Coronavirus

UPDATED 6:30 p.m. | Illinois State University officials said Saturday that someone who tested positive for COVID-19 has become the first "on-campus confirmed case." The university declined to say whether it was a student, faculty, or staff member, citing "patient privacy."

The coronavirus story is developing quickly in Illinois. Here are updates from WGLT's newsroom and our partners at Illinois Public Radio, NPR, and The Associated Press.

You can also see (or add to) our list of cancellations, closures, and rescheduled events. Find all of our coverage at WGLT.org/Coronavirus.

Seven Illinois State University students have contracted COVID-19 at a gathering at a private residence. They are among McLean County’s 112 cases.

Illinois State University trustees agreed Friday to freeze tuition and room and board for students for the 2020-21 academic year and delayed two construction projects as the pandemic causes more financial uncertainty for both the university and students. 

COVID-19 has stolen lives and livelihoods. It’s also taken a giant eraser to the calendar of our lives.

Another 5,200 people in the Bloomington-Normal area filed for unemployment for the first time in April —  a staggering number that exceeded March's historic high.

Increasingly, first responders are taking on the role of counselor during the pandemic as the coronavirus stokes fears about health and livelihood.

For two decades, Jamie Snow has fought his McLean County murder conviction, but his battle with an infectious disease that has killed 12 of his fellow inmates may pose the biggest threat to his life.

Snow is serving a life sentence at Stateville Correctional Center in the death of Bill Little, a clerk who was fatally shot behind the counter of a Bloomington gas station on Easter Sunday 1991. The Exoneration Project is representing Snow in his effort.

The coronavirus story is developing quickly in Illinois. Here are updates from WGLT's newsroom and our partners at Illinois Public Radio, NPR, and The Associated Press.

You can also see (or add to) our list of cancellations, closures, and rescheduled events. Find all of our coverage at WGLT.org/Coronavirus.

BLOOMINGTON FARMERS MARKET RACKS UP ONLINE SALES

Managers of a new emergency loan program for McLean County businesses say the second round of federal aid through the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) has, so far, muted response to the county's stimulus effort.

Business and government leaders in McLean County say they are encouraged Gov. JB Pritzker's plan to reopen Illinois will give them a chance to open the local economy safely, but maybe not as swiftly as some had hoped.

McLean County health officials announced four new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the county’s total to 108.

National debate over expanding mail-in ballot efforts has come to McLean County.

As graduation approaches for college seniors, career advisers say they should prepare to enter a job market that looks different.

The coronavirus story is developing quickly in Illinois. Here are updates from WGLT's newsroom and our partners at Illinois Public Radio, NPR, and The Associated Press.

There are Illinois State University students who have tested positive for COVID-19, though there have not been any known campus-related exposures, officials said Monday.

UPDATED 3:20 P.M. | McLean County health officials announced three new COVID-19 cases on Monday to bring the county’s total of confirmed cases to 102.

McLean County registered nurse Abbi Sorrells has worked on the front lines of the pandemic. She says she understands the desire to reopen parts of the economy.

A young queer man walked by the shuttered entrance to the Bistro in downtown Bloomington and said to owner Jan Lancaster, “Hi Mom.” She gets that a lot.

Illinois State University said it will offer online commencement ceremonies this year for its approximately 4,327 spring graduates. The university said it expects to award about 3,601 undergraduate diplomas and 726 graduate degrees in two ceremonies May 8-9. There are usually five such in person ceremonies during graduation weekend. This year those were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

McLean County health officials announced four new coronavirus cases on Friday to bring the county’s total to 99.

One of Illinois’ top Republicans said Friday that bringing lawmakers back to Springfield could help de-escalate mounting tensions over the governor’s stay-at-home order.