Criteria for COVID-19 testing in Champaign County have expanded to include anyone experiencing symptoms consistent with the disease. Awais Vaid, epidemiologist at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, says previously, the county had limited testing to people with symptoms who met other criteria set by the state’s department of public health and the U.S. Centers for
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
Both Champaign and Macon counties received a less-than-perfect grade for air pollution in a new report from the American Lung Association. The group released its 2020 State of the Air report Tuesday, which ranks cities and counties based on their levels of air pollution. The report found that between 2016 and 2018, more U.S. cities
It’s planting season across much of the United States, and for some farmers who rely on foreign guest workers for help in the fields, the pandemic is…
With schools and public libraries closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, communities are finding creative ways to provide children access to books and reading materials. Alexa Valadez, a seventh grader at Urbana Middle School, helps manage a “little free library” in her neighborhood in northeast Urbana. It’s a collection of books for children of all
Lisa Marlow is worried about her students. Marlow is a school nurse and educator with the Murphysboro Community Unit School District 186. The district serves primarily low-income students in a rural part of southern Illinois. When school is in session, Marlow says having eyes on students, especially those with chronic conditions like Type 1 diabetes
Champaign Unit 4 Schools Superintendent Susan Zola says the district is on track to meet the digital needs of its families as e-learning continues through the end of the school year. In general, she has a positive outlook on the remainder of the school year, as well as what might be in store for the
Construction work is considered a critical trade under Governor Pritzker’s Stay-At-Home order, so it’s been continuing while other activities have been curtailed. But preventing the spread of the coronavirus remains important. So in Champaign, city officials are asking construction companies to have COVID-19 safety plans in place. The COVID-19 jobsite safety plans are required for
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more Illinoisans are turning to their local food pantries for help. Meanwhile, with grocery store shelves emptied out and the food chain disrupted, food banks are doing their best to meet the increased demand. Food banks typically act as the middleman in securing food from suppliers and distributing them to
Many of the public health labs determining whether people have COVID-19 have become at least overworked or, at worst, overwhelmed. Some of the country’s…
DECATUR – Nine residents at the Fair Havens Senior Living facility in Decatur have died after contracting COVID-19. So far, all COVID-19 related deaths in Macon county have been residents at the long-term care facility. The latest casualties from the virus are a woman in her 90s and another woman in her 70s, according to
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 1,585 new cases of COVID-19 statewide on Saturday, and an additional 125 deaths. The total number of cases across Illinois stands at 29,160 cases with 1,259 deaths across 93 of the state’s 102 counties. Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced during a news conference Saturday that the state has yet
Champaign Unit 4 Schools Superintendent Susan Zola wrote in a message to families last Friday that the district will continue to ensure students have access to meals and learning materials while at home. The message came shortly after Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade schools statewide would remain closed through the end
The Rose Bowl Tavern in downtown Urbana has been open since 1946, but it’s never experienced anything quite like the COVID-19 pandemic. Charlie Harris is one of the Rose Bowl’s owners. Illinois Public Media’s Brian Moline spoke with him about what happens when a tavern can no longer be a tavern. Illinois Newsroom’s Brian
This is part of Essential Voices, a series of interviews with people confronting COVID-19. Health care workers and first responders face serious risks…