(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Here are latest developments in the coronavirus outbreak in Illinois on Wednesday, May 27, 2020:
- All regions of Illinois continue to be on track to move into a slightly more relaxed phase on Friday, Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday. The state's four regions of his Restore Illinois plan — including Chicago and its suburbs — currently meet healthcare metrics necessary to ease many restrictions Pritzker imposed earlier this year to curb the spread of COVID-19. Pritzker said the statewide "positivity" rate from coronavirus tests is 9.2 percent, well below the tripwire level of 20 percent; and COVID-related hospitalizations have reached a six-week low. MORE DETAILS HERE.
- NEW NUMBERS: The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,178 new cases and 39 deaths. That takes the state's overall known total to 113,195 cases, including 4,923 deaths. READ MORE HERE.
- Chicago police announced Tuesday 10 more cases of COVID-19 within the department, bringing the total number of cases to 548. Of the confirmed cases, 519 are officers and 29 are civilian employees. MORE DETAILS HERE.
- A Chinese medication, falsely advertising to treat COVID-19, was seized Tuesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at O'Hare International Airport. A total of three parcels were seized, with each box containing 9,600 capsules of Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang - a total of 28,800 capsules; equating to a domestic value of $28,797. While these capsules are being used to treat some COVID-19 patients, their effectiveness is unknown and they remain an unapproved medicine for use in the United States. DETAILS HERE.
- Day care and child care centers are preparing to reopen in Illinois. Child care and day care centers will be allowed to reopen in Phase Three of the Restore Illinois plan - which is set to tentatively take effect on Friday - and and the owners of the centers say they are getting ready. People who run child care centers have been training staffers on the new rules that will be in place. READ MORE HERE.
- Mayor Lightfoot in partnership with the Chicago Department of Public Health, industry leaders, labor leaders, and public officials from around Chicago, released Tuesday industry-specific guidelines for businesses, employees, and customers to follow as the city prepares to begin safely reopening in early June. Industry-specific guidelines include details such as how businesses can engage in healthy interactions between workers and customers, how to maintain safe working spaces and conditions, and how to design and monitor workplace operations to create flexibility and maintain safety for employees and customers. The guidelines are aligned with the state-issued guidelines, with specificity included for Chicago's context. MORE DETAILS HERE.
- The president of a major Illinois attraction said it's a "symbol of summer" and it's making plans to reopen. Six Flags announced Tuesday its amusement parks, including Six Flags Great America, in Gurnee, will require both guests and employees to use updated precautionary measures as the parks prepare to reopen soon. The announcement came as Illinois prepares to enter Phase Three of Governor Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan. President of Six Flags Great America Hank Salemi said the park has consulted with health experts to construct a safe reopening plan that they'll soon present to the state. DETAILS HERE.
- Mayor Lightfoot announced Tuesday a new $56 million RFP to expand contact tracing in Chicago. The The RFP will be awarded to a single lead organization and 85 percent of the funds, which come from the CDC and IDPH, will be directed to support at least 30 organizations that are either neighborhood-based or primarily support residents of the communities most impacted by COVID-19. According to Mayor Lightfoot, these organizations will be responsible for recruiting, hiring, and supporting a total of at least 600 new contact tracers, supervisors and referral coordinators across the city, all of whom will "ultimately be able to trace 4,500 new contacts per day when fully ramped up." She said most of these jobs will last 18 months, and "we are talking about good-paying jobs here with contact tracers making $20 per hour, supervisors making more and all with health benefits." READ MORE HERE.
- Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced Tuesday his office's reopening plan, beginning June 1, with the first two months focused on serving only new drivers, customers with expired driver's licenses/ID cards, and vehicle transactions. Currently there are more than 700,000 expired driver's licenses/ID cards and 1.9 million expired vehicle registrations. MORE DETAILS HERE.
- Illinois' state comptroller has enlisted part of the "A-Team" to help in getting people to follow safe coronavirus prevention measures. State Comptroller Susana Mendoza posted on Twitter that she's always been a fan of Chicago's own Mr. T, who grew up in the Chicago Housing Authority projects, became a bouncer, a bodyguard and then a Hollywood actor. So, Mendoza asked Mr. T to do a public service announcement about the importance of wearing a mask to help limit the spread of the coronavirus. He did. WATCH HERE.
This is a rapidly evolving situation. Stay tuned to WBBM Newsradio where we will remain live, local, and committed to bringing you the latest information during this outbreak. >>LISTEN LIVE!
