Pritzker urges child vaccination as changes to Health Care Right of Conscience Act emerge

Pritzker, Ezike address plan to lift mask mandate

Spread the love

School mandates would remain in place for ‘coming weeks,’ pending court decision

By Jerry Nowicki
Capitol News Illinois
and
Tim Hadac

If COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to decline for the rest of the month, Gov. JB Pritzker plans to lift his executive order that mandates face coverings indoors by Feb. 28. The plan does not apply to schools.

img Pritzker 10251 vxna3s

Governor JB Pritzker

It’s unclear what level of rise in hospitalizations could lead the state to change its course, but Pritzker and health officials said at a news conference last week that such a scenario was not out of the question.

“It’s the end of the statewide mask mandate,” Pritzker said of the planned Feb. 28 lifting of the order. “But as we’ve all said, if things get very bad, I think we’ve seen this before with the onslaught of delta and then omicron (variants of the coronavirus), boy, masks really helped us to keep infection rates, transmission rates down. So, there may come a time in the future when that happens.”

Regardless of what happens with hospitalizations, masks will continue to be mandated at schools, on school busses and other public transportation, at nursing homes and congregate living facilities, and at day cares beyond March 1.

“The equation for schools just looks different right now than it does for the general population,” Pritzker said at the news conference in Chicago. “Schools need a little more time for community infection rates to drop, for our youngest learners to become vaccine eligible and for more parents to get their kids vaccinated.”

Masks, testing and vaccines have worked to keep schools open, Pritzker said, and that was the primary goal of the administration.

But whether he has the authority to issue such mandates in schools will be a question decided by state courts. The 4th District Court of Appeals is currently considering whether a lower court’s temporary restraining order on the governor’s school mandates pertaining to about 170 school districts will remain in effect.

Pritzker called Judge Raylene Grischow’s opinion an “extremely bad decision,” as well as “poorly written” and “poorly decided.”

Without giving a timeline, Pritzker said “in the coming weeks” school mask mandates could be lifted if the state continues to see progress in terms of hospitalization and disease spread.

The reason the state was able to get to a place where Pritzker could consider lifting the mandate, he said, is because hospitalizations for COVID-19, which pushed heights of 7,400 cases in mid-January, have fallen by nearly two-thirds, to 2,496 cases as of Tuesday night. That marked a decrease of more than 140 from the day prior.

Twenty percent of statewide intensive care unit beds were available as of last week, up from a low of about 8 percent four weeks ago, Pritzker said.

It’s a faster decline in hospitalizations than at any point in the pandemic, Pritzker said.

Local reaction mixed

Clearing and Garfield Ridge residents contacted by the Clear-Ridge Reporter showed a range of reactions.

“All those businesses closed, kids hurt, lives destroyed and in the end all the mitigation mandates were ineffective,” said Felix Gonzalez. “Lots of people were silenced when they differed with the self-proclaimed experts. We gave up our freedom so easily. It’s really a shame.”

Maria Hernandez said she thinks it’s too soon to end the mask mandate.

“The numbers might be going down, but COVID-19 is still out there,” she said. “I’m a COVID survivor. I know first hand how it feels. I was in the hospital with COVID plus pneumonia. I had it for a month. My husband did, too. I thought I was going to die. It was a scary feeling and experience I’ll never forget. But through the grace of God and the power of prayer, my husband and I pulled through it. Now, I’m not saying live in fear. I’m just saying to please be careful. I know a lot of people are tired of wearing their masks. I am, too; but if I don’t want to catch COVID again, I’m going to continue to wear my mask.”

“In Illinois on Feb. 8, 103 people died of COVID-19,” Sue Basko observed.

“Rather safe than sorry for now,” added Alan Ziebarth. “With so many people unvaccinated, who knows if there will be a mutation that will be catastrophic? But I am a little hopeful.”

“My family and I will continue to wear our masks,” said Jackie Orozco-Baez. “It saved us from a lot of colds and flus, not just COVID-19.”

Others were skeptical about the governor’s motives.

“It’s an election year,” said Jim Smith. “Need I say more?”

“He’s running for re-election and sees which way the political winds are blowing,” Harry Galinski said.

“This isn’t just about masks,” Susan Wenta added. “[Pritzker] broke the law with his executive orders. There is a time limit on them.”

“If voters haven’t gotten a good picture of their elected officials from the past two years plandemic, then I pray these people do not cast a vote and continue to stay home,” Judy Ollry said.

