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Illinois Health Department Issues Warning With COVID Cases ‘Slowly Rising’ in State

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The Illinois Division of Public Well being on Thursday issued a warning as COVID case charges are “slowly rising in lots of areas of the state.”

The well being division mentioned residents “needs to be paying shut consideration to situations of their native communities” and urged vaccinations and booster pictures for eligible populations.

“Whereas hospitalizations and deaths tied to COVID-19 stay secure at the moment, we’re seeing a sluggish enhance in instances in lots of areas of the state,” Performing IDPH Director Amaal Tokars mentioned in a press release. “It is a reminder that all of us want to stay vigilant and stay updated on our vaccination standing. That is particularly vital for many who are at greater threat for severe outcomes.”  

The warning comes because the so-called “stealth omicron” subvariant continues its speedy unfold within the Midwest, making up greater than 80% of current COVID instances, in response to Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention estimates.

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Well being officers mentioned Illinois “stays strongly positioned to reply within the occasion of a brand new COVID-19 surge” because the state’s take a look at stockpile was not too long ago replenished with greater than 1.5 million speedy assessments readily available and one other half million on the way in which.

“As well as, hospitals, faculties, and long run care services have been urged take steps to extend their present testing capability,” IDPH mentioned in its warning. “The state can be supporting pharmacies and healthcare suppliers in efforts to extend their inventories of the assorted FDA-authorized therapies in case of one other surge. IDPH is advising suppliers to evaluate their sufferers shortly, inside 5 days of the onset of signs, after a COVID-19 prognosis to find out if they’re eligible for therapy.”

In accordance with the newest up to date estimates from the CDC, it’s believed that the BA.2 subvariant of omicron is answerable for 85.9% of latest COVID infections in america during the last week.

In some components of the nation, that quantity is even greater, with greater than 92% of instances in New York and New Jersey now linked to that subvariant, the CDC says.

Within the Midwest, the CDC says that 83.7% of instances are believed to be linked to the subvariant. Lower than one month in the past, the BA.2 subvariant made up lower than 15% of instances, in response to the division’s estimates.

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That speedy progress in subvariant instances is a part of a development of accelerating instances within the state of Illinois. For the reason that begin of April, Illinois has seen its each day case fee climb by at the very least 45%.

Hospitalizations haven’t proven indicators of speedy enhance both on the nationwide stage or on the state stage, with well being officers saying that almost all of Illinois continues to be at a “low” transmission threat of COVID.

Because of this, public well being officers say that they aren’t contemplating extra mitigation actions at the moment, ruling out a return to masks mandates and different such orders in the meanwhile.

Chicago well being officers have additionally famous a gradual climb in instances.

As of Monday, the town was averaging 336 new COVID instances per day, up from 257 one week prior. The positivity fee was additionally as much as 1.8%, a rise from the 1.5% reported final week.

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Throughout the U.S., there was a slight enhance in instances in current weeks, with each day confirmed instances nationwide rising from about 25,000 per day to greater than 30,000. 

Extreme sicknesses and deaths are inclined to lag infections by a number of weeks, officers mentioned.

State well being officers urged residents, notably these in greater transmission areas or these at greater threat of sickness, to take the next precautions:

• Get vaccinated and keep up-to-date on really helpful booster pictures to guard your self, your family members and buddies.
• In case you are in an space with rising COVID-19 infections, put on a masks if getting into indoor areas with different folks current and think about avoiding massive gatherings.
• Persist with well-ventilated areas in case you are not carrying a masks indoors round different folks.
• Should you really feel flu-like signs, self-isolate and keep dwelling from work in addition to social gatherings; and procure a take a look at as shortly as attainable.
• Should you take a look at optimistic, discuss to your supplier instantly so you may get COVID-19 therapy inside 5 days of beginning to really feel sick. Additionally, talk in regards to the optimistic outcome with any individuals you may have been in shut contact inside two days of falling sick or testing optimistic.
• Proceed to continuously wash your fingers and canopy coughs and sneezes.

The CDC final up to date its county-by-county group ranges map Thursday, exhibiting excessive transmission ranges in 4 Illinois counties. In these communities, individuals are suggested to put on masks in public indoor areas, together with faculties, and take extra precautions if in danger for extreme sickness.

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The next counties had been listed within the excessive class final week:

  • Gallatin County
  • Hardin County
  • Pope County
  • Saline County



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Illinois

House Democrats expected to vote on $53.1B budget as Republicans complains of overspending

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House Democrats expected to vote on $53.1B budget as Republicans complains of overspending


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois House geared up Tuesday night to vote on a $53.1 billion state budget but planned to work into Wednesday to get the job done.

Legislative leaders expected that the House would adopt the plan which the Senate OK’d Sunday night. It’s $400 million more than Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposed in February and raises taxes and makes other tax code changes to generate $1.2 billion to fund it.

“This budget is balanced, responsible and fair,” House Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth, a Peoria Democrat, told the Executive Committee. “It invests in children, it invests in infrastructure, it also invests in our most vulnerable.”

Even though the Legislature has gone beyond its self-imposed adjournment deadline of May 24, lawmakers don’t expect conclusion until early Wednesday because of constitutional requirements on the number of days that legislation must be read publicly.

