WE KNOW THAT MASS TESTING WITH
ACCURATE AND RELIABLE AS A
RESULT WHERE WE WANT TO HEAD
AND WHERE WE WANT TO BE
EVENTUALLY.
GOVERNOR, A JUDGE RULED THAT
YOUR STAY-AT-HOME LAWSUIT IS NO
LONGER ABLE TO STAND.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO REACT TO
THAT?
WE'RE STILL GETTING THE
DETAILS?
I WOULD.
I HAVE AFFIRMED THAT DEMOCRATS
AND REPUBLICANS ALIKE FROM ALL
CORNERS HAVE COME TOGETHER
SINCE THE EARLIEST DAYS OF THIS
HEALTH CRISIS TO MAKE
INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT CHOICES.
UNDERSTANDING THAT, PAINFUL AS
OUR ACTIONS MIGHT BE, THE
QUESTION BOILS DOWN TO LIFE AND
DEATH.
COVID-19 IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
DENYING THE PEOPLE OF ILLINOIS
THE PRECIOUSNESS OF
TOGETHERNESS AND STEADINESS OF
THE ROUTINE THAT'S BEEN PUT ON
PAUSE DURING THIS GLOBAL
PANDEMIC.
STAY-AT-HOME ORDER HAS
PREVENTED 10S OF THOUSANDS OF
ILLNESSES AND THOUSANDS OF
DEATHS.
HISTORY WILL REMEMBER THOSE WHO
PUT POLITICS ASIDE TO COME
TOGETHER TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE.
IT WILL ALSO REMEMBER THOSE WHO
ARE BLINDLY DEVOTED IDEOLOGY
AND PERSONAL CELEBRITY THAT
THEY MADE AN ENEMY OF SCIENCE
AND OF REASON.
THE REPRESENTATIVE'S DECISION
TO TRY TO DISMANTLE HEALTH
DIRECTIVES TO TRY TO KEEP
PEOPLE SAFE IS AN INSULT TO ALL
PEOPLE OF ILLINOIS WHO HAVE
BEEN LOST DURING THIS COVID-19
CRISIS.
AND IT'S A DANGER TO MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE WHO MAY GET ILL
BECAUSE OF HIS RECKLESSNESS.
AT BEST, NO ONE IS BETTER OFF
BECAUSE OF THIS RULING, AND AT
WORST, PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND
SAFETY WILL SUFFER
TREMENDOUSLY.
IN ILLINOIS AND NATIONALLY,
WE'RE OPERATING ON HOW DISASTER
PROCLAMATIONS WORK FROM FLOODS
TO TORNADOS AND NOW A FWLOBEL
PANDEMIC.
DISASTERS DON'T NECESSARILY
EVAPORATE ON A 30-DAY
TIMEFRAME.
THE LEGISLATOR TOOK THAT INTO
ACCOUNT WHEN THEY WROTE THIS
LAW.
IN COLLABORATION WITH THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, MY
TEAM AND I WILL FIGHT THIS
LEGAL BATTLE TO THE FURTHEST
EXTENT POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THE
PUBLIC HEALTH AND COMMON SENSE
AND THAT THOSE PREVAIL.
IN THE INTRO, WE WILL BE
ISSUING NEW PUBLIC HEALTH
DIRECT S, SO THAT WE CAN
CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO THIS
PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
AT THIS TIME, I STRONGLY
ENCOURAGE ALL MUNICIPAL LEVEL
LEADERS, AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE
OF ILLINOIS WHO ARE OUR
STRONGEST WEAPON AGAINST THIS
VIRUS TO FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF
OUR SCIENTISTS HERE IN ILLINOIS
AND ACROSS THE NATION OF IDPH
AND THE CDC AND CONTINUE TO
FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES OF OUR
STAY-AT-HOME ORDER.
THIS RULING HAS PUT THE PEOPLE
OF ILLINOIS AT RISK.
I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THIS
MATTER WILL BE BROUGHT TO SWIFT
RESOLUTION, SO WE CAN GO BACK
TO PLACING OUR UNDIVIDED
ATTENTION OF KEEPING PEOPLE
SAFE.
AND WE'LL DO JUST A FEW MORE
QUESTIONS HERE.
CORONAVIRUS DEATHS LINKED TO
NURSING HOMES MORE THAN DOUBLE
ASKED CASS SOARED TO 4300.
IS IT MORE TESTING AND WHAT CAN
BE DONE TO PROTECT WORKERS AND
RESIDENTS IN THE FACILITIES?
WE'RE CERTAINLY DOING MUCH
MORE TESTING ACROSS THE STATE
AND ESPECIALLY IN NURSING HOME
FACILITIES.
THAT IS TRUE.
