‘We’re Very Grateful’: For Some Farmworkers, U.S. Work Visas Provide Opportunity For Vaccination
On a recent Saturday, white vans shuttled small groups of migrant farmworkers from the southern Illinois orchard where they work to St. Joseph’s…
Tag: COVID-19
COVID-19 Came To Champaign County One Year Ago
URBANA – Champaign County has been living with COVID-19 for one year. Sunday, March 15, 2020, was the day when the first COVID-19 case was announced in Champaign County. The news turned the coronavirus from a headline for county residents, to an eminent danger that has yet to let up. An effort was made to
‘Happy To Be Alive’ After Surviving COVID And A Double-Lung Transplant
BRIDGEVIEW – In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayra Ramirez contracted the virus and ended up in the ICU on life support. She was 28 years old. The virus had severely damaged her lungs that her doctors concluded she would not survive the illness unless she got a double-lung transplant. In June, Mayra
DOL Watchdog: OSHA’s Virtual Inspections During Pandemic Likely Led To Dangerous Workplaces
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s decision during the COVID-19 pandemic to conduct many inspections virtually — instead of onsite — risked worker safety, the U.S. Department of Labor’s inspector general concluded in an audit report released Tuesday. The report does not specifically mention OSHA’s enforcement at meatpacking plants, which quickly became COVID-19 hotspots last year, but
Industry Lobbying Left Nursing Homes Vulnerable In Pandemic
Published in collaboration with the Investigative Reporting Workshop. Even before COVID-19, aides caring for elderly and disabled people in nursing homes often were overworked and underpaid, doing everything from changing linens to helping residents eat to physically rotating them to prevent bedsores. Ashley Ford often was one of four aides for as many as 42 residents
U Of I COVID-19 Test Receives FDA Emergency Use Authorization
URBANA – The University of Illinois’ COVID-19 testing process has received Emergency Use Authorization from the federal Food and Drug Administration. Authorization was granted in a February 24 letter to the university from FDA Chief Scientist, Rear Admiral Denise M. Hinton. Ben Taylor, spokesman for Shield Illinois, the U of I’s program for marketing
Ask The Newsroom: COVID-19 Vaccines, Contact Tracing And Data, COVID-19 Prevention
The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions to help Illinois residents navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want to be answered? Ask here. Below you’ll find answers to questions about COVID-19 vaccines, schools and their response to the pandemic, as well as business and government aid. Please note: This information is accurate as
Illinois’ Hospitality Industry Seeks Help From State
Leaders of Illinois’ hospitality sector are asking the state to work with them on a plan to help them recover from 2020’s pandemic shutdown. Representatives of Illinois’ hotel, restaurant and convention industry testified Thursday at a hearing before the state Senate Tourism and Hospitality Committee, asking for relief from state coronavirus restrictions. “We need to
U Of I Reverses Course After Kicking Grad Student Out For Failing To Get Tested For COVID-19
The University of Illinois has backed down from an initial decision to dismiss a graduate student for a full year for not getting regular COVID-19 tests during the fall semester. Late last month, Yidong “Ivor” Chen, a fourth year physics PhD student from China, faced a disciplinary committee made up of students, faculty and staff
WATCH LIVE: Pritzker Press Conference For Criminal Justice Bill HB 3653
WATCH LIVE: At 2 p.m. today the Pritzker administration delivers a virtual State of the State and budget address. Tune in live below. The questions we receive from you directly inform the stories we tell and what we investigate. Let us know what you need to know!
Ask The Newsroom: Schooling, Businesses, Government Aid
The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions to help Illinois residents navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want answered? Ask here. Below you’ll find answers to questions about schools and their COVID-19 response, business and government aid during the pandemic. Please note the information is accurate as of February 17, 2021. Schooling Q:
Ask The Newsroom: Child Care, Gyms, Restaurants
The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions to help Illinois residents navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want answered? Ask here. Below you’ll find answers to questions about child care, businesses and schools. Please note: This information is accurate as of Feb. 12, 2021. Child Care and Schooling Q: Is there going to
U Of I: Fewer COVID-19 Cases Compared To The Fall, But Officials Advise Vigilance
URBANA – Within three weeks of having tens of thousands of students return to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for the spring semester, the campus had identified more than 450 cases of COVID-19. This is fewer than half the number of cases identified by the same time last fall — and lower than U of
Home Gardeners Are Driving Up Demand For Seeds, And Seed Companies Can’t Keep Up
Steve Larimore was hoping to triple the size of his garden this year. Once the seed catalog arrived at his home near Bend, Ore., Larimore excitedly got…
Ask The Newsroom: Electricity Moratorium, Non-Compliancy, Contact Tracing And More
The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions from listeners to navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want answered? Ask here. Please note, the information is accurate as of Feb. 1, 2021. In today’s edition of “Ask the Newsroom,” we sought answers regarding… Electricity Nonpayment Q: Can my electricity be turned off due to nonpayment?