Click here for resources & more stories from the Coronavirus Info Center. CHAMPAIGN – On Sunday afternoon, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District announced the first case of COVID-19 in Champaign County. Health officials said the patient is a woman in her 50’s. She is in home isolation and recovering. On Saturday, the number of Illinois
COLES COUNTY – A patient has tested positive for COVID-19 in central Illinois, with at least one other case reported but not yet confirmed by state officials. Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System in Mattoon is confirming a positive test of an individual who came to the emergency room. “We knew in advance this person was
Update: This story was updated at 1:35 p.m. Friday, March 13, 2020 to state that the Illinois Department of Corrections is not currently testing individuals in the prison system for COVID-19. URBANA – A group of educators who work inside Illinois’ prison system are urging Gov. J.B. Pritzker to release elderly and sick inmates from
Champaign Mayor Declares Emergency, Ebert Fest Canceled CHAMPAIGN – On Thursday, Champaign mayor Deborah Frank Feinen issued an Executive Order related to the COVID-19 virus. The action will give the city increased flexibility to operate during emergency operations. On Friday, the city council will hold a special emergency meeting to consider passing an ordinance related
Illinois Colleges Suspend In-Person Classes Due To COVID-19 CHICAGO — Illinois, DePaul, Northwestern and Illinois State universities have decided to suspend in-person classes due to coronavirus fears. The schools on Wednesday joined colleges and universities around the U.S. that have announced a halt to face-to-face instruction. None of the universities are reporting cases of COVID-19
URBANA – The University of Illinois System said on Wednesday night that courses will “immediately” migrate from in-person to online to help limit transmission of the coronavirus. [perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Click here for more stories & resources from the Coronavirus Information Center[/perfectpullquote] In a memo to all students, faculty and staff,
Lawmakers Pushing For Privacy Protections From Smart Speakers SPRINGFIELD – A pair of Illinois lawmakers want privacy protections for data from smart appliances and virtual home assistants. State Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) says the information collected by those devices deserves the same protection as everything else in a home. The legislation would require police to get a
CHICAGO – Illinois now has 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19. On Monday afternoon, Governor JB Pritzker announced four new cases of the coronavirus in the state. He also formally declared a disaster proclamation. That opens up pathways to federal and state resources, including money and medical expertise. While the risk of getting coronavirus remains low, Pritzker
URBANA – At the beginning of this semester, 137 University of Illinois students were studying in Italy. On Sunday, university administrators told them to leave the country as soon as possible. The same day, the Italian government said its coronavirus infections jumped 40% to 1,576 and deaths of infected people rose to 34.
State public health officials announced Tuesday that Illinois has become the first to conduct in-state testing for the 2019 novel coronavirus. Since mid-January, travelers coming from Wuhan, China, have been directed through one of five airports equipped to conduct screening, including O’Hare airport in Chicago. Travelers from Hubei province and other parts of mainland China may