BREAKING NEWS: Illinois covid-19 numbers, up 30 percent over the past week, have exploded and are up more than 70 percent in the last three weeks, according to the latest numbers from the Illinois Department of Public Health. IDPH numbers released today show the state is averaging 3,560 new cases of COVID per day over the last week. That is 72% more than the 2,069 new cases that the state was seeing each day on Oct. 27. Hospitalizations are also rising quickly statewide, with 1,627 patients currently hospitalized with covid statewide, an increase of 36 percent in the last three weeks. There are... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois covid-19 numbers exploded over the last week, roaring up almost 30 percent, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Despite a statewide mask mandate and other mitigations in place, Illinois Department of Public Health recorded a 29% increase in cases from the week prior, with numbers jumping from 17,462 to 22,600 cases in one week. Illinois health officials also reported 129 additional deaths and over 439,291 new vaccine doses administered. Since the pandemic began, 1,735,586 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the state, according to the latest data... Read More

BREAKING: Iowa covid-19 numbers are heating up as the weather cools down, pushing Iowa into the red zone of “high” contagion and causing some to call for a statewide shutdown and new mask mandates. The 14-day positivity rate of COVID-19 for the state climbed from 8.9% to 9.2% in the last week, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Iowa has had 8,047 new positive cases in just the last week. Of those hospitalized with COVID-19, 75.8% are unvaccinated, while 87.1% of those listed in intensive care with COVID-19 are unvaccinated. Numbers from the Iowa Department of Public... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois covid-19 cases are starting to rise again as temperatures grow colder and the holidays loom, an ominous sign that statewide covid regulations and mask mandates aren’t leaving any time soon. The Illinois Department of Public Health released numbers today showing that cases are continue to steadily rise, and hospitalizations are starting to spike again. There were over 17,000 new confirmed and probable cases reported last week. The 7-day average for cases is now 2,671. IDPH reported 2,060 new confirmed and probable cases Monday. The state also said over 1,300 people... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: If you refuse to be vaccinated or comply with workplace covid mandates, you could be fired from your job in Illinois, according to a new law in the state. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signed into law an amendment to the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act allowing employers to penalize employees if they refuse to follow workplace rules about covid, including mandatory vaccinations, testing, and other mandates. The Illinois Senate voted 31-24 to approve the proposal; the measure passed out of the House on a 64-52-2 vote. Pritkzer signed the amendment into law Monday. The... Read More

If you refuse to be vaccinated or comply with workplace covid mandates, you could be fired from your job in Illinois, according to a new law in the state. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signed into law an amendment to the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act allowing employers to penalize employees if they refuse to follow workplace rules about covid, including mandatory vaccinations, testing, and other mandates. The Illinois Senate voted 31-24 to approve the proposal; the measure passed out of the House on a 64-52-2 vote. Pritkzer signed the amendment into law Monday. The Health Care Right... Read More

Genesis Health Systems released its latest numbers for covid cases in its Quad-Cities hospitals. The release states the following: Genesis Health System COVID-19 Hospitalization Update: GMC-Davenport @ 24 GMC-Silvis @ 7 GMC-DeWitt @ 0 Jackson County Regional Health @ 2 GMC-Aledo  @ 0 Total COVID hospitalization @ 33 COVID Hospitalization In ICU GMC-Davenport @ 6 GMC-Silvis @ 3 Age Distribution 30-39 = 2 40-49 = 4 50-59 = 6 60-69 = 9 70-70 = 7 80+ = 5 Total = 33 Notes: Genesis has extended deadline for employee vaccination or approved exemption to Nov. 15 The percentage of... Read More

An Illinois Junior High, Edison Junior High School in Rock Island, has been closed effective immediately due to a major spike in covid-19 cases, the Rock Island School District announced today. Edison will close for an adaptive pause due to an increase in positive cases of Covid-19, the announcement said. In an e-mail, the District didn’t mention the number of cases but did say there was a rapid spike in the number of both students and staff having contracted and in quarantine from covid cases and potential exposure. The decision to close the school was made after consultation with the Rock... Read More

Alongside your turkey, pumpkin pie, and mashed potatoes, should we expect to see masks once more at Thanksgiving dinner this year? It’s looking like it. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker talked to the media at an event to showcase him getting his covid-19 booster shot (Pfizer) and didn’t rule that out. Pritzker said there’s a possibility he might lift the statewide indoor mask mandate in time for the holidays, but he doesn’t see it happening any time soon. Given that there’s only three weeks until Thanksgiving, it’s not looking promising. “What we’re trying to evaluate... Read More

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a law protecting workers from having to comply with covid mandates at the office if they have religious or other exemptions to them. On Friday night, Reynolds signed the bill that would allow employees to escape employer covid mandates, including vaccination mandates, and allow greater use of medical and religious exemptions for people to refuse covid restrictions. The Iowa House and Senate had passed the bill Thursday. It makes it tougher for businesses to Kim Reynolds require employees to be vaccinated or submit to other covid protocols such as regular testing.... Read More