As the IMA noted yesterday, Governor JB Pritzker issued a new
Gubernatorial Disaster Declaration
and
Executive Order (2020-32)
extending the stay-at-home order to May 30, 2020. The new order continues to include the same exemption for “essential manufacturing;" however, the the order does include new safety requirements specifically for manufacturers who continue to operate.
One new safety requirement mandates that all Illinois businesses that have employees “physically reporting to a worksite” post in their place of business the “workplace health and safety guidance for employees and staff of business” poster. That poster can be
found here
.
As a reminder, additional new safety requirements for manufacturers set forth in the new Executive Order include:
- Providing face coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain a minimum six feet of social distancing at all times
- Staggering shifts
- Reducing line speeds
- Operating only essential lines while shutting down non-essential lines
- Ensuring that all spaces where employees may gather, including locker rooms and lunchrooms, allow for social distancing; and
- Downsizing operations to the extent necessary to allow for social distancing and to provide a safe workspace in response to the COVID-19 emergency
During questions following today's press conference, the Governor noted that while he state hasn't suspended
the Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) that requires some employers to notify employees before they are laid off or the facility closes, the state has loosened the requirements and enforcement during this pandemic.
Daily COVID-19 Results
Governor JB Pritzker held his daily press conference and announced:
- There are 3,137 new cases of coronavirus in Illinois.
- There are a total of 2,457 deaths related to coronavirus in Illinois, including 105 additional deaths announced today.
- A total of 56,055 cases have been confirmed in at least 97 of the 102 counties.
- There have been 284,688 individuals tested for coronavirus in Illinois.
Press Conference Key Updates
- Today's press conferences focused on the state's contact tracing plan to reduce COVID-19's spread rate, speed up diagnosis and stop outbreaks before they happen. The state's contact tracing initiative works in a manner that if and individual test positive for COVID-19, a tracer will get in touch with that individual to determine who they have come in contact with so that those individuals can get tested, self-isolate and take cautionary measures as needed.
- The Governor introduced Dr. Wayne Duffus, MD, who is a trained epidemic intelligence officer with the CDC and an infectious disease specialist. Dr. Duffus now holds the role of Acting Chief Epidemiologist with the Illinois Department of Public Health with the primary responsibility of running the states contact tracing initiative.
- The state will be hiring tracers and supportive staff and looking for volunteers to help build the state's contact tracing initiative. In the coming weeks and months the state plans to have 30 tracers per 100,000 Illinois residents (or roughly 3,810 individuals).
- The state hopes to roll out the contact tracing initiative beginning at the end of the May. The Governor estimates the tracing initiative will cost the state roughly $80 million.