“All these ridiculous vax and mask mandates should’ve been lifted the minute they found out that omicron was no worse than a cold,” Ed Ronczkowski said. “I should know. I had it and took Mucinex and was better in two days. Quit blanketing the population with mandates when everyone’s individual situation is different.”

David Krupa lifting mandates is “part of a nationwide tactic by Democrats to do damage control in the midterms. With the poll numbers as they stand, Republicans will sweep the midterm elections. But there is probably nothing they can do to stop it. People are fed up with the mandates, inflation and taxes.”

A ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said 89 percent of those hospitalizations are in unvaccinated individuals.

Approximately 75 percent of the state’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, putting Illinois at the top of Midwestern states.

Ezike said lifting the mandate does not signify an end to COVID-19, but the latest in the state’s effort to “coexist with COVID.”

“Your actions that you’ve already taken have helped to reduce the amount of virus circulating and it absolutely has saved lives,” she said. “But be clear that COVID is not gone and it won’t be gone on Feb. 28. So, we are going to continue to find ways to live with the virus.”

The path forward likely includes masks, vaccines, testing and creating safer settings through better ventilation, she said.

Local jurisdictions and businesses may continue to enforce stricter masking guidelines than outlined by the state.

Pritzker did not state specific metric thresholds would need to be met before school mask mandates could be lifted, but noted he hoped it would be “weeks rather than months” when a decision could be made. He deferred to Dr. Emily Landon, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Chicago, when asked about specific metrics.

Landon said “metrics are really tough” when it comes to COVID-19 tracking. The CDC recommends an analysis of COVID-19 cases and positivity rates, but new at-home tests could change that calculus. For schools, which can serve as a breeding ground for the virus as community hubs, case rates, hospitalizations and other metrics should be watched, she said.

Flexibility is needed, she said earlier in the news conference.

“Many have asked for a metric or a number that will guide the rules and regulations,” she said. “But each wave of this pandemic has had different characteristics, different behavior, and no single metric has been able to reliably predict the outcomes and the trajectory of each of the variants.”

Ultimately, Pritzker said, his decisions will come down to the advice of doctors, epidemiologists and the CDC.

“People really do feel that the trajectory here is one that we’re going to be able to hold onto,” he said.

The announcement didn’t sit well with Republicans in the General Assembly who have criticized Pritzker’s “top-down” approach to the pandemic. House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, criticized the governor in a statement.

“Gov. Pritzker’s failure to have a clear plan in place for schools to give parents and children hope of returning to a normal life is astounding,” Durkin said in the statement. “It is year three of this pandemic, and continuing to leave these families in the dark, with no data or metrics presented, is unconscionable and a clear sign the governor should not be trusted to get us out of this pandemic.”

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Local News

95th street closing2

Westbound Tri-State Tollway ramp to 95th Street closes Friday night

Spread the love

Spread the loveWeekend-long lane closures, including a detour of the ramp carrying the southbound Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to westbound 95th Street, are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Friday, October 21, for work to shift traffic on southbound I-294 between 87th Street/Roberts Road and 95th Street. Once the new traffic pattern is in place, southbound I-294 traffic will be in…

dvn aguilera family resource fair

16th District second annual Family Resource Fair

Spread the love

Spread the loveTo increase residents’ access to health and family services, Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar (D-16th) is hosting the second annual Family Resource Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 22, at his district office, 7833 W. Ogden Ave. in Lyons. On hand will be the Illinois Department of Health, Cook…

CRRNH_PattiTyznik_102622

Plenty to do in the weeks ahead

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Patti Tyznik Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • ptyznik@gmail.com It sure didn’t take long for summer to disappear under the falling leaves and leave us scrambling for warm, cozy sweatshirts and knitted hats! As Halloween decorations go up and the temperature goes down, let’s stave off this cooler…

CRRNH_PumpkinParade01_102622

Pumpkin Jamboree Parade coming

Spread the love

Spread the love The only thing more interesting than the units in the Midway Chamber of Commerce’s annual Pumpkin Jamboree Parade are the children in Halloween costumes, lining the curbs. This year’s festive event is schedule to start at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29 at Archer and Nordica, heading east to Merrimac and then south…

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas

Pappas: tax investors make millions from black, Latino communities

Spread the love

Spread the loveStudy shows homeowners, gov’t losing out on funding From staff reports A new study from the Cook County Treasurer’s Office concludes that hedge funds, private equity firms and others are exploiting a loophole in Illinois’ property tax law to make millions of dollars in profits, mostly at the expense of black and Latino…

Rats can and do squeeze through holes as small as a quarter. -- Photo source: cdc.gov

