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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGovernor CoronavirusDisasterProc-6-26-2020INDEX DEPARTMEN JUN 7, ri INZU 1 _ �, m map �,, s IN THE OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE E�� WHEREAS, since early March 2020, Illinois has faced a pandemic that has caused extraordinary sickness and loss of life, infecting over 140,000 and growing, and taking the lives of thousands of residents; and, WHEREAS, at all times but especially during a public health crisis, protecting the health and safety of Illinoisans is among the most important fiinctions of State government; and, WHEREAS, it is critical that Illinoisans who become sick are able to be treated by medical professionals, including when a hospital bed, emergency room bed, or ventilator is needed; and, WHEREAS, it is also critical that the State's health care and first responder workforce has adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) to safely treat patients, respond to public health disasters, and prevent the spread of communicable diseases, and, WHERE, AS, as Illinois enters the fifth month of responding to the public health disaster caused by Coronavirus. Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel severe acute respiratory illness that spreads rapidly through respiratory transmissions and that continues to be without an effective treatment or vaccine, the burden on residents, healthcare providers, first responders, and govenrrnents throughout the State is unprecedented; and, WHEREAS. the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 30, 2020, and the United States Secretary of Health and Huruan Services declared that COVID-19 presents a public health emergency on January 27, 2020: and, WHEREAS. on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic, and has now reported more than 9 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 475,000 deaths attributable to COVID-19 globally; and, WHEREAS, despite efforts to contain COVID-19, the World Health Organization and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated that the virus was expected to continue spreading and it has, in fact, continued to spread rapidly, resulting in the need for federal and State governments to take significant steps; and, WHERE AS, on March 9, 2020, I, JB Pritzker, Governor of Illinois, declared all counties in the State of Illinois as a disaster area in response to the outbreak of COVID-19; and, WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, the President declared a nationwide emergency pursuant to Section 501(o) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121-5207 (the "Stafford Act"), covering all states and territories, including Illinois; and, WHERE, AS, on March 26, 2020, the President declared a major disaster in Illinois pursuant to Section 401 of the Stafford Act; and, WHEREAS, on April 1, 2020, due to the exponential spread of COVID-19 in Illinois, I declared all counties in the State of Illinois as a disaster area; and, WHEREAS, on April 30, 2020, due to the continued spread of COVID-19 in Illinois, the threatened shortages of hospital beds, ER beds, and ventilators, and the inadequate testing capacity, I declared all counties in the State of Illinois as a disaster area; and, WHEREAS, on May 29, 2020, due to the continued spread of COVID-19 in Illinois, and the resulting hearth and economic impacts of the virus, acid the need to increase testing capacity, I declared all counties in the State of Illinois as a disaster area; and, WHEREAS, as circumstances surrounding COVID-19 rapidly evolve and new evidence emerges, there have been frequent changes in information and public health guidance; and, WHEREAS, the unprecedented nature of COVID-19, including the health consequences it has on not just the respiratory system but the heart, brain, kidneys, and the body's immune response, has made the virus's effects and its path difficult to predict; and, WHEREAS, from the outset, data suggested that older adults and those with serious underlying health condit_ons are more likely to experience severe and sometimes fatal complications from COVID-19; and, WHEREAS, emerging evidence has shown that young people, including infants and toddlers, are also at risk of such complications; and, WHEREAS, young and middle-aged people have comprised a significant proportion of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and there is evidence that COVID-19 causes blood clots and strokes, and has caused deadly strokes in young and middle-aged people who exhibited few symptoms; and, WHEREAS, the understanding of spread from infected individuals who have not shown symptoms has changed and, on April 12, 2020, the CDC changed the period of exposure risk from "onset of symptoms" to "48 hours before symptom onset"; and, WHEREAS some people infected by the virus remain asymptomatic but nonetheless 1-nay spread it to others; and, WHEREAS, although the CDC initially recommended against wearing cloth face coverings or masks as protection, as a result of research on asymptomatic and pre -symptomatic transmission, the CDC rev,sed its conclusions and recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain; and, WHEREAS, public health research and guidance increasingly supports wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, and indicates tha, the risk of transmission outdoors is less than the risk of transmission indoors; and, WHEREAS, as COVID-19 has spread in Illinois over the course of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamations, the circumstances causing a disaster throughout the State have changed and continue to change, snaking definitive predictions of the course the virus will take over the coming months extremely difficult; and, WHEREAS, at the time I issued the first Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation, there were 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in one Illinois county; and, WHEREAS, as of today, June 26, 2020, there have been over 140,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 101 Illinois counties; and, WHEREAS, the first death attributed to COVID-19 in Illinois was aimounced on March 17, 2020; and, WHEREAS, as of today, June 26, 2020, more than 6,800 residents of Illinois have died due to COVID-19; and, WHEREAS, from the outset, studies have suggested that for every confirmed case there are many more unknown cases, some of which are asymptomatic individuals who can pass the virus to others without knowing; and, WHEREAS. the CDC now estimates that for every reported case of COVID-19, there are 10 unreported infections, resulting in a number of total cases in the