COVID-19 Reporter Roundtable: Restaurants Push to Reopen, Testing Troubles, Stay-at-Home Compliance
As we go to air Monday, more than 68,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Illinois, and at least 2,974 people have died from the disease.
This morning, Gov. J.B. Pritzker's office announced that the governor and his staff would begin working from home after a member of the administration tested positive for COVID-19.
“The asymptomatic staff member tested positive late last week and was in close contact with the Governor and other staff members,” the administration said in a statement. The governor has reportedly twice tested negative.
Meanwhile, critical voices keep pecking at the governor’s stay-at-home orders, especially from the opposition political party. Republican congressional challenger Jeanne Ives has a petition encouraging Pritzker to allow youth sports leagues. And even the Illinois Restaurant Association has become a critic. It’s notable because it was one of the few business groups to support Pritzker’s first major piece of legislation — gradual increases in the minimum wage over the next several years. They say his phased plan for reopening is not fast enough for their industry.
Joining us to talk about this and more are three reporters who’ve been covering the pandemic in different parts of Illinois.
Guests:
- Jenna Dooley (@dooleyjenna), news director at Northern Public Radio
- Jamie Nesbitt Golden (@thewayoftheid), reporter at Block Club Chicago
- Mary Hansen (@maryfhansen), reporter with NPR Illinois