Governor’s Office Daily COVID-19 Q & A
March 28, 2020
Helplines and Webpages
General Resources: visit coronavirus.illinois.gov
PPE Equipment:
• Donations: PPE.donations@Illinois.gov
• To Manufacture PPE in Illinois: ima@ima-net.org
Business Assistance:
• Essential Business inquiries: contact 1-800-252-2923 or CEO.support@illinois.gov
• IL Small Business Assistance: email CEO.support@illinois.gov (DCEO) or https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/SmallBizAssistance/Pages/default.aspx.
• Federal Small Business loans visit: https://disasterloan.sba.gov.
• Business insurance coverage: https://mc.insurance.illinois.gov/messagecenter.nsf.
Individual Assistance:
• Employee workplace concerns contact the Attorney General’s Workplace Rights Bureau at (877) 470-5076 or submit a complaint online.
• Unemployment insurance eligibility and the application process call Claimant Services at (800) 244-5631.
• If you feel sick or are concerned about infection visit DPH website https://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus/personal-guidance-and-testing.
• Resources for people with disabilities, please visit www.DDD.Illinois.gov.
Other Resources:
• IDFPR list of licensees and consumers impacted by COVID-19 visit: https://www.idfpr.com/COVID-19.asp
• School related inquires visit https://www.isbe.net/covid19
• COVID19 cases by county: visit dph.illinois.gov
• To volunteer: visit serve.illinois.gov or email dph.serveillinois@illinois.gov
Medical
Q: Can the state provide medical coverage to workers required to work under the Executive Order –10, but whose employer does not offer sick days nor health insurance?
A: The administration submitted a federal waiver to temporarily expand Medicaid eligibility and is discussing alternative measures to expand healthcare.
Q: Is there a plan for grocery store workers to be a priority testing group? A: If anyone is feeling sick, call your doctor, a nurse hotline, any telehealth hotline set up specifically for COVID-19 (check with your insurance company) or an urgent care center. If you are experiencing symptoms or are currently in isolation, you should stay at home and follow the guidelines provided by your physician. Do not go to an emergency room unless necessary. Nonessential medical care like eye exams and teeth-cleaning should be postponed. When possible, healthcare visits should be done remotely. Contact your healthcare provider to see what tele-health services they provide.
Testing and Materials
Q: Are multi-county health departments (i.e. Southern Seven Health Department, which covers seven counties, and Egyptian Health Department, which covers three counties) allocated the same amount of PPE as other county health departments? Would it be possible for multi-county health departments to receive a greater allotment of PPE, based on population or number of counties served?
A: IDPH has issued guidance on how to request PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic found here. PPE is distributed based on need, but it must be requested through the appropriate channels.
K-12 Education
Q: When will Remote Learning Days start?
A: Remote learning beings March 31, 2020. During Remote Learning Days, schools may implement either an E-Learning Plan or a Remote Learning Day Plan that provides students with instruction and access to educators through whatever means possible.
Q: When will school districts have time to plan for Remote Learning Days?
A: Schools may use up to five Remote Learning Planning Days at any time after March 30, 2020 to work on Remote Learning Day Plans in partnership with their collective bargaining units.
Q: Will attendance and instruction be counted during this period?
A: Attendance will be counted as days toward the minimum length of the school year and do not need to be made up. School districts have flexibility on how instruction will be graded during the public health disaster. ISBE provided remote learning recommendations that can be seen here.
Business Compliance
Q: What can be done to enforce strict safety regulations so that businesses are required to ensure the safety of customers and employees? Specifically, for businesses that are not providing staff and clients soap and sanitizer to maintain a sanitary facility.
A: For questions about whether a business is violating the Stay-at-Home Order by not allowing for safe social distancing or maintaining a safe and sanitary work environment to minimize the spread of COVID-19, please contact the Workplace Rights Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office at 844-740-5076 or workplacerights@atg.state.il.us.
Q: Are restaurant drive-ins/ drive-thru allowed to stay open?
A: Restaurant drive-ins/drive-thru are allowed to operate during the stay-at-home order. Restaurants may also continue to serve food for take-out and delivery, however they cannot have customers dine-in. For further guidance, please call DCEO’s helpline 1-800-252-2923 or email CEO.support@illinois.gov or review Executive Order 10 here.
Q: Is there a place where people can report a business that remained open that should be closed?
A: If you have questions about whether a business is considered essention or is in violation of the Stay-at-Home Order please contact DCEO’s helpline 1-800-252-2923 or
email CEO.support@illinois.gov. If you are an employee, please contact the Workplace Rights Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office at 844-740-5076 or workplacerights@atg.state.il.us.
Q: Are school custodians required to work?
A: School buildings are closed under Executive Order 10. The only school functions required to be open are for breakfast and lunch pick-up. Please contact the Workplace Rights Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office at 844-740-5076 or workplacerights@atg.state.il.us.
Municipal Government.
Q: If a municipality is forced to lay off employees during the stay-at-home order, how will a municipality handle issues such as healthcare coverage or Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund contributions?
A: Municipal employees should contact their employer regarding these questions.