose our original Stay at Home order, and ending with Phase 5 and a fully reopened economy in a post-COVID-19 world. And together – we will finish the work we have started. IDPH will watch the identified health metrics closely to determine when regions have attained them so each can move from Phase 2 to Phases 3 and 4. Under any circumstances, it would be phenomenally difficult to make the sacrifices that people have made in response to COVID-19 – but fighting an unseen enemy with no firm end date and no parameters requires amazing fortitude and stamina. Mayor Joe Judge of Mount Carmel was one of the earliest leaders to recommend the expansion of elective surgeries in regions where hospital capacity is available. Governor JB Pritzker, D-Illinois, put pen to paper on Friday to help stop the rising costs of insulin. 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