AS YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S AN
OUTBREAK, WE HAVE A STRIKE TEAM
THAT OFTEN TAKES HOLD, THAT WE
ARE ADVISING THE LOCAL,
ASSISTED LIVING OR NURSING HOME
ON HOW TO MANAGE THESE CRISISS,
AND OF COURSE, THE COUNTY
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE
VERY MUCH ENGAGED ON A LOCAL
LEVEL TO MAKE SURE IT'S PPE TO
PROTECT THE PEOPLE IN THE
FACILITY INCLUDING THE STAFF AS
WELL AS ALL THE RESIDENTS.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO OPERATE ON
AN URGENT BASIS WITH REGARD TO
OUR NURSING HOMES BECAUSE
CERTAINLY THOSE CONGREGANT
FACILITIES AS WE'VE BEEN SAYING
NOW FOR WEEKERIZE THE MOST AT
RISK OF ANY, YOU KNOW, TYPE OF
SETTING THAT PEOPLE CAN BE IN.
DOC, YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD?
GOVERNOR, I DIDN'T REALIZE
THAT ORDER.
I MEAN, THAT'S GOING TO CAUSE A
PROBLEM.
CAN YOU WAIT ONE SECOND UP
TILL WE GET A MICROPHONE.
YEAH.
I WASN'T READY FOR THAT AND
OTHERS ARE ASKING AS WELL.
SO IF THE JUDGE IS SAYING THAT
THEY'RE RIGHT, YOU MIGHT NOT
HAVE THIS AUTHORITY, SO EVERY
CITY AND COUNTY IS GOING TO SAY
GUESS WHAT WE'RE OPENING?
THAT IS THE DANGER THAT
BAILEY HAS PUT THE STATE IN.
YOU STATED IT PERFECTLY.
PEOPLE ARE IN DANGER AS A
RESULT OF THIS RULING, OF THE
JUDGE'S RULING OF THE SUIT
BROUGHT BY DAREN BAILEY.
WE WILL TRY TO WORK IN A SWIFT
ACTION TO HAVE IT OVERTURNED.
IT'S FRANKLY, IT'S INSULTING,
IT'S DANGEROUS, AND PEOPLE'S
SAFETY AND HEALTH HAS NOW BEEN
PUT AT RISK.
IT MAY BE PEOPLE WHO CONTRACT
CORONAVIRUS AS A RESULT OF WHAT
HE HAS DONE NOW
.
THERE ARE PEOPLE ON SITE AND
PEOPLE HANDLING THE APPEALS
THAT WILL TAKE PLACE.
THANK YOU.
OKAY.
I'LL DO A COUPLE OF MORE
QUESTIONS HERE.
KELLEY OF BLOCK CLUB.
WHAT IS THE STATE DOING TO
PREPARE FOR THE NOVEMBER
ELECTION AND HOW IS IT RAMPING
UP MAIL-IN VOTING?
AS YOU KNOW, IT'S SOME
FEDERAL FUNDING AVAILABLE TO
SUPPORT CHANGE CHANGES IN OUR
ELECTIONS, SO WE CAN MAKE SURE
PEOPLE HAVE THE ABILITY TO VOTE
WITH THE PRESENCE OF
CORONAVIRUS, SO, YOU KNOW, OUR
INTENTION, MY INTENTION STEM TO
ASK THE LEGISLATOR TO EXPAND
MAIL BALLOTING.
I THINK GIVING EVERY BODHY THE
ABILITY TO VOTE BY MAIL MUCH
MORE EASILY MAKES THE MOST
SENSE TO ME AS A WAY TO
SUPERINTENDENT PEOPLE FROM
CONTRACTING CORONAVIRUS.
AND SO I WILL BE ASKING THE
LEGISLATOR TO TO THAT.
AND OF COURSE THE ILLINOIS
BOARD OF ELECTIONS HAS BEEN
THINKING ABOUT THIS AND
PREPARING FOR IT FOR SOME TIME.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING
WITH THEM AND ADVISING THEM AND
MAKING SURE THE LEGISLATOR
GIVES THEM WHAT THEY NEED IN
ORD TO EFFECT MORE MAIL-IN
BALLOTS.
WE ALSO HAVE A QUESTION FROM
POLITICO.
HOW DO YOU SEE IT AFFECTING THE
POLITICO AS WE LEAD UP TO THE
NOVEMBER ELECTION?
I CAN SEE PEOPLE WANT TO
MAKE THIS A POLITICAL ISSUE.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS A
MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH.
WE ALL OUGHT TO BE ON THE SAME
SIDE ON THOSE SUBJECTS, AND SO
I'M HOPING THIS DOESN'T GO INTO
THE POLITICS THAT I THINK, YOU
KNOW, OFTEN PEOPLE AT THE
FEDERAL LEVEL LIKE TO MAKE IT.
AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU CAN SEE THAT
THERE ARE LEGISLATORS WHO DON'T
UNDERSTAND THIS WHO THINK THAT
EVERYTHING IS FOR THE POLITICAL
WORLD.
BUT I MUST SAY IT IS
REPUBLICANS WHO I WORKED WITH
WHO AR GENUINELY CONCERNED TO
DO THE RIGHT THING IN THE STATE
OF ILLINOIS.
AND OF COURSE DEMOCRATS HAVE
BEEN TERRIFIC WORKING WITH SOME
OF THOSE REPUBLICANS AND
WORKING WITH ME TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS AT
LOWERING OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS
AND ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS
THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.
BUT IT IS VITAL, VITAL THAT WE
WORK TOGETHER TO KEEP PEOPLE
SAFE.
AND THAT MEANS FOLLOWING THE
