State health officials reported 1,111 new COVID-19 cases in Wednesday’s update with 160 deaths. Labs in the state processed 17,179 tests for a positive rate of about six percent. The rolling seven-day positive test rate dropped to 8.6 percent. State totals are 114,306 cases including 5,083 deaths.
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza released a video message saying state lawmakers are not receiving a raise this year because they did not appropriate any money to pay for it. Mendoza said by law, a cost of living increase is required, but her office cannot pay it with no dollars allocated for it.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has received $7.3 million in federal dollars for the state’s Small Business Development Center. The SBDC supports starting, growing and maintaining businesses at no charge, and has reported increase usage during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As drive-in movie theaters reopen, an association of indoor theaters has proposed ways to roll their projectors sooner than the state’s stay-at-home rules. The National Association of Theatre Owners of Illinois points out their facilities could not open before June 26 under the governor’s plan, and then to only 50 patrons at a time which the association says is arbitrary considering wide differences in the amount of seating. The group calls for safety guidelines and allowing seating up to 50 percent capacity, the same as allowed for restaurants and bars in Phase 4.
