MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Western Illinois University faculty, staff, and students will be required to participate in the University’s weekly COVID-19 testing program. Individuals may opt out of testing if proof of vaccination is provided. Testing will be required each week for those individuals who have not received a COVID-19 vaccination. WIU-Macomb COVID-19 Fall 2021 test clinics began Monday, Aug. 23. Fall 2021 test clinics on the Macomb campus will be held from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday thru Thursday in the WIU Student Recreation Center MAC Gym (south gym). Test clinics will be held in Riverfront... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois is bringing back a statewide indoor mask mandate starting Monday, a vaccine mandate for all school employees in P-12 and all employees and students in higher education facilities statewide, and other restrictions, Gov. JB Pritzker said in his press conference this morning. 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 surrounding Chicagoland last week. All educational system and healthcare system employees will be mandated to get the covid-19... 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 Governor JB Pritzker said today “greater mitigations” are coming if covid-19 numbers continue to spike massively in the state. Illinois Department of Public Health officials reported 4,451 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 40 related deaths Wednesday, that news following the state hitting its highest one-day total in covid cases since late January and its highest week for infections in months last week. “If we are not able to bring these numbers down, if hospitals continue to fill, if the hospital beds and ICUs get full like they are in Kentucky... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed into law today sweeping new programs to overhaul the state’s mental health care system, including groundbreaking new laws regarding sending mental health professionals to 9-1-1 and 9-8-8 calls. Under the new law, the Community Emergency Services And Support Act, Illinois is just the third state in the nation to now require insurance to cover mental health disorders and substance abuse issues. It also requires officials receiving 9-1-1 and 9-8-8 calls involving mental health issues to include not just a police response but response from a... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: The latest surge of covid-19 delta variant infections has roared through Illinois, pushing the state to its highest one-day total in covid cases since late January and its highest week for infections in months. This comes the same day that new indoor mask mandates go into effect throughout the entirety of Cook County, requiring everyone over the age of two to be masked in indoor public spaces, regardless of whether they’re vaccinated. Businesses also must post signs on all entrances telling customers about the rule. Given that the new, wider mask mandates into Cook County come... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Patients in the Illinois and Iowa Quad-Cities and Muscatine may experience longer than usual wait times due to the current spread of Covid-19 and other illness, according to a Friday release from UnityPoint Health – Trinity. It says the Covid situation remains critical as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads in our community. UnityPoint Health – Trinity encourages the use of online scheduling options to visit a UnityPoint Clinic Express or Express Care location to be evaluated by a medical provider for a Covid test. This is a faster and more cost-effective option... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Covid-19 numbers in Illinois are soaring again this week, pushing many regions at or near the same triggers which brought shutdowns during previous surges, according to the latest CDC numbers released today. Covid numbers have leapt tenfold since late July, led by the more infectious delta variant. Over 96 percent of all new cases are among unvaccinated individuals. All Illinois state zones are in the red, “high” levels of transmission and hospitalizations. All 102 counties are now into the red, “high” levels. The rate of new covid-19 cases per 100,000... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: As the covid delta variant rages across the state, in alignment with CDC guidelines and other school districts around the country, Eastern Iowa schools — including those in the Quad-Cities Davenport and Bettendorf districts — are “strongly encouraging” mask use and putting in place other covid precautions. The Davenport District released its revised the plan for the 2021-2022 school year to align with updated guidance from local and state public health officials. Face coverings are strongly encouraged. Read the Return to Learn plan, here: https://bit.ly/3CPluXX. Linn... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: A group of Illinois Catholic schools have been shut down due to skyrocketing covid numbers, prompting an ominous question of how long they might be closed, and will Illinois public schools follow? As of today, all Illinois Quad-Cities Catholic schools have been shut down until at least Aug. 23, and possibly longer, due to rapidly rising numbers of covid-19 infections in Rock Island County. Those schools include Alleman High School, Rock Island; Jordan Catholic School, Rock Island; Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy, East Moline; and Seton Catholic School, Moline. The following... Read More