country that may be 10 times higher than currently reported; and, WHEREAS, although the number of new COVID-19 cases has decreased in recent weeks, the virus continues to infect thousands of individuals and claim the lives of too many Illinoisans each day; and, WHEREAS, while the precautions taken by Illinoisans have led to a steep decline in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the State in recent weeks, other states that have resisted taking public health precautions or that lifted those precautions earlier are now experiencing exponential growth and record high numbers of cases; and, WHEREAS. on June 25, 2020, the U.S. reported more than 40,000 new COVID-19 cases, a record number; and, WHEREAS, public health experts have warned of a "second wave" of COVID-19 cases; and, WHEREAS, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of and continues to impact the health of Slack and Hispanic Illinoisans at a disproportionately high rate — magnifying significant healt-i disparities and inequities; and, WHEREAS, the Illinois Department of Public Health activated its Illinois Emergency Operations Plan and its Emergency Support Function 8 Plan to coordinate emergency response efforts by hospitals, local health departments, and emergency management systerns in order to avoid a surge in the use of hospital resources and capacity; and, WHEREAS, as the virus has progressed through Illinois, the crisis facing the State continues to develop and requires an evolving response to ensure hospitals, health care professionals and first responders are able to meet the health care needs of all Illinoisans and in a rnaimer consistent with CDC guidance that continues to be updated; and, WHEREAS, in order to ensure that health care professionals, first responders, hospitals and other facilities are able to meet the health care needs of all residents of Illinois, the Skate must have critical supplies, including PPE, such as masks, face shields, gowns, and gloves; and, WHEREAS, the State of Illinois maintains a stockpile that supports the existing PPE supply chains and stocks at various healthcare facilities; and, WHEREAS, while the State continues to make every effort to procure PPE, if those procurement efforts are disrupted or Illinois experiences a surge in COVID-19 cases, the State faces a life -threatening shortage of respirators, masks, protective eyewear, face shields, gloves, gowns, and other protective equipment for health care workers and first responders; and, WHEREAS, while hospitalizations have declined, Illinois is using a significant percentage of hospital beds and ICU beds, and, if COVID-19 cases were to surge, the State could face a shortage of critical health care resources; and, WHEREAS, the State worked with top researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign, the Northwestern School of Medicine, the University of Chicago, the Chicago and Illinois Departments of Public Health, along with McKinsey and Mier Consulting Group, and Civis Analytics, to analyze daily data on COVID-19 deaths and ICU usage and model potential outcomes; and, WHEREAS, the State's modeling shows the tail of the COVID-19 epi curve extending several more weeks, and, WHEREAS, the State's modeling continues to show that without extensive social distancing and other precautions, the State will face a shortage of hospital beds, ICU beds and/or ventilators; and, WHEREAS, over the course of the COVID-19 crisis, the State has been constrained in the number of COVID-19 tests that can be taken and processed due to a limited number of testing sites and labs, as well as a shortage of necessary supplies, including the swabs needed to take samples; and; WHEREAS. at the time I issued the first Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation, Illinois had capacity to test no more than a few hundred people per day for COVID-19 at a small number of testing sites; and, WHEREAS, the State has developed testing sites throughout Illinois and yesterday exceeded 30,000 tests m a single day, and testing capacity continues to increase; and, WHEREAS. Illinois now has tested nearly 1.5 million total speciinens for COVID-19; and, WHEREAS. national projections adjusted for Illinois' population suggest the State must continue to increase the number of tests processed per day as part of an effective effort to permanently slow and reduce the spread of COVID-19; and, WHEREAS, in addition to causing the tragic loss of more than 6,800 Illinoisans and wreaking havoc on the physical health of tens of thousands more, COVID-19 has caused extensive economic loss and continues to threaten the financial welfare of a significant number of individuals and businesses across the nation and the State; and, WHEREAS, nationwide, more than 47 million people have filed unemployment claims since the start of the pandemic — representing more than one in four U.S. workers; and, WHEREAS. the Illinois Department of Employment Security announced that the State's unemployment rate rose to 16.4% in April, with 762,000 jobs lost during that month; and, WHEREAS. the Illinois Department of Employment Security announced that the State's unemploymezlt rate was 15.2% in May, and that major Illinois industries such as leisure and hospitality, transportation and utilities, and educational and health services had been particularly hard-hit during the March to May period; and, WHEREAS, the Illinois Department of Employment Security is responding to the economic crisis in a nu_nber of ways, including through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance prograrn; and, WHEREAS, over 180,000 small businesses in Illinois received over $22 billion in COVID-19 related financial support through the federal Paycheck Protection Program in an effort to prevent these businesses from closing; and, WHEREAS, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is working to address the economic crisis, including through assistance programs such as the Business Interruption. Grants Program for businesses that experienced a limited ability to operate due to COVID-19 related closures; and, WHEREAS, the economic loss and insecurity caused by COVID-19 threatens the viability of business and the access to housing, medical care, food, and other critical resources that directly impact the health and safety of residents; and, WHEREAS, based on the foregoing facts, and considering the expected continuing spread of COVID-19 and the ongoing health and economic impacts that will be felt over the coining month by people across the State, the current circumstances in Illinois surrounding the spread of COVID-19 constitute an epidemic emergency and a public health erergency under