Please visit the IMA’s
dedicated COVID-19 page
for updates and resources. Today has been a very busy and active day in Illinois and nationally.
Late this afternoon, Sangamon County Judge John M. Madonia issued a
Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) blocking the emergency workers’ compensation rules
that created a presumption that the workplace was the cause of COVID-19. The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and Illinois Retail Merchants Association filed a lawsuit on behalf of two-dozen business groups to stop these rules from taking effect.
Governor Pritzker announced that he will be signing an executive order next week to
extend the state's stay-at-home order through May 30, 2020
. The new executive order will also require all individuals over the age of two and without medical restrictions to wear a mask in public places where a 6-foot social distancing order can not be implemented.
The definition of essential manufacturing will remain the same but there will be new safety rules for essential businesses including manufacturing. Businesses must
provide face-coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain six-feet of social distancing
. There will be
occupancy limits for
certain
essential businesses and precautions such as staggering shifts and operating only essential lines for manufacturers.
The Governor has not released the Executive Order – the IMA will review and provide guidance when the official language is released.
Chicago Mayor Lightfoot announced the creation of the
COVID-19 Recovery Taskforce
to advise the city government as economic recovery planning efforts get underway in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The Task Force will provide insights to the Mayor's administration to balance a health response with a strategic economic response that addresses the challenges presented by the coronavirus.
The US House of Representatives returned to Washington to pass the economic stimulus package (Phase 3.5) adding another $484 billion in funding, including an additional $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Plan with $60 billion set aside for small businesses. The House is expected to pass the package this afternoon before sending it to President Trump for his signature.
Daily COVID-19 Results
Governor JB Pritzker held his daily press conference and announced:
- There are 1,826 new cases of coronavirus in Illinois.
- There are a total of 1,688 deaths related to coronavirus in Illinois, including 123 additional deaths announced today.
- A total of 36,934 cases have been confirmed in at least 96 of the 102 counties.
- There have been 173,316 individuals tested for coronavirus in Illinois.
Press Conference Key Updates
- As noted above, Governor Pritzker announced that next week he will be signing another executive order to extend the state's stay-at-home order through May 30, 2020. No official language has been released yet. The executive order will also make modifications to the previous stay-at-home order and does the following:
- Essential Businesses & Manufacturing: Essential businesses and manufacturers will be required to provide face-coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain six-feet of social distancing, as well as follow new requirements that maximize social distancing and prioritize the well-being of employees and customers. This will include occupancy limits for essential businesses and precautions such as staggering shifts and operating only essential lines for manufacturers.
- New Essential Businesses: Greenhouses, garden centers and nurseries may re-open as essential businesses. These stores must follow social distancing requirements and must require that employees and customers wear a face covering. Animal grooming services may also re-open.
- Non-Essential Retail: Retail stores not designated as non-essential businesses and operations may re-open to fulfill telephone and online orders through pick-up outside the store and delivery.
- Face Coverings: Beginning on May 1, individuals will be required to wear a face-covering or a mask when in a public place where they can’t maintain a six-foot social distance. Face-coverings will be required in public indoor spaces, such as stores. This new requirement applies to all individuals over the age of two who are able to medically tolerate a face-covering or a mask.
- In discussing modeling, the Governor noted that while earlier projections relied on data from other countries applied to the United States, the modeling the state is now using analyzes two months’ worth of daily data on COVID-19 deaths and ICU usage here in Illinois. With this information, it was noted that if the stay-at-home order were to be lifted, the number of deaths from COVID-19 would likely rise throughout May and the summer months.
- The Governor announced the State of Illinois will begin reopening in phases, and stated more details will be provided at a later date.
