Blood drives have been considered an essential service in Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they’ve still seen a decline in donations since the pandemic began. Now, as elective surgeries return to full swing at hospitals, local blood centers are asking for more people to donate. The drop in blood donations initially corresponded with a…
SPRINGFIELD – The state announced Friday that the 2020 Illinois and Du Quoin State Fairs will be cancelled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Illinois joins Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin and other states in canceling the annual gathering of livestock displays, entertainment and food. The Department of Agriculture is arranging a virtual Junior Livestock Show…
The Illinois Department of Public Health has so far collected more than 1 million COVID-19 tests from testing sites across the state. Illinois Newsroom education reporter Lee Gaines spoke with Morning Edition host Brian Moline about what it was like to get tested at Champaign’s drive thru COVID-19 testing site. Lee Gaines: Well, I want…
Doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago announced Thursday they’ve performed the first successful double-lung transplant on a COVID-19 patient in the United States. The woman in her 20s was otherwise healthy but developed a severe case of COVID-19 that resulted in hospitalization, says Dr. Ankit Bharat, Northwestern’s chief of thoracic surgery. For two months,…
URBANA – The union for graduate student workers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign wants most instruction to stay online through the fall semester — as a precaution against the coronavirus. U of I officials released a report last week produced by a university-appointed task force that outlines possible scenarios for the fall semester,…
URBANA – Exposure to severe, chronic stress affects children’s growth and development. But while some children seem to be damaged by early adversity, others are able to thrive. Following a screening of the film “Broken Places” on WILL-TV on Monday, Illinois Newsroom spoke with a panel of local experts about how supportive relationships early in…
SPRINGFIELD – In the months after the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools in Illinois to be closed, calls to the state’s child abuse and neglect hotline dropped significantly. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said in a statement June 1 that calls to report suspected abuse and neglect are down by 57% compared to…
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…
Even without a global pandemic, dentistry is inherently riskier than many other medical professions. That’s because dentists and hygienists spend a lot of time inches away from wide-open mouths, conducting procedures known to generate aerosols — tiny droplets that can linger in the air and carry viruses. So when dental hygienist Jeanne Bosecker started back…
CHAMPAIGN – Park district walking paths and trails have remained open through Illinois’ stay-at-home order, and some have reopened pavilions for rentals and outdoor tennis courts since the state entered Phase Three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan. But for the time being, playgrounds will remain closed. Julie Pryde, administrator of the Champaign-Urbana Public…
As the state of Illinois begins allowing outdoor dining at restaurants Friday, cities are issuing guidance on how restaurants can expand their available outdoor seating. Rob Kowalski, Assistant Planning and Development Director for the City of Champaign, says officials had just a few days to write their guidelines, after Governor J.B. Pritzker announced late last…
CHAMPAIGN – As certain businesses reopen and people begin socializing in small groups during Phase Three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, local public health officials say they’re expecting to see additional COVID-19 outbreaks occur. “We are definitely going to see more cases,” says C-U Public Health Administrator Julie Pryde. “That is the nature…
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify the Campus Faculty Association’s role at the University of Illinois. A previous version of this article described the group as a labor union. It is not. The CFA is an advocacy group. URBANA – As University of Illinois officials deliberate over how to reopen the Urbana…
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 7:54 p.m. on May 26 to include comments from the Illinois Department of Corrections. An amended lawsuit filed against Rob Jeffreys, director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week claims that the state’s prison system has failed to protect medically vulnerable prisoners from…
URBANA — The observance of Memorial Day is happening in Illinois this year with far fewer ceremonies than usual. The coronavirus outbreak has put a damper on all public gatherings — including those held to remember military personnel and veterans who have died. Veterans groups in Mattoon and Georgetown are among those holding Memorial Day ceremonies…