Unwelcome houseguests coming

Spread the love

Spread the loveRats making seasonal surge in Clearing, Garfield Ridge  By Tim Hadac Fall is the time when pest-control companies see a surge in calls from homeowners who see mice and sometimes rats trying to get inside sheds, garages and even homes to find shelter for the winter. But in Clearing and Garfield Ridge, the…

Dr. Joseph Coler, D.C., and his wife, Dr. Wendi Coler, D.C., and their children, Chase, Christian, Stefanie and Elle, gather for a photo outside the popular Coler Chiropractic office. --Supplied photo

Happy anniversary, Coler Chiropractic

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com There are plenty of reasons why Clearing and Garfield Ridge are among the best places to live—not just in Chicago, but the entire metro area. One is our wealth of healthcare practitioners who are top tier, yet based right here…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Clear-Ridge Reporter and NewsHound October 19, 2022

Spread the love

Spread the love

San Diego star Alex Morgan, shown in a game against the Chicago Red Stars at Soldier Field earlier in the year, scored the winning goal in overtime in a 2-1 victory over Chicago in the first round of the NWSL playoffs. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Red Stars Report: Alex Morgan and Wave sink Red Stars in OT

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer From the Chicago Red Stars point of view, things started out Yuki and ended up yucky. The Red Stars dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to San Diego late Sunday night in the first round of the NWSL playoffs at Snapdragon Stadium. Alex Morgan, who earned the league’s Golden…

Brother Rice QB Ryan Hartz, shown passing in a game earlier this season, accounted for four touchdowns against Marian Catholic in a game leading up to Friday's showdown with Marist. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Pigskin Wrap: Brother Rice and Marist ready for Battle of Pulaski

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The stage is set. The annual grudge match between neighborhood and conference rivals Marist and Brother Rice takes place at 7 p.m. Friday at Rice. Both teams are 5-3 overall and 0-2 in the East Suburban Catholic/Chicago Catholic League Blue, with both teams falling to Loyola and Mount…

Neighbors

Appeals court skeptical of Mike Bost’s case to stop ballot counts after Election Day

Appeals court skeptical of Mike Bost’s case to stop ballot counts after Election Day

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A panel of federal appellate judges on Thursday seemed skeptical of legal arguments made on behalf of Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, who claims Illinois’ law allowing counting of mail-in ballots for two weeks after an election is in violation of federal law. Bost’s late 2022…

DCFS hires on-the-spot at hiring events

DCFS hires on-the-spot at hiring events

By BETH HUNDSDORFER  Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com Cyrenthia Threat spent Wednesday morning at a hiring event in Fairview Heights waiting for word on whether she was hired by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.  Threat wants to move to Illinois from Georgia where she works as a social worker. She has 20 years…

Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance

Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance

By HANNAH MEISEL & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear the case of actor Jussie Smollett, who was convicted for staging a hate crime against him in 2019 in a case that drew criticism for Cook County’s top prosecutor. Smollett made what turned out to be…

Illinois teacher shortage persists, survey finds

Illinois teacher shortage persists, survey finds

By PETER HANCOCK  Capitol News Illinois  phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com  SPRINGFIELD – Illinois continues to suffer from a shortage of teachers and other education professionals, although recent efforts by the state to ease the strain have made an impact.  That’s according to the latest annual survey of school officials from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools,…

Bills in state Senate would further regulate battery storage and disposal

Bills in state Senate would further regulate battery storage and disposal

COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Two bills that would regulate battery disposal and storage are awaiting action from the full Illinois Senate after unanimous committee approval.   Senate Bill 3481, sponsored by Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, would require facilities that store electric vehicle batteries to register with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency…

Prisoner Review Board chair, member resign in wake of boy’s fatal stabbing by released inmate

Prisoner Review Board chair, member resign in wake of boy’s fatal stabbing by released inmate

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com The longtime chair and a relatively new member of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board have resigned, Gov. JB Pritzker’s office announced Monday. The governor’s office announced the pair’s resignations within hours of each other nearly two weeks after Crosetti Brand was released from Stateville Correctional Center. Brand is…

Highest-ranking woman in state police history reflects on experience as force looks to diversify

Highest-ranking woman in state police history reflects on experience as force looks to diversify

By ALEX ABBEDUTO   Capitol News Illinois  abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com  The night before Rebecca Hooks started at the Illinois State Police Academy in 2002, she spoke on the phone with her father and her brother – both of whom worked in law enforcement.  Her father encouraged her, telling her she was strong and could get through the…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…