Governor’s Office Daily COVID-19 Q & A
April 19, 2020
Alternative Housing
Q: Who can stay at the alternate housing hotels?
A: The alternative housing plan creates an environment where people, including first
responders, can safely isolate and quarantine to avoid infecting others. This is a joint initiative
that works when local governments and local health departments work together to help a
community.
Through Illinois’ early crisis preparations, the state required each local jurisdiction to prepare an
alternate housing plan to help residents quarantine in a safe space. The role of the State is to be
able to step in and assist upon request when local jurisdictions have exceeded their ability to
respond.
The alternate housing rooms will be available to help the following, upon request and a referral
from the local health department:
• individuals exposed to COVID-19, but not requiring hospitalization
• individuals who are COVID-19 positive needing isolation, but not hospitalization
• asymptomatic high-risk individuals needing social distancing as a precautionary
measure
Telehealth
Q: Where can I find the contact information for the recently announced Aurora remote patient
monitoring program?
A: Advocate Aurora Healthcare is administering the telehealth program in the northern part of
Illinois. The Advocate hotline is 866-443-2584.
Previously announced partners are:
• OSF PHW teams serving East Central and North Central Illinois communities. The OSF
Hotline number is 833-673-5669. More information can be found at
www.osfhealthcare.org.
• SIU SOM PHW program serving West Central and Southern Illinois. The SIU Hotline
number is 217-545-5100. More information can be found at www.siumed.edu/phw.
The state programs use telehealth to monitor patients with mild coronavirus symptoms.
Patients will receive daily virtual visits and receive healthcare kits which will include
thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, etc. Please contact the healthcare location that provides
coverage in your area. For more information on the other locations, please
visit https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/telehealth.
Q: Is the telehealth program available to the general public and is it dependent on insurance
coverage?
A: The telehealth program is available to everyone and anyone can have access to these
services regardless of their insurance coverage. Please visit this weblink for more information
on the telehealth program or review the Telehealth Executive Order 9 here.
Summer Camp
Q: Have any decisions been made regarding summer camps and other summer activities geared
towards children?
A: No decisions have been made to date. The Governor works closely with epidemiologists and
public health experts to review numbers and trends across the entire state on a daily basis.
This vital information is used to make decisions that help safeguard the public and help flatten
the curve. As soon as information is available on summer camps and other summer activities, it
will be shared with the public.
Business Compliance
Q: Are people allowed to go boating in small groups of 10 people of less?
A: Boating is a recreational activity in which groups of people are gathered in small spaces.
Boating is not an essential activity under the Stay at Home Executive Order 10 and as extended
by Executive Order 18. Only minimum business operations are permitted at boatyards and
marinas.
For more information, please visit this web link, which provides more information about which
businesses and operations are considered essential. For specific essential business
inquiries, please contact 1-800-252-2923 or CEO.support@illinois.gov.
Illinois Arts Council
Q: Where can local artists broadcast their work for public entertainment?
A: The City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and the broader philanthropic community launched
a site earlier this month, which features free content from artists across the state; including
performers, singers, poets, painters, writers, dance companies, theater troupes, and museums.
To submit or view artwork from artists across the state visit: https://artsforillinois.org/posts
Q: Is there any financial assistance available for members of the artist world (i.e. artists, art
students, etc.)?
A: Non-profit arts and cultural groups of any size can apply for grants of $3,000 to $60,000,
based on their financial need. Artists and groups seeking grants can apply online
at artsforillinois.org.
Reopening Illinois
Q: What is the administration doing to look at the state geographically to begin the process of
entering the CDC 3-phase structure for parts of Illinois that are eligible? It makes sense to begin
to regionalize out processes and approaches.
A: The Governor is working closely with epidemiologists and public health experts to review
numbers and trends across the entire state on a daily basis. COVID-19 is now present
in 93 counties across Illinois; no region is immune.