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UChicago’s Weekly Civics Briefing
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When Do Stay At Home Orders Expire?
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As of April 29, there were over a million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, and the CDC has reported nearly 60,000 deaths. In response to the continuing pandemic, many states have extended stay at home orders, shutting down all nonessential business and urging residents to stay home. Some states with a downward trend in confirmed and reported cases, as well as adequate testing and hospital capabilities, have begun to reopen, following phase one of the White House’s “Guidelines for Opening Up America Again.” See the above graphic for information on when states may begin to relax their stay at home orders.
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FEDERAL NEWS
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Coronavirus Relief Package Passed
Phase 3.5 of the Federal Emergency Coronavirus Relief Plan was signed by President Trump last Friday, committing $484 billion. Two-thirds of the funds replenish the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)’s empty coffers after the program ran out of money within two weeks of the late March $2.2 trillion relief bill. Democrats and Republicans intend for this to be a “bridge” to a next larger relief bill, though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has expressed concern about 2020’s unprecedented $3.7 trillion deficit.
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Testing Is Key
As universities around the country close, students and faculty are worried that fall 2020 might be canceled. As Christina Paxson, the president of Brown University, stated, abundant testing is “an absolute prerequisite” for the reopening of universities. What are the U.S. testing statistics? Currently, the U.S. testing rate is moderately high, as 18.2 tests are given for every 1000 people. This rate is above Singapore, the U.K., and South Korea, but below Italy’s rate of 32.73 tests per 1000 people. Trump has primarily left testing responsibilities to the states, tweeting, “States, not the Federal Government, should be doing the testing.” Recently, the administration released blueprints for a wider testing. It is expected to announce that the Federal Government will be able to send enough packages to test two percent of each state per month. The U.S. has over one million cases. Experts say testing is key to limiting the spread of COVID-19 and reopening the economy.
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Remdesivir: A First Treatment
Three months after COVID-19 first took hold in the U.S, FDA issued an emergency authorization for the first treatment. Remdesivir, produced by Gilead Sciences, is an intravenous antiviral that speeds the recovery process. Beginning rounds of clinical trials demonstrated significant, yet limited, effects for the experimental drug, which will only be administered to those testing positive for COVID-19. While a vaccine (or herd immunity) is necessary for life to truly return to the pre-pandemic “normal,” effective treatments like Remdesivir will aid efforts to reopen the economy.
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STATE NEWS
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Midwestern Pact
In April, governor J.B. Pritzker announced that he joined a Midwestern pact with Democratic and Republican governors from seven other states including Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Kentucky. Iowa and Missouri did not join. The pact is an effort to coordinate responses and dates to reopen local economies impacted by the crisis. Pritzker extended Illinois’s stay at home order until May 30th, though he has stated that parts of the state could reopen before sooner depending on hospitalization and case rates. At daily press briefings, Pritzker has announced modifications to the order, such as mandatory face masks in places where social distancing is not possible. In response to “Liberate Illinois” protests, the governor has said the public’s health is his priority.
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Concentrations of COVID-19 cases in Illinois are most prominent in Chicago-area counties: Cook, Lake, DuPage, Will, and Kane counties. However, there is an additional risk down-state in Madison and St. Clair Counties due to their proximity to St. Louis, Missouri. As of May 1, over 56,000 cases and over 2,400 COVID-19 related deaths have been confirmed in Illinois. Nursing homes have been hit, with 4,298 cases and 625 deaths as of April 24. Governor Pritzker on Wednesday announced expanded testing and resources for nursing homes, including teams of nurses.
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CHICAGO NEWS
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Mayor Approves Emergency Relief for Small Businesses
Through the emergency powers ordinance passed on April 22nd, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has gained the ability to single-handedly decide how to spend stimulus money. This ordinance has been controversial, with several aldermen arguing that they should be able to vote on how money is spent. The Mayor has used this power to rapidly provide additional financial support to small businesses in Chicago, approving $5,000 grants for businesses with less than four employees that are struggling. Lightfoot has said that these grants are intended primarily for businesses in low- or middle-income neighborhoods that are unable to acquire federal funding. The Mayor also approved the $100 million Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund, which provides up to $50,000 in loans for diverse businesses. Still, struggling business owners worry whether these actions will be enough.
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Chicago City Council Re-Imagines Meeting During COVID-19
Chicago City Council has transitioned into meeting virtually via Zoom in light of the current pandemic. The meetings continue to serve as both lawmaking sessions and an opportunity for community members to communicate with the Council. At their April 15 meeting, several speakers demanded that the city shut down General Iron industries, a metal shredder that recently left a dust cloud across the mostly-Latino Little Village neighborhood in the midst of the ongoing respiratory pandemic. In response, the company’s CEO Steve Joseph has claimed that the company’s recycling services are “essential” in keeping the city of Chicago clean and waste-free.
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ELECTION 2020
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Timeline of the Candidates’ Coronavirus Concerns
Given how close we are to the upcoming 2020 election, it now becomes more important than ever to place both presidential candidate’s statements and actions regarding the pandemic. Here are both Former Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden and Republican candidate President Donald Trump’s documented responses and policy differences in dealing with coronavirus.
Stance on Stimulus Check:
Trump: March 27th, 2020: President Trump signs H.R. 748, the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security” (CARES) Act that distributes one-time stimulus checks to families.
Biden: April 25th, 2020: Biden voices support for stimulus check but calls for another financial package that’s “a hell of a lot bigger.”
Trump: March 16th, 2020: The President announces Social Distancing Guidelines to be in place for two-weeks. He issued no national “stay-at-home” order, instead leaving states to decide for themselves.
March 29th, 2020: President Trump extends Social Distancing Guidelines till April 30th.
Biden: April 12th, 2020: Biden expresses desire to issue national “stay-at-home” orders indefinitely and not to “re-open America” until testing is more widely available to all.
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Mail-In Voting
Given the recent controversial in-person Wisconsin Democratic primary amid the pandemic, many Democrats are seeking to expand mail-in and absentee voting. Some are concerned that fears of infection due to close proximity of others during in-person voting will deter many residents from participating in the 2020 elections, which Democrats believe will hurt them. All states permit their residents to vote via an absentee ballot if they cannot vote on Election Day, yet the qualifications vary by state. Republicans argue that mail-in voting will increase voter fraud. When asked about the potential reform, President Trump explained, “Mail ballots, they cheat. Mail ballots are very dangerous for this country because of cheaters.” Currently, five states conduct their elections entirely by mail reporting very little fraud. Sources report a partisan debate over motivations behind wanting to expand voting to mail-in.
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