When it came COVID mitigation, The Sentinel area was looking really good last week. The number of area cases steadily declined in each village to impressive number unlike other rural areas of the state. Last Saturday, there were just 13 active cases total in the six communities that The Sentinel actively covers.
Today, a mere six days later, that number has vaulted to 45 according to the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District data.
County-wide there were an additional 433 new cases confirmed by health officials. Out of the 790,767 test performed Champaign County residents, 6,330 came back positive. As of today there are 506 active cases and 1,540 individuals who have been in contact with an infected individual now in quarantine to avoid the additional spread of infections.
The rise in positive cases reflects the overall statewide trajectory occurring statewide and in surrounding neighboring states.
In Governor JB Pritzker's coronavirus briefing yesterday, he said the state is saw a new high in cases with 6,363 reported on Thursday. Records show that the state set a new seven-day average high of 5,043 new cases per day.
"The two highest seven-day average number of cases we reached in one day in the spring was 2,565 in early May. That came down to about 590 in mid-June,” he said. "Today, we are at a new high, a seven-day average of 5,043 new cases per day – closing in on twice what we saw in May."
Yesterday, the seven-day positivity rate for the East Central Illinois region Champaign County is included in the state’s mitigation map (Region 6) increased from 7.9 to 8.1 percent. If the region remains above 8.0 for more than three consecutive days, the area would see increased mitigation requirements from the state. Nearly three-quarters of the state is or will be subject to additional restrictions by Sunday.
Bars
No indoor service
All outside bar service closes at 11:00 p.m.
All bar patrons should be seated at tables outside
No ordering, seating, or congregating at bar (bar stools should be removed)
Tables should be 6 feet apart
No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
No dancing or standing indoors
Reservations required for each party
No seating of multiple parties at one table
Restaurants
No indoor dining or bar service
All outdoor dining closes at 11:00 p.m.
Outside dining tables should be 6 feet apart
No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
Reservations required for each party
No seating of multiple parties at one table
Meetings, Social Events, Gatherings
Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25 percent of overall room capacity
No party buses
Gaming and Casinos close at 11:00 p.m., are limited to 25 percent capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable
These mitigations do not currently apply to schools.
Compared to Rantoul, with a population of 12,691 and has recorded 511 positive cases as of today, there have been only 312 cases confirmed among the 11,108 residents that live in six zip codes covered by The Sentinel.
Senior Anna Wentzloff and sophomore Alison Kearney celebrate with teammates while waiting for the awards presentation after the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team's regional title win over Villa Grove. With home court advantage, the Spartans prevailed in a 50-34 decision over the Blue Devils on February 13.
Payton Vallee pulls down a rebound for the Spartans in her team's regional title game against Villa Grove earlier this year. Vallee, who will be a senior this season, and thousands of high school basketball players around the state remain hopeful they will have a season. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Once again, the Governor of Illinois caught the IHSA off-guard with another preemptive announcement.
Earlier today, Governor JB Pritzker told Illinoisans that all prep winter sports, including basketball would be "moved into spring" season. The announcement is the third chapter in this week's drama concerning the fate of high school sports. Meanwhile, as the state's Coronavirus positivity creeps even higher, the Illinois High School Association's decision to follow through with starting girls and boys basketball on November 16.
The IHSA's move on the COVID chess board yesterday was check, putting the actual decision of whether or not to suit up squarely in the lap of bishops tasked with running local school districts.
Shortly thereafter the IHSA response, the Governor made it clear it would be detrimental for schools to attempt to engage in interscholastic competition with the full intention of leveraging the weight of the Illinois State Board of Education — which controls funding to public schools — to ensure compliance from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The anticipation of getting back on the hardwood to compete by coaches and players in a little more than two weeks lasted only hours when a letter from ISBE superintendent Dr. Carmen Ayala reiterated the state's position with veiled, but poignant threat to school districts considering defying the governor's original proclamation on Tuesday postponing the winter sports season.
"Public health experts have determined that basketball poses a high risk of COVID-19 transmission and is not currently safe to play," Ayala wrote. "Defying the state's public health guidance opens schools up to liability and other ramifications that may negatively impact school communities."
The IHSA literally had no words after Governor Pritzker's press conference today.
"The IHSA has not received additional outreach from the Governor’s office or IDPH since Tuesday, and as a result, are not comfortable commenting," Matt Troha, Assistant Executive Director for the IHSA, wrote in an emailed to The Sentinel.
The on again, off again shift every 24 hours has school district scrambling for legal advice, coaches and AD looking at schedule options yet again and players wondering if they'll actually be able to play before a home crowd.
"It has been absolutely nuts and to be honest, the back and forth is getting exhausting," SJO boys basketball head coach Kiel Duval admitted. "Like I said today, we talk about in our program all the time about working together, teamwork, putting aside our personal agendas and doing what is best for the team. It would be nice if the people making these big decisions would take that same approach."
However, according to a story in the Lincoln Courier posted just after supper, IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said he didn't believe that the Governor would actually allow basketball to be played in the spring. At least for the moment - who knows what new plot twist will be tossed into the mix on All-Hallows Eve - Anderson plans for the show to go on as planned next month.
"All the things that are in place with COVID right now that are preventing us from playing medium and high-risk category sports could still be in place in the spring," Anderson said. "Nothing has changed. We’re still playing. We aren’t playing basketball in the spring or summer. We’ve approved basketball to be played in the winter, and that’s what we are moving ahead with."
