BREAKING NEWS: Illinois covid-19 numbers are “going in the wrong direction fast, and looking bad for fall,” according to Covid-19 Illinois, a not-for-profit group which presents and analyzes statewide data on the pandemic. The group released its latest analysis for the previous week, two weeks, and month, on Monday. According to Covid-19 Illinois,497 Illinoisans died from Covid-19 in the last 15 days; and 506 in the entire month of August. “Last September before the vaccine, 307 died from Covid-19 in the first 15 days of September, this is a 40% increase this same period,”... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Starting TODAY, Illinois teachers and school employees will be required to get a covid-19 vaccination or submit to weekly testing for covid-19 in order to continue working in the schools. The following e-mail was sent out to Rock Island School District 41 employees today. Variations of the same e-mail have been sent out to other school district employees across the state. Starting Monday, September 20, 2021 all RIMSD employees must be vaccinated OR get a COVID- 19 test each week. Fully vaccinated employees must submit proof by sending a copy of their vaccination card to the District... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: As covid numbers continue to spike higher, and officials dread numbers after the bustling Labor Day weekend celebrations, Illinois Gov. JB Pritkzer has warned the state could be hit with “significantly greater mitigations” if the state’s covid metrics continue to slide downward. New covid-19 cases statewide jumped 18.3 percent over the past week, with nearly 6,000 reported today so far alone, according to statistics from Covid-19 Illinois. Nearly every county is now at a ‘warning level’ for Covid-19, and the entirety of Southern Illinois has only one ICU bed... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Some Illinois High Schools in western Illinois have put their sports seasons on pause due to the virulent outbreak of the covid-19 delta variant in their districts. Mercer County School District 404 in western Illinois sent out a letter to parents today saying they were pausing all practices and competitions for high school sports “while we implement outbreak protocols” regarding the massive spread of the delta variant within their schools and districts. “Due to the number of positive cases at Mercer County High School, our football, volleyball, and cheer squads... Read More

Illinois is back under statewide restrictions TODAY in response to rising covid-19 numbers. What do Illinois residents need to know about the restrictions, and how could there possibly be MORE restrictions coming in the future? Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced last week that beginning today, there would be new statewide restrictions to attempt to stop the spread of the virulent new delta variant, particularly among unvaccinated people, who have been hit particularly hard by it. “Nearly all Illinoisans who are hospitalized are those who are unvaccinated. From January to July, 98 percent... Read More

Illinois returns to a new mask mandate and other restrictions TOMORROW due to the spread of the delta variant of covid-19 across the state, Gov. JB Pritzker announced this week. What does that mean for YOU and what are the new restrictions? Everyone is required to wear a mask indoors in public settings — everywhere from businesses to government buildings to other venues — and to social distance at outdoor events. The mask mandate applies to anyone over the age of two, regardless of vaccination status, echoing the same mask mandate brought back to Chicago two weeks ago, and to Cook County... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: According to several reports, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker will announce early Thursday a covid-19 vaccine mandate for all school employees in K-12 and higher education facilities statewide, with potential further mitigations and possible virtual learning plans looming. All educational system employees will be mandated to get the covid-19 vaccination or submit to regular testing for covid, reports say. Sources also say that there is a potential that Illinois schools could go to a hybrid model or full virtual learning if covid-19 numbers do not improve. Already, several schools,... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois covid-19 numbers in all counties have broken into the “red alert” high level for infections, according to new statistics from the Illinois Department of Health. As of the latest stats released yesterday, in 100 of the 102 Illinois counties, the levels are at “substantial to high transmission.” In addition, ALL of the Illinois border counties in Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, and Kentucky, are seeing a surge and are in the red. Zones four and five in Illinois are over 10 and 9.5 percent, respectively, with 12 percent being the number to trigger... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Covid-19 metrics are rapidly accelerating across Illinois, an ominous sign that more mitigations and a potential shutdown could be on the horizon. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, over the previous three days, cases are up 7,858 (up 2,256 compared to last weekend). Individual day’s numbers are: Saturday: +3,034 Sunday: +2,259 Monday: +2,565 7-day Average: 2,713 (+321) Positivity: 4.9% (+0.3%) Hospitalizations: 1,384 (+184) Deaths: +29 (3-day total, up 18 or +163%) Last week, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced a return to covid mitigations... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Quad-Citians worried about the expiring eviction order at the end of July got a reprieve today from the CDC, which issued an order halting all evictions in areas of “substantial” and “high” covid transmission rates until at least October. Rock Island County is in the “substantial” zone and Scott County is in the “high” zone, meaning the entire Quad-Cities area and surrounding rural areas are covered. The CDC released the following statement today: CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky today signed an order determining the evictions of... Read More