Quick Hits: Illinois News In Brief For Oct. 9

From The Center Square:

The Center Square

Oct 9, 2020

14 min ago

Restrictions could be lifted in Metro East

The governor’s unilateral COVID-19 restrictions prohibiting indoor bar and restaurant service in the Metro East St. Louis region could be relaxed.

The governor announced the restrictions weeks ago because the region had a COVID-19 positivity rate of more than 8 percent. But those restrictions could be lifted if the region is under 6.5 percent.

The region has hit that metric for several days in a row.

Group says inquiry above political fray

The nonpartisan Reform For Illinois says the ongoing House investigation of House Speaker Michael Madigan’s role in the ComEd bribery scandal isn’t about politics, it’s about accountability.

The Republican minority leader blasted Democrats for delaying further hearings of the issue until after the Nov. 3 election.

Democrats said its political theater and Madigan has done nothing wrong.

S&P joins Fitch with low rating for Illinois' bonds

Another rating agency is giving Illinois bonds a near junk status. Fitch Ratings this week rated $850 million of general obligation bonds BBB- (triple B minus), which is just above speculative grade, which some call junk. S&P Global Ratings issued the same rating Thursday.

S&P said 15 percent of the state’s budget is based on speculative revenue from federal funds and tax increases that haven’t materialized.

Unemployment claims increase in Illinois

Illinois continues to see increasing initial unemployment claims.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday more than 36,000 Illinoisans filed for initial unemployment claims last week.

That’s more than 6,600 more than the week before, and a larger increase than any other state saw from the week before.

COVID-19 hospitalizations increase in Illinois

For the first time since mid-June, patients with COVID-19 symptoms are taking more than 1,700 of the state’s 35,000 hospital beds, but that is thousands fewer than the peak in April. T

he latest daily Illinois Department of Public Health COVID-19 report had 1,755 people in the hospital with COVID-19 symptoms.

There were more than 5,000 such patients in the hospital with COVID-19 symptoms on April 28.

Health officials report first West Nile death in Illinois in 2020

Illinois public health officials reported the first death of West Nile virus in Illinois for 2020 Thursday.

The Chicago resident became ill in mid-September. There are 24 human cases reported in Illinois.

The virus is spread by mosquitoes who feed on infected birds. Common symptoms in humans are fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches.

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