To:

Chemical Industry Council of Illinois (CICI) Members

From:

Mark Biel, Chief Executive Officer
[email protected] or 217/522-5805 

Re:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update – Illinois Secretary of State Extends Driver’s License Renewal; IDPH Issues Halloween Guidance; Updated Specific State Information on COVID-19 Orders; Update on COVID-19 Cases

Illinois Secretary of State Extends Driver’s License Renewal: The Illinois Secretary of State’s office (SOS) announced that expiration dates for driver's licenses and ID cards have been extended an additional three months, from Nov. 1, 2020 until Feb. 1, 2021. This extension also includes those who have October, November, December and January expiration dates.  Expired driver's licenses and ID cards will remain valid until Feb. 1, 2021.  Customers do not need to rush into Driver Services facility during the pandemic. The SOS also extended the driver's license expiration date by one year for qualified drivers age 75 and older. The new expiration date is their birthday in 2021.

License plates stickers remain extended until Nov. 1, 2020, as they can easily be renewed online.

SOS also continues to urge the public to consider using online services when possible instead of visiting a facility due to heavy customer volume. Customers who can conduct business online may go to www.cyberdriveillinois.com to take advantage of online services - such as renewing license plate stickers, obtaining a duplicate driver's license or ID card, obtaining a driving record abstract or renewing a standard driver's license through the Safe Driver renewal program.

For those customers who must visit a facility, face masks are required. In addition, customers are asked to be patient due to heavy volume and to be prepared to wait outside in various types of weather. This is due to social distancing, which limits the number of people inside a facility at one time.

IDPH Issues Halloween Guidance: The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) issued guidance this week for Halloween activities:

Trick-or-treating:

  • Anyone participating in trick-or-treating, including those passing out candy, should maintain 6-feet of social distance and wear proper face coverings.
  • Consider leaving individually wrapped candy (spaced apart) on a table in driveways or in front of walkways, sidewalks, or any outdoor space where 6-feet of distance can be maintained.
  • A Halloween costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask. Ensure that breathing is not impaired if a cloth mask is worn under a costume mask. If so, discard the costume mask.
  • Trick-or-treat in groups with household members only.
  • Candy collected during trick-or-treating should not be eaten until after handwashing.
  • An alternative to traditional trick-or-treating is to set up in a large parking lot or other outdoor setting with tables with individually wrapped candy (spaced apart) where participants with a parent/guardian can parade past while still keeping 6-feet of distance and wearing a face covering. It’s suggested to offer reserved time slots to limit everyone showing up at once.

Haunted Houses:

  • Halloween haunted houses currently are not allowed in Restore Illinois Phase 4 Guidelines.
  • Consider open-air, one-way haunted forests or haunted walks where 6-feet of distance can be maintained and face coverings are used.

Adult costume parties, social gatherings, Halloween parties at bars:

  • Gatherings of more than 50 people or 50% or more of a building’s maximum occupancy are prohibited. (Lower limits may apply for regions in additional mitigation.)
  • The more time you spend at a gathering, the closer the contact, the more people, the higher your risk of exposure to COVID-19.
  • Follow small social gathering safety tips from IDPH.

Pumpkin patches and orchards:

  • Cloth face coverings and social distancing should be enforced.
  • Use hand sanitizer before handling pumpkins, apples, and other produce.

Hayrides:

  • Hayrides should not exceed 50% capacity with parties spaced at least six feet apart.
  • Wear face coverings at all times when around people not from your household.
  • After participating in any of the above activities, if you think that you may have been exposed during your celebration, take extra precautions for 14 days after the event to help protect others.

Updated Specific State Information on COVID-19 OrdersThe American Chemistry Council (ACC) has again updated their comprehensive chart detailing state specific orders, re-opening plans, and other restrictions as well as executive orders and legislation relating to business liability.  This chart is attached to this UpdateThese figures will be updated and reported here at least once a week.

Update on COVID-19 Cases: IDPH is reporting 297,646 positive tests of COVID-19 in Illinois, an average increase of 2,669 new positive tests per day since reported here 3 days ago on September 29.  In total, 5,763,128 tests have now been conducted in Illinois for the virus, an average increase of 80,825 tests per day since September 29.  The state’s average positivity rate over all 11 regions for the last 3 days is at 3.3%, and 3.4% for the last 7 days.

Unfortunately, IDPH is reporting a total of 8,743 deaths, an average increase of 43 per day since September 29.

You can also check where these cases are occurring at the State of Illinois COVID-19 website which also contains more information on this outbreak.

Also, IDPH has a case breakdown of the number of positive cases in Chicago and each county relative to the number of fatalities.  The IDPH website also now includes a breakdown of the cases under each zip code in the state.

For information on other states and countries, John Hopkins University has developed this website that provides invaluable resources at a one-stop location detailing testing and tracing trends, timelines of COVID-19 policies, and interactive maps.

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