Coronavirus

Leaders and residents in many rural counties in Illinois have begun to push back against Gov. JB Pritzker's stay-at-home order. The response has been a mix of frustration, fear of economic harm, and the contention that their communities are largely free of COVID-19.

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.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s decision to extend Illinois' shelter-in-place rules through the end of May has prompted the Normal CornBelters' league to delay the start of its season to July 1.

In some areas of the country, demographers point to so-called hidden deaths from the pandemic. Those are deaths far above expected average death rates, even considering confirmed COVID-19 fatalities.

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.

Unit 5 has now delivered 50,000 breakfast and lunch meals to its students since schools closed because of the coronavirus.

Central Illinois colleges and universities have no surety in how the next academic year will develop. The pandemic has forced them to plan for a wider range of contingencies than usual, everything from a "regular" school year with in-person classes, to socially distanced courses, to all online.

The wheels of justice are turning at a slower pace in McLean County as police, judges and attorneys navigate the legal system during the coronavirus outbreak.

With schools closed and gatherings prohibited, one District 87 teacher is taking advantage of being able to connect with students in a unique way.

A crisis hotline in Bloomington is handling a sharp increase in calls as anxiety grows due to the pandemic.

Three former Illinois State student athletes have put their dreams on hold as they wait out the pandemic. The three Redbirds say they are trying to find new opportunities during the downtime.

Even if they don't have symptoms, "critical infrastructure" workers like grocery store and restaurant employees can now be tested for the coronavirus at Bloomington's drive-up site, state officials said.

UPDATED 5:50 p.m. | The Lincoln Motor Co. said Tuesday it will not proceed with development of a new electric vehicle based on Rivian's skateboard platform, citing "the current environment."

There’s really no socially distant way to do massage therapy. That’s put Michelle Sanders out of work.

The Bloomington City Council heard presentations Monday night from several social service agencies addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as numerous citizens upset over last week’s vote against a possible direct aid program.

UPDATED 7:05 p.m. | A Clay County judge is lifting Illinois' extended stay-at-home order for a single state representative.

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.

UPDATED 3:40 p.m. | McLean County health officials announced four new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, the largest single-day increase in several weeks.

For Bloomington High School art teacher Monica Estabrook, losing the emotional connection she had with her students has been the most challenging aspect of the transition to online learning.

McLean County reported one new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday while the state logged 2,119 new cases and 80 additional deaths. Two of those deaths were in central Illinois: one in Macon County, the other in Kankakee County.

Illinois State University staff has proposed no tuition or room and board increase for the fall semester. Trustees are likely to vote on the proposal next month.

Bloomington plans to spend more than $4 million on street resurfacing this summer, just part of its effort to repair some of the city's crumbling infrastructure.

McLean County health officials announced the county’s first confirmed COVID-19 case in four days as the rate of new cases continues to slow.

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.