Get the latest news from around Illinois.
WBEZ: Coronavirus in Illinois: 1,105 new cases, 18 additional deaths
Illinois officials reported 4,596 cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday afternoon and 65 deaths. Worldwide, there were more than 713,171 cases and more than 33,597 deaths as of Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Read below for details on latest developments: Pritzker wants Medicaid expanded during the pandemic; the virus is spreading at Cook County Jail; Pritzker announces steps to protect retail workers; health officials report the first death of a baby with COVID-19.
Chicago Tribune: COVID-19 has mostly spared small-town Illinois. That could change soon.
In Buckley, a church has volunteered its gymnasium as a makeshift hospital. In Rushville, police officers have stopped accompanying paramedics unless a call is a matter of life or death. And in Watseka, dozens of residents have put hearts in their windows to create a “social distancing scavenger hunt” for local children.
Such are the ways small-town Illinois is facing the threat of COVID-19, even though its impact outside the Chicago area remains limited. More than 90% of the state’s confirmed cases and deaths have come from the city and collar counties, though doctors note that access to testing downstate is still increasing after a slow start. Even as the virus is being detected in an ever-growing list of rural communities, caseloads are relatively small.
The Center Square: Demand for ventilators in Illinois increases as COVID-19 spreads
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois could see a peak of COVID-19 cases sometime in mid-April, but he said there is not enough capacity and continues to demand more ventilators from the federal government. He also is ramping up tests.
Public health officials Sunday announced there have been around 28,000 tests in total. There are now 4,596 cases in 47 counties, including 65 deaths.
Chicago Tribune: Coronavirus prompts crackdown on crowds in Cook County forest preserves, and more closures possible if public doesn’t comply
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who has already shut down parts of the forest preserves in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19, said Sunday she will close even more if crowds become unmanageable.
The county has shuttered all public buildings, nature centers, campgrounds, public restrooms and other locations, but Preckwinkle warned that the list could grow if patrons grow too numerous or do not follow proper social distancing.
State Journal-Register: Session is canceled, but lawmakers are still working
Normally at this time of year, state lawmakers would be spending at least three days a week in session in Springfield working their way through the thousands of bills introduced to address issues big and small in the state.
The arrival and spread of COVID-19 has put a halt to that for now. The Capitol is empty and state lawmakers remain in their districts.
The Center Square: Some consider ways to slowly return Illinois’ economy during COVID crisis
The Trump administration says it may come out with new guidelines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with the end of its 15 days to slow the spread Monday, but Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signaled the state’s stay-home order could extend beyond April 7.
One thing President Donald Trump said he will be in talks with the White House Coronavirus Task Force is possibly designating counties across the country based on risk levels and opening things back up. Pritzker has signaled he may extend his statewide stay-home order.
Chicago Tribune: Coronavirus crisis creating chaos, opportunity for entrepreneurs trying to break into cannabis business as Illinois prepares to award new licenses
To break into the legal cannabis industry in Illinois, Anton Seals Jr. and eight of his friends scraped together their personal savings to submit applications for business licenses.
Even with discounts as social equity applicants from Chicago’s South and West sides, the nonrefundable application fees alone ran $2,500 per license, or $27,500 for 11 licenses. If they win the competitive process, they’ll have to come up with millions of dollars more to build and operate those dispensary, craft grower and infuser businesses.