COVID-19 in Illinois: What residents, businesses need to know this weekend – Peoria Journal Star

The U.S. earlier this week recorded the most COVID-19 deaths in a single day since mid-May nearly 1,500.

Meanwhile, coronavirus cases in Illinois surpassed 200,000. In the Tri-County Area, the number of confirmed cases is rising and three deaths were reported this week.

"Our numbers are increasing and we need to do a lot more," Monica Hendrickson, administrator of the Peoria City/County Health Department, said Thursday during her weekly COVID-19 roundup on Facebook. "Overall weve seen an increase from one week of 480 new cases from our Tri-County."

While the Tri-County is seeing an average increase of about 69 new cases each day, hospitals remain well below capacity, with occupancy in non-ICU beds at about 4.3%, and ICU beds at about 11%, Hendrickson said.

New rules and funding for Illinois businesses

Gov. JB Pritzkers emergency rule enforcing mask wearing and social distancing would require businesses, schools and day care facilities to make efforts to ensure that patrons and employees wear face masks and practice social distancing.

Non-compliant businesses will first get a written warning before other punitive measures are instituted, including fines ranging from $75 to $2,500.

"We are working to understand what this means and what the implications are," Hendrickson said.

A number of Peoria-area businesses are getting grants through a program Pritzker touted during a tour of the state this week. The Business Interruption Grants program will distribute $46 million to 2,655 small businesses in 78 counties in Illinois.

The program is designed to help businesses that were overlooked by the federal PPP program. In the Tri-County Area, a number of eateries, salons and gyms received $10,000 or $20,000 grants.

Illness linked to COVID-19 affecting Illinois children

At least 24 children in Illinois have been diagnosed with a severe illness linked to COVID-19. A new federal report placed Illinois among the top seven states in the country for the number of cases, according to a Chicago Tribune article by Lisa Schencker.

Nationwide, 570 cases had been reported to the CDC as of July 29.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome generally appears two to four weeks after the onset of COVID-19 in a child or adolescent, presenting with rash, fever, red eyes, swollen hands and feet, vomiting and abdominal pain.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, no children have died from the illness. It is disproportionately affecting minority populations.

Though children can get very sick and can require intensive care, they typically recover well, said Dr. Frank Belmonte, a physician at Advocate Childrens Hospital in Chicago who has treated about a dozen children with the syndrome.

Back-to-school plans

With teachers in Florida crafting their wills, according to a Florida Times-Union article by Emily Bloch, teachers in Peoria won an important battle this week.

Just before midnight on Monday, the board of Peoria Public Schools reversed an earlier decision to provide a hybrid plan for both in-school and remote learning amid a growing concern for teacher safety.

"It became apparent that the only way the hybrid plan was going to work was with flawless execution," said Board President Doug Shaw. "And human beings being human beings, flawless execution is too much to ask."

Only remote classes will be held in Peoria Public Schools, a decision which prompted administrators to give teachers a few more days to prepare for the start of the school year. School will be starting Aug. 24.

"This adjustment will allow all Peoria Public Schools stakeholders to be ready for Distance Learning to ensure our students will receive the best educational experience this school year," said Peoria Public Schools Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat in a message sent to families.

Coronavirus news across the U.S.

A couple good things are happening around the nation.

The number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are decreasing in California, a state that has been particularly hard hit. And new jobless claims dropped to 963,000, the lowest in months, though that number would have been considered high before the pandemic.

But difficulties still remain. A bipartisan deal for a new coronavirus stimulus package has stalled, and the director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning about the next few months. Americans should continue to wear masks, socially distance and wash their hands to prevent an avalanche of illness, said Robert Redfield, director of the CDC.

"I'm not asking some of America to do it. We all have to do it," Redfield told WebMD. "Or this could be the worst fall from a public health perspective that we have ever had."

Information from USA TODAY, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, the Florida Times-Union and WebMD was used to compile this report.

Leslie Renken can be reached at 270-8503 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter.com/LeslieRenken, and subscribe to her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken.

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COVID-19 in Illinois: What residents, businesses need to know this weekend - Peoria Journal Star