Governor JB Pritzker on Monday declared the monkeypox virus a public health emergency and declared Illinois a “disaster area” regarding the disease. The declaration, which applies to the entire state, will allow the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to utilize resources for coordinating logistics across state agencies, quickly and efficiently aid in the distribution […]
Tag: illinois
Posted inState News
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker tests positive for COVID-19
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who is fully vaccinated and doubled boosted, tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, his office announced. The governor’s office said in a statement Tuesday morning that Pritzker had been notified of several close contacts that tested positive for the virus. Pritzker was tested during his routine COVID testing […]
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988 line, similar to 911, launches in Illinois and rest of U.S. to help those in mental crisis
The new 988 hotline, similar to 911, launched nationwide Saturday to make it easier for those who are suicidal or experiencing other mental crises to get help. Vibrant Emotional Health, the nonprofit administrator of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, said the new 988 number is easy for people to remember. Previously, the number for the […]
Posted inState News
Illinois to receive ‘immediate allocation’ of vaccines for monkeypox as state reports 3rd highest case count in US
The state health department says that Illinois is receiving an “immediate allocation” of monkeypox vaccines as the state records the third most monkeypox cases in the United States. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is receiving the vaccines from the national stockpile. IDPH will initially receive 1,291 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine while the […]
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State tax breaks on gas, groceries and property taxes go into effect for Illinois residents
The Illinois Family Relief Plan, which Governor JB Pritzker says will provide relief on grocery, gas and property taxes, went into effect Friday for Illinois residents. The plan totals an estimated $1.83 billion in relief, including income and property tax rebates and a temporary cut in several sales taxes. “Starting tomorrow, every Illinoisan will get […]
Posted inState News
FBI warns Illinois parents of increase in ‘sextortion’ schemes targeting young boys
The FBI is warning parents and caregivers in Illinois about an uptick in incidents where adults posing as girls are coercing boys on social media and extorting money from them. The FBI says that “sextortion” begins when an adult contacts a minor over any online platform used to meet and communicate, such as a game, […]
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Health officials say first probable case of monkeypox virus identified in Illinois
The state health department announced Thursday the first presumptive case of monkeypox was identified in Illinois in a resident who recently traveled internationally. Initial testing was completed Wednesday at an IDPH laboratory and confirmatory testing for monkeypox is pending at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) […]
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Officials say Illinois residents can resume use of bird feeders, baths as flu outbreak risk subsides
State officials say that residents in Illinois can resume using bird feeders and birdbaths after telling residents last month to halt use due to an influenza outbreak that was killing birds. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) made the announcement in an update Tuesday. The department previously said the EA H5N1 strain of Highly […]
Posted inState News
State attorney general urges families in Illinois to be on lookout for scams related to baby formula shortage
The state’s attorney general is urging residents in Illinois to be vigilant for scammers trying to exploit families who are struggling to find baby formula during the national shortage. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said Friday that the baby formula shortage continues to impact families across Illinois. “On top of the stress of locating formula, […]