In an email to the Chicago Sun-Times, Jordan Abudayyeh, Governor Pritzker’s press secretary, said, "The goal has never been to cancel seasons, but to rather postpone the seasons with the hope that by the spring there will be a vaccine or effective treatment that will allow more students to report to in school in person and participate in extracurricular activities.
"There are currently 1.8 million students in the state who are in remote learning right now and as the Governor has said, he is focused on bringing down positivity rates in communities across the state so local school boards feel comfortable enough to bring students back into the classroom."
Duval said the situation, a new power struggle between Bloomington and Springfield now taking shape, is "taking a toll on a lot of student athletes" as it continues to intensify.
"Yesterday was a day that our guys enjoyed. It was good to see some of their faces (under their masks of course) and the feeling as if there were brighter days ahead. Then it switched, then it switched back," Duval said. "What I told them today was worry about what we can control. We can control where our head is at when things get started again. We will be locked in, ready to go."
"Our guys want to be on the court so bad right now, we just talked about how the road to that may not be a smooth one. Can't get too up, or too down. Stay positive and hope for the best," Duval said. "I really hope our guys get a chance to play. They absolutely deserve this."
Friends of St Joseph,
The Holidays are approaching, and the Church of Christ (SJCOC) needs some of your help for our 1st Annual "Winter Wassail Festival" on Friday December 4th. We're going to need to utilize some of the community parking that is a few blocks away from the Church located on Sherman Street.
We've tossed around the idea of using some of our community golf carts to help shuttle folks, especially the elderly, to and from those parking areas. The carts would need to first of all, be equipped with and licensed in compliance with the Village's rules. Also, they would need to be wiped down between uses (COVID safe) and it would be especially fun if they were decorated in a Christmas type theme with judging for the best "ride".
Right now, we are simply curious if anybody would be interested in volunteering for something like this.
The Festival will run from 4-9 pm, but you would not need to be asked to cover that entire time! We'd take whatever time you'd be available. And, obviously you would get free tickets to attend the event as well.
So, please reply if this is something you'd be interested in doing, and thanks! REPLY here, or PM me, or e-mail me at gordongilly1@gmail.com
St. Joseph-Ogden basketball players (left to right) Jordan Kelly, Payton Cain, Chance Izard, Payton Grimsley and Braydon Rupert, are all smiles while riding the pine in the fourth quarter during their team's home game against Williamsville on January 7, 2020. After building a 43-14 third quarter lead, behind Izard's game-high 21 point performance, the seniors chilled after helping SJO cruised to a 50-22 win over the Bullets.
Earlier today the Illinois High School Association Board of Directors agreed to go forward with the 2020-21 basketball season. It will be up to each individual school to allow their basketball teams to participate as long as the programs following the guidelines developed by the IHSA Sport Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) the 120 year-old organization announced after a special meeting.
Head coach Kiel Duval watches his squad in the Spartans home game against Williamsville earlier this year on January 7. The IHSA said it would go ahead with the winter basketball season despite the Illinois governor's statement yesterday nixing the season, at least putting it on hold until the infection level in the state is more manageable. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
"After diligent discussion, the Board has made the decision today to follow the recommendation of the IHSA SMAC as it relates to basketball," the IHSA said in a combined statement by board members. "The Board has not been presented any causal evidence that rising COVID-19 cases make basketball more dangerous to play by the IDPH or any other health organization nationally or internationally. On the contrary, the IHSA has been looking to bordering states who have sponsored both medium risk and high risk sports in the fall that have noted a low incident rate of COVID-19 spread."
Using the guidance provided by the SMAC, the Board will allow Boys and Girls Basketball to begin practices on November 16.
Both boys and girls teams can begin competitive play on November 30th within each of the designated Illinois Department of Public Health's COVID Regions or between member schools of a conference. Teams will be limited to just 31 games this season.
"I was pretty excited when I heard it," said returning varsity starter Ty Pence. The St. Joseph-Ogden sophomore received his first official college offer from Western Illinois University on Saturday. "I am ready to go out and see what my squad and I can do this season."
The 2019-20 Spartan basketball roster was bulging with ten seniors. It will be interesting to see how much the contingent matures this season.
"I think it is a great opportunity for us as a squad," Pence said. "We have a lot of young guys who have to prove themselves."
"We have a lot of young guys we need to see grow. You can see it taking place gradually now, but after practice and games there could be huge strides," he said. "High School is not a fun time for students right now. There are no athletic events to attend. No homecoming. Not seeing your friends everyday or in the capacity you usually do. This would be huge news for their spirits."
The move forward by the IHSA in the face of rising infections across the state and Governor JB Pritzker's declaration almost 24 hours earlier that put winter sports on an indefinite hold and moved basketball from a medium-risk sport to a higher-risk sport within the IDPH guidelines. Despite the rise in positive cases both locally and statewide in the past weekm and with their finances in jeopardy without the revenue from football and volleyball state finals this fall, the IHSA put its cards on the table hoping for the high hand.
"This would be great news for our kids if it actually happens. Our guys have put a lot into this," Duval said. "It has given them something to look forward to."
After the IHSA released their intentions, Governor Pritzker countered with a wildcard, looking at a possible flush, in enforcing his mandate.
"The school districts know what the rules are," he replied when queried about the plans to pursue winter competition. "It is unfortunate, but I think they would probably be taking on legal liability if they went ahead beyond what the state has set as the mitigation standard."
