COVID-19 Updates: Governor J.B. Pritzker Initiatives, Contact Tracing Efforts, and Chicago’s Response”

On Monday, Governor J.B. Pritzker unveiled two pilot initiatives in the counties of Lake and St. Clair as part of an initiative to increase contact tracing in Illinois.

One of the main conditions for completely reopening the state, according to Pritzker, is a thorough system to track, alert, and isolate everyone who has had substantial contact with COVID-19 individuals who have been diagnosed.

Additionally, 2,294 new COVID-19 infections and 59 more deaths were recorded by Illinois officials. According to the most recent data, there are 4,234 fatalities and 96,485 known cases in the state.

Chicago Mayor Imposes Fines for Church Gatherings Breaching Stay-at-Home Orders

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced earlier on Monday that churches that exceeded the number of persons permitted by the state’s stay-at-home edict will face fines from the city. This happened after at least 100 people showed up for Sunday worship at a church in Belmont-Cragin.

The family of a lady who passed away at a Geneva nursing home from the coronavirus filed a complaint on Monday, claiming the institution neglected to take necessary safety measures to prevent the disease from spreading, leaving its inmates exposed.

Geneva officials refuted the claims, stating that the majority of COVID-19 cases there never shown any signs of a “silent enemy.”

Negligence at Kane County Nursing Home Spurs COVID-19 Outbreak: Lawsuit Details”

The Kane County Circuit Court complaint alleges that the nursing home was negligent in failing to separate sick individuals and in providing proper protective equipment and testing, which allowed the disease to spread like wildfire throughout the institution. As of Friday, the residence had 122 cases and 22 fatalities documented, ranking among the highest in the state. Go here to read more. — McCoppin Robert

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Governor J.B. Pritzker Investigates Illinois Unemployment Site Data Breach Impact”

Governor J.B. Pritzker announced on Monday that the state is still looking into the number of persons impacted by the data breach in the recently launched unemployment site for the Illinois Department of Employment Security, which exposed citizens’ private information last week.

The extent of the impact is yet unknown, but some applicants for unemployment benefits had their social security numbers and residences made public along with other sensitive information.”

Chef José Andrés, who is currently well-known across the world for his humanitarian efforts, was present on Monday at a new coronavirus testing facility on the Northwest Side alongside actor Sean Penn and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

World Central Kitchen Extends Aid to Chicago COVID Testing Sites

Andrés launched the non-profit World Central Kitchen, which will assist in providing meals for employees at new testing locations in the Little Village and Hanson Park districts. The non-governmental organization was founded by the chef in reaction to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, he became a vocal leader in Puerto Rico’s recovery efforts.

State Farm declared on Monday that it will reduce its vehicle insurance premiums by $2.2 billion, given the fact that the coronavirus outbreak is causing Americans to drive less.

The largest car insurance underwriter in the US is this Bloomington, Indiana-based company. State Farm predicts that the national average of these rate reductions will be 11%. The company is requesting regulatory clearance in every state to lower vehicle rates nationally.

State Farm’s $2 Billion Rebate: Driving Less, Saving More on Auto Insurance

Because fewer people are driving during the health crisis, State Farm said this month that it will repay $2 billion to policyholders as part of its “Good Neighbor Relief Program.” Most drivers who have vehicle insurance got a credit of 25%. According to State Farm, the combined savings from the rate cut and the rebate may result in savings for its clients of almost $4.2 billion.

On Monday, aldermen and restaurant owners in Chicago demanded action against third-party food delivery costs and practices that are coming under more scrutiny as their industry grows and establishments are fighting to stay open amid the COVID-19 shutdown.

The varied expenses that Grub Hub, Door Dash, and other delivery apps charge restaurants to make deliveries have drawn criticism in recent months. These applications deliver meals to restaurants in return for additional fees.

Beverly Kim, a co-owner of Wherewithal and Parachute in Avondale, before a City Council committee on Monday that her establishments don’t provide what they promise. However, she stated that she just learned that a delivery service had created a phony website promoting Parachute and promising to bring meals to people’s houses. Go here to read more. — Byrne John