AD

East Central Illinois Region

Sources: Illinois Region 3 shutdown coming Sunday

todayOctober 29, 2020 1

share close
AD
AD

CHICAGO (The Center Square) – Region 3 of Illinois under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 reopening plan will be joining most of the state with increased restrictions on bars and restaurants.

Several sources confirm the mitigation measures prohibiting bars and restaurants from having indoor service would start Sunday morning at 12:01 a.m. Region 3 includes Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Christian, Greene, Hancock, Jersey, Logan, Macoupin, Mason, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, and Scott counties.

West-central Illinois lawmakers and mayors gave Ezike an ear full

Several sources say Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike got an ear full from lawmakers and mayors on the call Thursday morning. The official announcement has yet to be released.

“[Ezike] admitted today that the only thing they can trace outbreaks to is universities and social gatherings, but restaurants and bars are going to be closed,” said state Rep. Mike Murphy, R-Springfield. “But they can not prove there to be a direct correlation [of outbreaks] to restaurants and bars.”

He was told the data would be released in a week despite his repeated requests for weeks for the information justifying such actions.

“It’s just a theory, the theory might make sense but they’ve been talking about using the science and now they’re not using that and we’re just going by a gut reaction,” he said.

Illinois DPH didn’t make available critical data that Pritzker used internally

He was critical data wasn’t available to the public but was being used internally by the Pritzker administration.

“I’m very disturbed that they’re saying we’re using science e but they won’t show us the science,” Murphy said.

Under the governor’s unilateral plan, a region of the state gets stricter mitigation measures when the region’s COVID-19 positivity rate, the number of positive cases per total tests taken, is above 8 percent for three days. There are eleven regions of the state and most have increased positivity rates above 8 percent.

The first tier of mitigations prohibits indoor service at bars and restaurants and also limits gatherings to 25 or fewer. Masking and other social distancing regulations are also in place. The mitigations do not include schools.

A region can have mitigation measures relaxed if the COVID-19 positivity rate goes below 6.5 percent for three days.

Reporting by Greg Bishop

b485219a874ca95e0dcb924b037f078a?s=150&d=mp&r=g
Website | + posts

The Center Square -- formerly known as Watchdog.org and the Illinois News Network -- and their reporters represent 18 states across the United States as the taxpayers' watchdog, exposing the way government really works.


Discover more from Heartland Newsfeed

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Written by: The Center Square

Rate it

Post comments (0)


hmgcil newfooter November2024

REVOLUTION RADIO PREVIOUS SONGS

Listen on Online Radio Box! Revolution RadioRevolution Radio

DEADLINES & PUBLICATION INFORMATION

Daily deadlines
News and sports submissions
: 11 p.m. Central
Advertising, legals, obituaries: 5 p.m. Central

Monday-Friday deadlines
Other business inquiries: 5 p.m. Central

Publication times
Late breaking news as it happens
Normal publication:
11 p.m. Central daily
Other news:
Published as it’s made available

LIVE TRAFFIC COUNTER

ADVERTISEMENT

AD
AD
AD
AD
0%