This morning, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission filed notice that they will
meet on Monday
and formally withdraw the emergency rule that created a presumption that the workplace was the cause of a COVID-19 infection. This action to withdraw the rule was taken after the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and Illinois Retail Merchants Association filed a
lawsuit
on Tuesday on behalf of two dozen organizations and won a Temporary Restraining Order on Thursday afternoon blocking the rule from taking effect. A Sangamon County judge
issued the TRO
on the grounds that the Commission exceeded its rulemaking authority.
During today's press conference, the Governor confirmed that they are continuing to look at ways to create a presumption for workers’ compensation cases including a potential new rule. As the IMA noted this morning, the issue will be introduced as legislation and the Commission continues to look at rule changes.
The
U.S. Small Business Administration
will resume accepting Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on Monday, April 27 at 9:30 a.m. CST.
This comes after the President signed Phase 3.5 that adds $484 billion in new funds including $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Act.
Daily COVID-19 Results
Governor JB Pritzker held his daily press conference and announced:
- There are 2,119 new cases of coronavirus in Illinois.
- There are a total of 1,874 deaths related to coronavirus in Illinois, including 80 additional deaths announced today.
- A total of 41,777 cases have been confirmed in at least 96 of the 102 counties.
- There have been 201,617 individuals tested for coronavirus in Illinois.
Press Conference Key Updates
- The Governor reminded Illinois residents of the state's emotional support program, Call4Calm, that is free to Illinoisans who are feeling stress or mental fatigue during the current pandemic. Individuals who text "TALK" or "HABLAR" for Spanish to 552020 will receive a call from a mental health professional within 24-hours.
- Those dealing with substance abuse disorders during this time are encouraged to visit helplineil.org.
Employer Resources & Programs
On Thursday, April 30, from 10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m., the IMA will host a webinar on maximizing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans funds. In this webinar we'll discuss how your PPP loan funds should be spent and how they should be tracked so your loan can become eligible for forgiveness, as well as a look at any new legislation. We'll also have a Q&A session at the end of our webinar. To register for the webinar,
click here
.
