CHAMPAIGN – Citywide curfews were imposed in the central Illinois cities of Champaign, Urbana and Savoy after reports of looting and property damage at the Marketplace Mall in Champaign on Sunday. In Champaign, the curfew started Sunday at 8:30 p.m. The Urbana curfew started at 9:00 p.m. Both expire Monday at 6:00 a.m. Protests and
Pritzker: All Illinois Regions Have Met Conditions To Reopen CHICAGO — The governor of Illinois has announced the end of a 10-week stay-at-home order meant to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said on Friday, the state will move to the third phase of his five-stage recovery plan, meaning manufacturing and
State COVID-19 Cases Top 110,000 SPRINGFIELD – On Sunday, the state reported 2,508 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 110,304. Illinois Department of Public Health also reported an additional 67 deaths, making the statewide total 4,856. The Coles County health department says two more residents of Charleston Rehab and Healthcare died of COVID-19. The
State Lawmakers To Convene In Springfield On Wednesday SPRINGFIELD – Illinois state legislators will meet for session in Springfield Wednesday for the first time in more than two months. It’s all subject to change, of course, but a few key items are scheduled to come up according to House documents: the state budget, a measure
State To Keep Bloomington COVID Testing Site Open Through May 22 BLOOMINGTON – McLean County residents will have another week to prove they want a convenient drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in their backyard. Amid criticism from local officials, Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration will delay the planned closure and relocation of Bloomington’s testing site at the
Illinois Reports Highest Number Of New COVID-19 Cases In One Day CHICAGO — The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 2,049 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. That’s the highest number of positive cases of COVID-19 the state has seen in one day. Gov. J.B. Pritzker says the high case numbers could be a result of
Pritzker Orders Illinois Schools Closed For Rest of Semester CHICAGO — Illinois’ governor has ordered schools throughout the state to remain closed for the rest of the semester because of the threat of the coronavirus. J.B. Pritzker announced the action Friday during his daily coronavirus briefing in Chicago, extending school closures past the April 30
One of Kenya Williams’s favorite classes is the broadcast journalism course she’s taking at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. That’s why she was devastated when she realized all of her university classes would be moving online in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Like many institutions
1,465 COVID-19 Cases Reported Friday In Illinois CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,465 new cases of COVID-19 in the state Friday, including 66 new deaths. Most of the deathers were reported in the Chicago area. But fatalities were also reported in Rock Island County in the Quad Cities area, St. Clair
1,006 New COVID-19 Cases, 33 New Deaths Reported In Illinois CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 1,006 new cases of COVID-19 in Illinois on Monday, including 33 deaths. Monday’s state report did not include the death of a COVID-19 patient in Champaign County, reported Monday by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. A
Suit Seeks Illinois Inmates’ Release Due To Coronavirus CHICAGO — A new federal lawsuit seeks an court order directing state officials “to drastically reduce Illinois’s prison population” on grounds that hundreds of inmates are particularly vulnerable to catching and dying from the coronavirus. The lawsuit filed Thursday in Chicago names ten inmates but seeks class-action
Health Chief: ‘Be Strong And Courageous’ In Facing COVID-19 SPRINGFIELD — The state public health director has issued a somber warning that Illinois residents can expect mounting numbers of illness and death in the new month from the vicious spread of the coronavirus. The 6,980 cases of COVID-19 reported Wednesday by Dr. Ngoze Ezike are
Illinois Coronavirus Cases Tops 2,500; Death Toll Now 26 CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health says there are now 2,538 cases of COVID-19, a growth of 673 cases from Wednesday. The death toll is now stands at 26. The newest deaths include a man in his 50’s, two men and two women in
Illinois Could Need 38K More Beds If Virus Isn’t Contained SPRINGFIELD – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Illinois would need tens of thousands of additional hospital beds for COVID-19 patients within the next two weeks in a worst-case scenario amid a pandemic that has now claimed 16 lives in the state. The Democrat said at his
Pritzker Works With Manufacturers To Boost Medical Supply Orders CHICAGO – Governor J.B. Pritzker in his daily COVID-19 briefing on Monday says he has linked together the state’s manufacturers and biotech industries to boost production of medical supplies. Manufacturers in both industries were asked to focus production on essentials such as N95 masks, gloves, gowns,