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Weather Alert

Weather Alert

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT /8 PM EDT/ THIS
EVENING...

* WHAT...Peak heat index values of 100 to 105.

* WHERE...All of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western
Kentucky, and southeast Missouri.

* WHEN...Until 7 PM CDT /8 PM EDT/ this evening.

* IMPACTS...Prolonged hot temperatures and high humidity may
cause heat illnesses.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out
of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose
fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early
morning or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat
exhaustion and heat stroke.

&&

Illinois End of State COVID-19 Disaster Proclamation

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JB Pritzker
Chi Hack Night / Wikipedia / CC BY 3.0

CHICAGO, IL (WSIL) -- The state's public health emergency will be ending on May 11, 2023. This was announced by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. 

This ending date will align the state with the federal government's decision on ending the national public health emergency.

Pritzker said in a release, Ensuring Illinois' and the federal government's health emergencies were linked brought in federal funding and expanded healthcare access for residents across the state.

“Since COVID-19 first emerged nearly three years ago, my administration has worked diligently alongside the federal government to battle this once-in-a-generation pandemic by following scientific and medical guidance to support frontline workers and save lives. Our state’s disaster proclamation and executive orders enabled us to use every resource at our disposal from building up testing capacity and expanding our healthcare workforce to supporting our vaccine rollout and mutual aid efforts,� said Governor JB Pritzker. “Let me be clear: COVID-19 has not disappeared. It is still a real and present danger to people with compromised immune systems—and I urge all Illinoisans to get vaccinated or get their booster shots if they have not done so already.�

At the time, Illinois, along with 12 other states and the Department of Health and Human Services, joined together in declaring a public health emergency during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 9, 2020. 

Pritzker's office stated Illinois has continued to remain aligned with the federal government to ensure every available resource was utilized in the state's COVID-19 response.

The release states residents of Illinois were able to collect additional SNAP benefits, more than 1.4 million children received Pandemic EBT support, and Medicaid expansion ensured access to telehealth options and the resources Illinoisans needed to stay healthy.

In the release it states since March of 2020, state and local partners benefitted from a disaster proclamation in the following ways:

� Allowing federal reimbursement for state response costs.

� Allowing use of State Disaster Relief Fund, covering direct state costs and reimbursements to Illinois National Guard and mutual aid groups.

� Allowing use of the state's mutual aid network, groups of public safety response professionals � including hundreds of health care providers and management professionals, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, emergency medical technicians and disaster response professionals � that are available to deploy to areas of shortage.

� Authorizing the Governor to activate Illinois National Guard reservists, some of whom were doctors and nurses and served on the front lines of the pandemic response.

� Allowing expedited procurement should it be necessary.

� Authorizing additional executive actions as needed to protect public health and safety.

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