A Clay County judge has ruled in favor of a challenge to the latest extension of the state’s stay-at-home order scheduled to take effect May 1. Judge Michael McHaney sided with a downstate lawmaker, State Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), who filed a lawsuit claiming Governor Pritzker did not have authority to extend his stay-at-home order beyond 30 days. The ruling only applies to Bailey as the sole plaintiff and does not block the order for the entire state. Governor Pritzker strongly defended his stay-at-home order during Monday’s briefing, characterizing Bailey’s lawsuit as “recklessness,” and an “insult” to those who have died from COVID-19. Pritzker said the ruling has put the people of Illinois at risk and he asked residents and leaders at the municipal level to continue to follow the stay-at-home guidelines as his office appeals the decision.
Governor JB Pritzker again said the battle against the coronavirus cannot be conducted on a regional basis. Pritzker said Cook County and the collar counties have most of the COVID-19 cases and deaths, but Jasper and Randolph counties have two of the state’s top five county infection rates while Jasper and Monroe counties have the state’s highest deaths per capita. Pritzker added in areas where the infection rate is lower, he has allowed hospitals to conduct some elective surgeries and has opened parks and recreation areas.
Sangamon County health officials report one additional death of a resident of The Villas Senior Care Community in Sherman who tested positive for COVID-19. The woman in her 80s died Monday after testing positive Friday. The county also announced four new COVID-19 cases, two residents and two staff members, raising the totals at the facility to 41 cases (26 residents, 15 staff members) including five deaths (all residents). The county reported 11 of the cases are in HSHS St. John’s Hospital with six hospitalized at Memorial Medical Center.
Illinois health officials reported 1,980 new COVID-19 cases and 50 additional deaths. State totals have risen to 45,883 cases including 1,983 deaths. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 12,676 tests were processed over the past 24 hours for a total of 227,628.
