Before Illinois residents can return to what Gov. J.B. Pritzker calls a “new normal,” he says 7-in-10 residents 65 and older must get a COVID-19 vaccination.
Pritzker appeared in Chicago on Thursday to announce the requirements the state must meet before he will remove his restrictions on businesses and crowd capacities.
“It’s time to cautiously move toward normalcy,” he said. “It’s imperative that we do so in a way that maintains all the progress we’ve made to date.”
Notably, Pritzker said 70% of the state’s 65 and older residents must get vaccinated.
“I’m optimistic about reaching that milestone because, as of this morning, that number is 58%,” he said.
In a release, his office said 28 days of low viral spread and other metrics must follow that vaccination threshold before he would begin to “turn the dial” toward his final “Phase 5” mitigations.
“Once 70% of residents 65 and older have been vaccinated and barring any reversals in our COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths for a 28-day monitoring period, the Bridge to Phase 5 will begin with increased capacity limits in both indoor and outdoor settings,” the release said.
Final mitigations would be removed once half of all residents over 16 years of age receive at least one shot.
Over the weekend, Republican pollster Frank Luntz held a focus group and found 42% of Republicans say they “probably or definitely will not get the shot,” compared with 17% of Democrats.
About 58% of the state’s 65 and older population is currently vaccinated, Pritzker said. A public health official from Brown University told the Chicago Tribune that vaccination demand is beginning to slow.
Pritzker added that masks will remain mandatory until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say it’s safe to leave them home.
The governor also announced he’ll open up the state’s COVID-19 vaccinations to anyone over 16 years of age starting on Aprril 12.
WCHD Focusing On Homebound Residents For Vaccine Distribution
The Wabash County Health Department is covering all bases in finding any eligible residents who want the COVID-19 vaccine, but haven’t gotten it yet. At Monday’s county board meeting, health department administrator Judy Wissel said her office is targeting those who might not be aware of the vaccine’s availability…
Wissel said there are several openings available in a vaccination clinic on Saturday, March 27th. You can call the health department to see if you’re eligible and to schedule an appointment.
So far, Wissel said over 5,800 individuals in Wabash and Edwards County have been vaccinated. She said that number does not include the vaccines Wabash General Hospital gave to their employees.
MCHS Releases Homecoming Details
Mt. Carmel High School is announcing plans for Homecoming, April 16, 2021
There will be a parade at 4:00 p.m. which will go uptown from the High School and will include the Fall Sports, Cheerleaders, and the Homecoming court.
If any alumni wish to participate please contact Mike Mandrell immediately at: mmandrell@wabash348.com
The Homecoming Queen will be crowned at halftime of the Homecoming Football game against Breese Mater Dei at 7:00 p.m.
A Dance will be held for Freshman and Sophomore that are enrolled at MCHS will be held from 7-9 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, 2021, at the top of the Stadium. This is only for current Mt. Carmel students in grades 9 and 10. The dance is casual and admission is free and water will be available.
Morning Crash on SR 62 Claims the Life of Chandler Woman
Warrick County – This morning at approximately 7:30, Indiana State Police, Warrick County Sheriff’s Office and Chandler Police responded to a three-vehicle crash on SR 62 at Epworth Road that claimed the life of a Chandler woman.
Preliminary investigation revealed a tractor-trailer had stopped on SR 62 eastbound just west of Epworth Road due to a red traffic signal. Sheila Shofstall, 70, of Chandler, was driving her 2007 Kia and was also stopped on SR 62 behind the tractor-trailer. Dense fog was in the area and visibility was limited. Vernon Knepp, 44, of Washington, was driving a 2011 Ford pickup truck pulling a utility trailer eastbound on SR 62 and failed to notice traffic was stopped at Epworth Road. Knepp’s vehicle struck the rear of Shofstall’s Kia pushing it forward and into the rear of the trailer. After Knepp’s vehicle struck the right rear of Shofstall’s vehicle, the pickup truck and utility trailer continued to travel east sideswiping the right side of the tractor-trailer before coming to a final rest east of the intersection. Shofstall was pronounced dead at the scene. Knepp was transported to Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Evansville where he is currently being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the tractor-trailer, Jermaine Canada, 48, of Birmingham, AL, was transported to Deaconess Gateway in Newburgh where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. A passenger in Knepp’s vehicle was not injured.
The eastbound lanes of SR 62 between I-69 and Epworth Road were closed for approximately 3 ½ hours while troopers investigated the crash. The investigation is continuing.
Investigating Officer: Master Trooper Lockridge, Indiana State Police
Assisting Officers: Master Trooper Huddleston, Master Trooper Puskas, Detective Greer, and Trooper Lukeman
Assisting Agencies: Warrick County Sheriff’s Office, Chandler Police, Ohio Township Fire Department, Chandler Fire Department, Warrick EMS, and Warrick County Coroner’s Office
Evansville Man Injured In White County Crash
ISP TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT
WHAT: Personal Injury Traffic Crash
WHERE: Illinois Route 141 at US 45, White County
WHEN: Mar. 16, 2021 at approximately 6:28 a.m.
