BREAKING NEWS: Vaccines could be available to schoolchildren ages 5-11 throughout Illinois as soon as later this year, according to reports out of Frankfurt, Germany. The company behind the vaccines, BioNTech will be requesting approval for its covid-19 vaccine use in kids 5-11 across the globe over the next few weeks and preparations for a launch are on track, the biotech firm’s two top executives told German newspaper Der Spiegel. “Already over the next few weeks we will file the results of our trial in five to 11 year olds with regulators across the world and will request approval... 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

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois is expanding mental health programs for farmers and those working in agricultural programs, Gov. JB Pritzker announced this morning at the Illinois Farm Progress Show, the nation’s largest outdoor farm event. Farmers’ mental health is being addressed and helped by the new program, which is especially crucial during the spiking covid-19 pandemic, Pritzker said. “No industry merges innovation and tradition quite like this one,” Pritkzer said, “and doing so while maintaining sustenance, which is integral for our communities. That is no small responsibility... 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

Incoming University of Minnesota rower Ella Saunders has been named to the U.S. Under 19 National Team, for the 2021 World Rowing Junior Championships this week (Aug. 11-15) in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. A native of North Liberty, Iowa (north of Iowa City), Saunders will compete in the women’s double sculls for the United States, according to the University of Minnesota. As a three-year member of the Y Quad Cities junior rowing team, Saunders is coming off a national title with the program’s girls quadruple sculls at the 2021 USRowing Youth National Regatta and two national titles at the 2021... 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

It’s Independence Day weekend, and as such, as you may have heard — literally — people will be lighting off a lot of fireworks! We at QuadCities.com encourage everyone to celebrate in a fun and safe manner, and to emerge from this weekend with all of your fingers and toes intact. We asked our friends at Genesis Health Center about last year’s numbers in regard to injuries, and they noted that they saw more folks coming in with accidents. “Last year 2020, Genesis Medical Center-Davenport saw we had an increase of firework injuries as compared to the last few years with... Read More