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Republicans complained that Democrats, who control the Legislature, are spending beyond their means and not preparing for what many predict are lean years ahead. Deputy House Republican Leader Norine Hammond of Macomb said she found at least $1 billion in spending that would be pushed off to the following fiscal year.

There’s a $350 million increase for elementary and secondary education, as prescribed by a 2017 school-funding overhaul, but a reduction from what was requested by the state education board in federally mandated school operations. The budget puts an additional $75 million for early childhood education, meaning 5,000 more seats, Gordon-Booth said.

The proposal to provide $182 million to fund services for tens of thousands of migrants seeking asylum in the U.S., largely bused from Texas, where they cross the border. And it provides $440 million for health care for noncitizens.

It also pays the state’s full obligation to its woefully underfunded pension funds and chips in an additional $198 million to the so-called rainy day fund to for an economic downturn.

Gordon-Booth said the proposal is just 1.6% more than what will be spent this year. Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, a Jacksonville Republican, noted that the budget is now $20 billion more than a decade ago. He criticized the transfer of dedicated funds, such as $150 million from the road fund and $50 million from a fund to clean up leaking underground storage tanks to shore up public transit.

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“I have a concerns that there are gimmicks in this budget that put us on a path to a giant collision in the future,” Davidsmeyer told Gordon-Booth. “I hope I don’t have to say, ‘I told you so’ when it happens.”

The business tax hikes in particular pushed the General Assembly past its adjournment deadline as lobbyists scrambled to limit the impact. But the spending plan raises $526 million by extending a cap on tax-deductible business losses at $500,000. There’s also a cap of $1,000 per month on the amount retail stores may keep for their expenses in holding back state sale taxes. That would bring in about $101 million.

And there would be $235 million more from increased sports wagering taxes and on video gambling. Pritzker wanted the tax, paid by casino sportsbooks, to jump from 15% to 35%, but it was set on a sliding scale from 20% to 40%.

Another Pritzker victory comes in the form of the elimination of the 1% tax on groceries, another of the governor’s inflation-fighting proposals. But because the tax directly benefits local communities, the budget plan would allow any municipality to create its own grocery tax up to 1% without state oversight.

And those with home-rule authority — generally, any city or county with a population exceeding $25,000, would be authorized to implement a sales tax up to 1% without submitting the question to voters for approval.

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Top seed Illinois falls to Georgia Tech in quarterfinals of NCAA men’s golf championships

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Top seed Illinois falls to Georgia Tech in quarterfinals of NCAA men’s golf championships


Another trip to match play in the NCAA men’s golf championships ended short of a national title for Illinois.

Coach Mike Small’s Illini — who earned the No. 1 seed by finishing 16 shots clear of the field after 72 holes of stroke play — lost 3-1 to eighth-seeded Georgia Tech in a quarterfinal match Tuesday morning in Carlsbad, Calif.

Max Herendeen, who tied for second Monday in the individual competition, was the only Illinois player to win his match, recording the day’s first point with a 5-and-4 rout of Carson Kim.

But the Yellow Jackets clinched the match with wins by Bartley Forrester over Tyler Goecke (3 and 1), Aidan Tran over Piercen Hunt (3 and 2) and NCAA individual champion Hiroshi Tai over Ryan Voois (3 and 2). That rendered Jackson Buchanan’s match against Georgia Tech’s Kale Fontenot moot.

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“For whatever reason we lost our way and started guiding it and started worrying about things,” Small said in a press release. “I think a lot of our guys fell back on some of the tendencies that they were getting better at all spring, and I think under the pressure and tension they reverted back to some of that stuff.

“We were in control of the match halfway through and the back nine is one we took care of all week, so maybe the pressure got to them and maybe they got ahead of themselves and were thinking of the outcome for whatever reason.”

This was Illinois’ ninth time qualifying for match play since the current format was adopted in 2009, and the Illini have made the NCAA championships 17 times and won 13 Big Ten titles in Small’s 25 years in charge. But they still are seeking the program’s first national championship.

Georgia Tech moved on to a semifinal match later Tuesday against No. 5 seed Florida State, a 3-1 winner over fourth-seeded North Carolina.

No. 6 seed Auburn faced No. 7 Ohio State in the other semifinal as all four quarterfinals were won by the lower seed. The Tigers beat third-seeded Virginia 3-1, while the Buckeyes advanced with a 3-1-1 victory over second-seeded Vanderbilt.

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The championship match is Wednesday at La Costa (6 p.m. CDT, Golf Channel).



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Oldest Farmers Market In Illinois To Reopen For 113th Season

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Oldest Farmers Market In Illinois To Reopen For 113th Season


AURORA, IL — The Aurora Farmers Market, said to be the oldest in the state, will reopen June 1 for its 113th season.

New vendors will join dozens of returning farmers and fan favorites from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday at Water Street Square, 65 S. Water St., across from City Hall. The season will run through Oct. 5.

To mark the new season, the city will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday. The inaugural market day will also feature entertainment for children from Miss Jaime from the Farm at 10 a.m., live music from Nick Scarpinato, and a petting zoo courtesy of Phillips Park Zoo, officials said.

Similar to years past, the Aurora Farmers Market is partnering with Link Up Illinois and Ascension Mercy’s Fresh First Program. The partnerships, respectively, double the value of Link/EBT purchases and provide vouchers for children on select days throughout the season.

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