VEHICLE: Unit 1- 2013 Red Ford Flex
DRIVER: Unit 1- Scott Berry, 44-year-old male from Evansville, IN – Transported by ambulance to an area hospital for treatment of injuries.
PRELIMINARY: Preliminary investigation indicates the following occurred: Unit 1 was traveling west on Illinois 141 approaching the intersection with US 45 in White County. The driver of Unit 1 stated he could not see the stop sign at the intersection due to fog. Unit 1 continued through the intersection, across US 45 and left the roadway, entering a wooded area. Unit 1 struck a ditch and overturned. The driver of Unit 1 was transported by ambulance to an area hospital for treatment of injuries.
CHARGES: Unit 1 Driver was cited for Disobeying a Stop Sign.
All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
New Reopening Plan Expected From Pritzker This Week
Another change to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's COVID-19 reopening plan is expected this week, but it won’t be the full reopening initially laid out in May 2020.
A year ago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker started ordering limits on gathering sizes to smaller and smaller numbers he said was an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Twelve months later, many restrictions remain in place to reduce the spread of the virus. The state is in Phase 4 of the governor's plan, with a 50-person on the size of gatherings. Phase 5 would be full reopening.
During a Senate Health Committee hearing Monday, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said she thinks the state is “getting close” to reopening more, but not all the way.
“I think from where we are now to Phase 5 maybe not just an on/off switch, but maybe a dial,” Ezike said. “So there may be one more phase before we get to Phase 5. I think the governor is going to release a plan that we have been working on later this week.”
A lot of the benchmarks she said will rely on the vaccination rates of the most vulnerable population, the state’s seniors.
“So once we see like a greater majority of our seniors vaccinated, that should get us to another level and then we can start having at least larger-sized gatherings like everything open up with some kind of capacity,” Ezike said. “We’re not getting rid of masks. We think masks have to be a mainstay.”
For a full Phase 5 reopening, she said that will depend on how much of the general population has been vaccinated while health officials monitor COVID-19-related deaths and hospitalizations.
As of Monday, nearly 12 percent of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated. More than 680,800 people 65 and older have been fully vaccinated, according to state data.
The state’s hospitality and leisure industry, which has reported major job losses over the last year, has been pressuring the governor to allow for larger gatherings for conventions as other states see more relaxed gathering limits.
Illinois logged the lowest number of COVID-19 positive cases in months Monday. The 24-hour report showed 782 “confirmed and probable” cases, the lowest since 707 cases were reported in one day on July 14, 2020. The state reported 12 COVID-19-related deaths in the latest daily report Monday.
Bleyer: School Social Distancing Going From 6 Feet To 3 Feet
Last week, Wabash District #348 superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer announced that temperature checks would no longer be conducted on students getting on the bus or entering buildings.
Now there’s been another big change in COVID protocols.
At last night’s school board meeting, Bleyer announced that he received word yesterday that the social distancing in school buildings was being reduced from 6 feet to 3 feet….
Currently, Bleyer said there is one active COVID case in the district and 11 people are under quarantine. At the present time, Bleyer said the district still has 225 remote learners.
Bunting Reports To County Board On Status Of Posted Roads
At yesterday’s Wabash County board meeting, County highway engineer Dustin Bunting updated commissioners on current road postings…
Bunting has said the latest road posting information is always available by calling his office.
School Board Hires New Principal At MCJHS/MCHS
Mt. Carmel Junior/Senior High School has a new principal. Tonight, the Wabash District #348 school board hired Andrew Shelby to replace Jake Newkirk effective July 31st. Newkirk is being transferred to take over for the retiring Sheila Odom as principal at the elementary school.
Shelby comes to Mt. Carmel from the Bluford School District in Jefferson County where he currently serves as dean of students.
Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer introduces new MCJHS/MCHS Principal Andrew Shelby to board president Tim Schuler and board member Neil Earnest.
Pritzker Offers Vaccine Update
Gov. J.B. Pritzker says every Illinoisan might be able to get a COVID-19 vaccination by the end of April.
President Joe Biden said Thursday that he would advise states to make a vaccine available to everyone by May 1. Pritzker said Illinois may act sooner.
“I’m excited about the fact that we will be able to get to more and more people across the state of Illinois and I’m confident that not by just May 1, but maybe even a little bit earlier, we could open up to everyone in the state,” Pritzker said.
The state will be receiving 100,000 doses per day from the federal government this month, including the one-shot dose from Johnson & Johnson, the governor said.
“Indeed those were based on the promises, the pledges of the federal government and they delivered on those promises,” Pritzker said.
In all, nearly 3.8 million doses have been administered in Illinois. The state continues to lag behind other states in getting people fully vaccinated, ranking 38th in the country.
Illinois is currently in Phase 1B Plus, which includes people with certain underlying conditions, including cancer, kidney disease, COPD, diabetes and smoking. It also includes anyone 65 or older and frontline workers such as teachers, fire and law enforcement, manufacturing and agricultural workers, and grocery store workers.
The state’s only federally funded mass vaccination site, at the United Center in Chicago, has filled more than 50,000 appointments.
State officials are working on a plan that would allow conventions to return to Illinois this summer as more people are vaccinated and new cases continue to decline.