Chicago Officials Expand Quarantine Order For Visitors
CHICAGO (AP) — People traveling from Iowa and Oklahoma to Chicago will have to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival or face possible fines starting Friday. Chicago first issued a quarantine order early this month for 15 other states based on increasing numbers of confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The city updated the order Tuesday, bringing the total number of affected states to 17. States are included based on the rate of new confirmed cases per 100,000 residents. To comply, travelers must stay at a single home or other dwelling for 14 days except to seek medical care or be tested for COVID-19. The order also applies to city residents returning from a visit to a designated state. Chicago officials acknowledge there’s little way of enforcing the order. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the order can raise travelers’ awareness of “what their obligations are when they travel.” – Associated Press
Illinois Collects $52M In Taxes From Legal Pot Sales
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The state of Illinois has collected $52 million in taxes from legal adult-use marijuana sales. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office said Tuesday that $34.7 million is coming from excise taxes. Sales taxes that will be shared with local governments account for $18 million. Nearly $26 million in excise and sales taxes will be directed to the state’s general fund. More than $239 million in recreational marijuana has been sold in Illinois since Jan. 1 when it was legalized. – Associated Press
Gov. JB Pritzker ‘Won’t Hesitate’ To Enact Stricter COVID-19 Measures If Numbers Continue To Increase
Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker again threatened that he “won’t hesitate” to impose stricter measures on the residents and businesses of the state if the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to climb. Statewide, Illinois has seen a slight uptick in case numbers and the percentage of those who are tested being positive since entering Phase 4 of Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, which allowed for the reopening of indoor dining and bars. That uptick has come as states such as Florida, Texas, Arizona and California have seen an explosive growth in case numbers, forcing some to close down bars or require face coverings while in public. – Tony Arnold – WBEZ
More People Seeking Addiction Treatment, Rehab Centers In Illinois Say
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Illinois was already fighting a public health crisis – the opioid epidemic. Clinicians at two drug rehab centers said more patients have been admitted to their facility since the coronavirus pandemic. Mercedes Kent is the clinical supervisor of the Springfield outpatient department at Gateway Foundation – a drug and alcohol treatment center. Kent said due to the stay-at-home order, there might not be anyone there to call 911 or administer narcan to individuals who overdose. She explained how the pandemic could lead to more opioid overdoses. – Olivia Mitchell – WUIS
To Change Or Not To Change – ‘That Is The Question’
An Illinois coalition that advocates changing the state from a flat to a progressive income tax is highlighting public support for an amendment on the November ballot that would do just that. July 15th is the deadline for filing this year’s income taxes. The Vote Yes for Fair Tax group is using this week to remind people of the upcoming Fair Tax amendment. This includes voters from Rockford, DeKalb, Peoria, Springfield, Chicago and Metro East. – Yvonne Bose – WNIJ
