IMA COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update - #60
Please visit the IMA’s dedicate d CO VID-19 page for updates and resources. 

Governor Pritzker released his Restore Illinois plan nearly ten days ago using health metrics and data to determine the 5 phases of reopening. The plan creates four zones with each currently in Phase 2. This morning, the Illinois Department of Public Health began publicly updating their data so that the four regions can see where they stand with regard to moving to the next phase on May 28. Click here to see the data in your zone . 

Daily COVID-19 Results
 
Governor JB Pritzker held his daily press conference and announced:
 
  1. There are 1,266 new cases of coronavirus in Illinois.
  2. There are a total of 3,459 deaths related to coronavirus in Illinois, including 54 additional deaths announced today.
  3. A total of 79,007 cases have been confirmed in at least 98 of the 102 counties. These numbers include many individuals who have already recovered.
  4. There have been 442,425 individuals tested for coronavirus in Illinois.

Press Conference Key Updates

  • The Governor noted today that new modeling shows Illinois' peak in new infections has been pushed back from mid-May to mid-June. This shift in the peak is said to be a natural consequence of flattening the curve by slowing down the exponential rate of transmissions. In short, infections have slowed, but not peaked.
  • It was also announced today that the state's basic reproduction number (R0), pronounced “R naught,” that demonstrates how many other individuals will contract a disease from an infected individual, has fallen from 3.6 to an even 1.0. Once the state gets an R0 of below 1.0, the spread of the infection will decrease.
  • The Governor gave an update on where each of the four regions (northeast region, north central region, central region and southern region) stand on the metrics of the Governor's plans to reopen the state:
  • Metric #1 - At or under a 20 percent positivity rate and increasing no more than 10 percentage points over a 14-day period:
  • Northeast Region: 22.3% positivity rate (does not meet the standard to proceed to the next phase
  • North Central Region: 9.1% positivity rate
  • Central Region: 6% positivity rate
  • Southern Region: 10.5% positivity rate
  • Metric #2 - No overall increase (i.e. stability or decrease) in hospital admissions for COVID-19-like illness for 28 days:
  • Northeast Region: 18.6% decrease
  • North Central Region: 35.8% decrease
  • Central Region: 44.4% decrease
  • Southern Region: 54.3% decrease
  • Metric #3 - Available surge capacity of at least 14 percent of ICU beds, medical and surgical beds, and ventilators:
  • Northeast Region: 17.8% of beds available, 18.8% of ICU beds available, 64.3% of ventilators available.
  • North Central Region: 41.1% of beds available, 40.6% of ICU beds available, 60.9% of ventilators available.
  • Central Region: 52.4% of beds available, 44.2% of ICU beds available, 74.6% of ventilators available
  • Southern Region: 45.8% of beds available, 28% of ICU beds available, 80.7% of ventilators available.

Employer Resources & Programs

The Illinois Department of Human Rights released an FAQ for businesses concerning face coverings. The new FAQ can be found here .

On Tuesday, May 12, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am CST, the IMA will be hosting a webinar on " Best Practices in Reopening Your Business – Next Steps For Employers & Keeping Employees Safe ." This comprehensive discussion led by David B. Ritter, a partner and the Chair of the Barnes & Thornburg LLP Chicago office labor and employment practice and an IMA member as he discusses how to reopen your business safely, including:

  • Reducing risk in the workplace
  • When to return and reopen - who comes back?
  • What to do if someone tests positive
  • Communications – How to share with employees everything the company is doing to keep them safe
  • The 2nd Wave

To register for this webinar, please click here .

On Friday, May 15, from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm CST, the IMA will be hosting a webinar on " Top 7 Ways to Increase Cash Flow Through Digital Marketing Strategies During Covid-19." Discussion includes strategies to help generate leads and new business during this uncertain time:

  • Effect on B2B Businesses
  • How should you be communicating with customers?
  • What opportunities does this present
  • Where to find the marketing budget
  • Putting it all together: Website, Social, Webinar, Email, Organic Tactics

To register for this webinar, please click here .
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Mark Denzler
President & CEO
Illinois Manufacturers' Association
Disclaimer : The information in this email is provided for general informational purposes only as a benefit of your membership in the Illinois Manufacturers' Association. No information contained in this email should be construed as legal advice from the IMA or the individual author, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.