Illinois Quick Hits: Unemployment Fraud Audited; Chicago Hotel Activity Increases

By The Center Square Staff:

Unemployment fraud audit

Not even the Illinois Auditor General can show how much fraud there’s been in the state’s unemployment system. While the audit of the Illinois Department of Employment Security for the year that ended June 30, 2021 showed the state paid more than 420,000 claimants more than $8.1 billion, the department didn't maintain records sufficient enough "to determine the extend to which the financial statement may have been affected."

Report highlights problem gambling prevalence

The Illinois Department of Human Services has released the first-of-its-kind statewide assessment of problem gambling in Illinois. The study found that around 4% of Illinoisans, which is 383,000 people, are considered to have a gambling problem. The study also found that 68% of adults in the state reported gambling in the past year, with the lottery being the most popular form.

Chicago hotel activity increased

Hotel occupancy and pedestrian activity in downtown Chicago has climbed to its highest level since the start of the pandemic. A report from Chicago Loop Alliance shows hotels averaged 71.3 percent occupancy. Officials said they expect business travel to pick up now that certain COVID mitigations have eased for international travel.

Manteno home COVID outbreak

Health officials are dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak at an Illinois veterans home. The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs reports 16 residents and six staff members have tested positive for the virus at the veterans home in Manteno. One resident who had already been under hospice care died Wednesday, hours after testing positive for the virus. The outbreak comes about a month after Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration was criticized by the state auditor general for its handling of a coronavirus outbreak that killed 36 veterans at the LaSalle Veterans' Home.

CDC working with Illinois on monkeypox cases

The Illinois Department of Public Health is continuing to work with the CDC and local public health officials to investigate suspected cases of monkeypox virus in Illinois. As of Thursday, IDPH is reporting ten Illinois cases, eight that have been confirmed by the CDC, including nine in Chicago and one in DuPage County. Officials said while monkeypox is a rare disease and does not spread easily between people without close contact, they urge the general public to be aware of the small but growing number of cases that have been identified.

Eastern milksnake is official state snake

Gov. J.B. Pritzker Thursday designated the eastern milksnake as the official snake of the State of Illinois. The measure began as an initiative led by a 7th grader at Carterville Junior High School. The eastern milksnake is found all across Illinois – it lives in fields, woodlands, rocky hills, and river bottoms. It is not a poisonous snake and is even bred as pets.

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