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A statue of Abraham Lincoln wearing a knitted mask
COVID - 5 Years Later
A WGLT series reflecting on how the pandemic impacted McLean County, then and now. Series debuted the week of March 17, 2025.

Photos: When COVID arrived in McLean County five years ago

WGLT | By Emily Bollinger,
Ryan Denham
Published March 18, 2025 at 9:02 AM CDT
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Even outdoor playgrounds were closed in the early days of COVID-19.
Staff / WGLT
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A socially distanced, mask-wearing commencement ceremony at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
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Bloomington-Normal's arts community was largely shuttered in the first months of COVID-19, including the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.
Staff / WGLT
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A "Heroes Work Here" sign outside what was then Advocate BroMenn Medical Center (now Carle BroMenn) in Normal in spring 2020.
Staff / WGLT
5 of 26  — Reditus2.jpeg
A COVID-19 testing facility at the Interstate Center in Bloomington, run by the Illinois National Guard and later Reditus Labs.
Staff / WGLT
6 of 26  —  A temporary COVID-19 testing facility set up near Watterson Towers
A temporary COVID-19 testing facility set up near Watterson Towers at Illinois State University in Normal.
Ryan Denham / WGLT
7 of 26  — pastor Trey Haddon delivered an Easter sermon from a parking garage
Second Presbyterian Church pastor Trey Haddon delivered an Easter sermon from a parking garage at State Farm Corporate South in April 2020.
Eric Stock / WGLT
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Demonstrators hold a vigil outside Bloomington Rehab long-term care facility in June 2020. At that point, nine residents and one employee at Bloomington Rehab had died after contracting the coronavirus.
Ryan Denham / WGLT
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Many Bloomington-Normal businesses had signs like this up in the early days of COVID-19.
Staff / WGLT
10 of 26  — A pharmacy store shelf in Uptown Normal
A pharmacy store shelf in Uptown Normal, showing a shortage of alcohol gel hand sanitizer, in March 2020.
Mike McCurdy / WGLT
11 of 26  — Unit 5 school coronavirus Oakdale.jpg
McLean County schools shifted abruptly to e-learning in the early days of COVID-19.
Staff / WGLT
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Picnic tables were set up around Uptown Normal to give people a place to eat outdoors.
Staff / WGLT
13 of 26  —  The Abraham Lincoln statue in Downtown Bloomington, wearing a knitted mask.
The Abraham Lincoln statue in Downtown Bloomington, wearing a knitted mask.
Charlie Schlenker / WGLT
14 of 26  — A kid gets the COVID vaccine
A children's COVID-19 vaccination event at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
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Even toilet paper was in short supply in the early months of the pandemic. Here's a Target store shelf in November 2020.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
16 of 26  — A man gets a COVID vaccine
A COVID-19 vaccination event at Illinois State University in 2021.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
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A COVID vaccination event at Grossinger Motors Arena in Downtown Bloomington.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
18 of 26  — A person gets the COVID vaccine in an arena
A COVID vaccination event at Grossinger Motors Arena in Downtown Bloomington.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
19 of 26  — A person gets the COVID vaccine in an arena
A COVID vaccination event at Grossinger Motors Arena in Downtown Bloomington.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
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Then-Chief Judge Mark Fellheimer talks to the McLean County Board during a virtual meeting and swearing-in in December 2020.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
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Members of the District 87 school board fist-bump attendees at a board meeting in June 2021. School board meetings across the country became contentious over issues of remote learning and mask-wearing, among other issues.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
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A COVID vaccination event at Grossinger Motors Arena in Downtown Bloomington.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
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Fans wear masks at an Illinois State University football spring game in 2021.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
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A District 87 school board meeting in June 2021. School board meetings across the country became contentious over issues of remote learning and mask-wearing, among other issues.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
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A COVID-19 vaccination event at Illinois State University in 2021.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
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A COVID-19 vaccination event at Illinois State University in 2021.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT

Five years ago this month, COVID-19 arrived in McLean County and around the country.

Hospitals got ready. Stores, schools and even playgrounds were closed. Many employers told their workers to stay home. It was a surreal time.

Take a look back at some of WGLT's most striking images from the early days of COVID in the photo gallery above.
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Local News CoronavirusPhoto Gallery
Emily Bollinger
Emily Bollinger is Digital Content Director at WGLT, focused on photography, videography and other digital content.
See stories by Emily Bollinger
Ryan Denham
Ryan is an award-winning journalist and digital strategist. He joined WGLT full-time in 2017 as Digital Content Director and became interim Content Director in 2025.
See stories by Ryan Denham