Section 4 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act; and, WHEREAS, based on the foregoing, the continuing burden on hospital resources, the potential shortages of these resources in the event of a surge in infections, and the critical need to increase the purchase and distribution of PPE as well as to expand COVID-19 testing capacity constitute a public health emergency under Section 4 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act; and, WHEREAS, it is the policy of the State of Illinois to be prepared to address any disasters and, therefore, it is necessary and appropriate to snake additional State resources available to ensure that that our healthcare delivery systern is capable of serving those who are sick and that Illinoisans remain safe and secure and able to obtain medical care; and, WHEREAS, this proclamation will assist the State in facilitating economic recovery for individuals and businesses in an effort to prevent further devastating consequences frorn the economic instability COVID-19 has caused; and, WHEREAS, this proclamation will assist Illinois agencies in coordinating State and Federal resources, including materials needed to test for COVID-19, personal protective equipment, and medicines, in an effort to support the State responses as well as the responses of local gover.unents to the presen public health emergency; and, WHEREAS, these conditions provide legal justification Lander Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act for the new issuance of a proclamation of disaster; and, WHEREAS, the Illinois Constitution, in Article V, Section 8, provides that "the Governor shall have the suareme executive power, and shall be responsible for the faithful execution of the laws," and states, ir_ the Preamble, that a central purpose of the Illinois Constitution is "provide for the health, safety, and welfare of the people"; NOW, THEREFORE, in the interest of aiding the people of Illinois and the local governments responsible for ensuring public health and safety, I, JB Pritzker, Governor of the State of Illinois, hereby proclairn as follows: Section 1. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, 20 ILCS 3305/7,1 find that a disaster exists within the State of Illinois and specifically declare all counties in the State of Illinois as a disaster area. The proclamation authorizes the exercise of all of the emergency powers provided in Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, 20 ILCS 3305/7, including but not limited to those specific emergency powers set forth below. Section 2. The Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency are directed to coordinate with each other with respect to plarnraing for and responding to the present public health emergency. Section 3. The Illinois Department of Public Health is further directed to cooperate with the Governor, other State agencies and local authorities, including local public health author --ties, in the development and implementation of strategies and plans to protect the public health in conzlection with the present public health emergency. Section 4. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is directed to implement the State Emergency Operations Plan to coordinate State resources to support local governments in disaster response and recovery operations. Section 5. To aid with emergency purchases necessary for response and other emergency ?owers as authorized by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, the provisions of the Illinois Procurement Code that would in any way prevent, hider or delay necessary action in coping with the disaster are suspended to the extent they are not required by federal law. If necessary and in accordance with Section 7(1) of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, 20 ILCS 3305/7(1), the Governor may take appropriate executive action to suspend additional s-atutcs, orders, rules, and regulations. Section 6. Pursuant to Section 7(3) of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, 20 ILCS 3305/7(3), this proclamation activates the Governor's authority, as necessary, to transfer the direction, personnel or functions of State departments and agencies or units thereof for the purpose of performing or facilitating emergency response programs. Section 7. The Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Department of Insurance and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services are directed to recommend, and, as appropriate; take necessary actions to ensure expanded access to testing for COVID-19 and that consumers do not face financial barriers in accessing diagnostic testing and treatment services for COVID-19. Section S. The Illinois State Board of Education is directed to recommend, and, as appropriate, take necessary actions to address any impact to learning associated with the present public health emergency and to alleviate any barriers to the use of remote learning during the effect of this proclamation that exist in the Illinois School Code, 105 ILCS 5/1-1 et. seq. Section 9. All State agencies are directed to cooperate with the Governor, other State agencies and local authorities in the development and implementation of strategies and plans to cope with and recover from the economic impact of the present public health emergency. Section 10. Pursuant to Section 7(14) of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, 20 ILCS 3305/7(14), increases in the selling price of goods or services, including medical supplies, protective equipment, medications and other commodities intended to assist in the prevention of or treatment and recovery of COVID-19, shall be prohibited in the State of Illinois while this proclamation is in effect. Section 11. This proclamation can facilitate requests for federal emergency and/or disaster assistance if a complete and comprehensive assessment of damage indicates that effective recovery is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local goverrunents. Section 12. For purposes of Senate Bill 2135 (101st General Assembly), Article 15, section 15.5, amending the Open Meetings Act, new section 5 ILCS 120/7(e)(4), I find that the public health concerns at issue in this proclamation render in -person attendance of more than fifty people at the regular meeting location not feasible. Section 13. This proclamation shall be effective immediately and remain in effect for 30 days. T11ftltEI,E�eaf, _/�ir.�zi>ln .kl i>iiiirr�l�iiizc�r�%�i��l �zi�il • ��r,� SECRETARY OF STATE //1 %�il��%�r,�ll.//��J ��llL C�� �' �✓i/I!, ill- l�' / f lif�f>ifi,, �oize% l ec r /aril: ��_ �r�r�J lenr� 9_E INDE: DEPARTMENT JUN � 6 20?0 IN THE OFFICE OF SECRETARY QT S EATS