Secretary of State Opens 3 CDL Testing Facilities: As you may know, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, the Illinois Secretary of State’s office closed all driver’s license facilities, including testing and issuing new Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs).  As you can imagine, the need for new truck drivers is paramount in fighting this outbreak by ensuring vital goods and services are reaching their destinations. The Secretary of State has now opened three facilities in three different parts of the state that will begin to certify new drivers, or re-certify current drivers.      

However, scheduling CDL Skills/Road Test appointments cannot be done online. You must call 217-785-3013 to schedule an appointment at one of the following facilities: West Chicago, Springfield-Dirksen or Marion.

In calling to schedule an appointment, you must first either:

• Hold a valid Illinois non-CDL Illinois driver's license, plus a valid Illinois Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP) and have passed all required knowledge/written CDL testing for the classification and type of commercial vehicle in which you will be testing;
• Hold a valid Illinois CDL plus a valid Illinois CLP and have passed all required knowledge/written CDL testing to upgrade your CDL classification, to add an endorsement or remove/change a restriction (that requires pre-trip, skills and drive testing);
• Hold a valid Illinois CDL and have been notified by the Secretary of State's office that you are required to retake a pre-trip, skills or road exam;
• Hold a valid Illinois CDL and will be 75 years of age or older on your renewal date and are required to conduct the pre-trip, skills and/or drive testing to renew your Illinois CDL; or
• Hold a valid out-of-State CDL and have completed all required knowledge/written CDL testing and need to conduct the pre-trip, skills and drive testing, as required to transfer to an Illinois CDL.

All CDL holders and applicants must provide CDL Proof of Legal Presence when applying for, upgrading, transferring or renewing a CDL. More information can be found at SOS CDL Scheduling. 

Governor’s New Extended “Stay at Home” Order Available with IDPH Guidance Documents:  In case you missed it from this morning’s memo sent to the membership,Governor Pritzker has officially extended his current “Stay at Home” Executive Order, but with a number of modifications.  For specifics applying to manufacturers, please see Section #1, Part 4 & 5 of this new order. 

Included with this Executive Order, businesses are also expected to post at the workplace this Illinois Department of Public Health guidance.     

These new modifications include:

• Manufacturers and Other Essential Businesses: Essential businesses and manufacturers, currently covered under the current “Stay at Home” order, will also now be required to provide face-coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain social distancing requirements. Manufacturers must take appropriate precautions which “may” include occupancy limits, staggering shifts, reducing line speeds, and operating only essential lines for manufacturers. Please note that these new requirements will be left up to each individual business to police on their own.

• Face Coverings/Masks: All individuals in the state two years of age and older and physically able to do so, will be required to wear a face-covering when six-foot social distancing proves difficult in public settings such as the workplace and in grocery stores.  It will be up to individual businesses as to the enforcement of this order.

• State Parks, Golf, Outdoor Recreation: Under the guidance of the Department of Natural Resources, state parks will begin a phased-in re-opening. IDNR should have a list of reopened state parks up on their website after May 1. Golf will also be permitted, but only under strict safety guidelines and adherence to 6 ft social distancing guidelines. Boating and fishing in groups of no more than two people will also be permitted, but unclear at this time if that only applies to these re-opened state parks.  The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity have established these guidelines for golf. 

• Non-Essential Retail Stores: Non-essential retail stores may re-open but only to fulfill online and phone orders through pick-up outside the store and delivery.

• Other Businesses Allowed to Re-Open: Greenhouses, garden centers, nurseries, and animal grooming services may re-open but with employees and customers wearing a face covering and following social distancing requirements.

Update on COVID-19 Cases:The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) is now reporting a total of 2,457 deaths, an increase of 105 deaths since yesterday. There are currently 56,055 positive cases of COVID-19 in Illinois, an increase of 3,137 from yesterday. In total, 284,688 people have now been tested in Illinois for the virus, which is an increase of 14,821 since yesterday. Unfortunately, the percentage of positive cases in the last 24 hours in relation to increased testing was 21.1%, which has seen daily increases over the past few days.

You can 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. In addition, Western Illinois University has an put together this Map of COVID-19 Cases in Illinois & Surrounding States which gives you picture of where COVID-19 cases are occurring in relation to areas surrounding Illinois. 

Worldometer also has a site with pertinent statistics on a state by state breakdown and comparison. Also, the City of Chicago has a good categorization of the cases within the city.

More Testing Sites Coming Online: Governor Pritzker also remarked at his daily press briefing today that the state is now up to 177 testing sites. These are the current testing sites with hours, testing parameters and contact information.  Again, this is not a comprehensive list of testing sites. Locations are continuously being added as information is provided. Some locations have asked not to be named.

1400 E. Touhy Ave, Suite 110
Des Plaines, IL 60018
Tel: (847) 544-5995
Fax: (847) 544-5999