In the wake of last week’s Appellate Court ruling, Governor Pritzker and the other state defendants have taken their appeal of the February 4, 2022 TRO regarding school COVID-19 mitigation measures to the Illinois Supreme...more
2/28/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Governor Pritzker ,
Health and Safety ,
IL Supreme Court ,
Illinois ,
Leave to Appeal ,
Masks ,
Mootness ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
Students ,
TRO ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Just before midnight yesterday, the Appellate Court issued its decision on the appeal of the February 4, 2022 TRO enjoining the Governor from enforcing certain COVID-19 mitigation measures including universal masking. With...more
2/18/2022
/ Appeals ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Mootness ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Risk Mitigation ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
TRO ,
Workplace Safety
Since yesterday, there have been many reports about the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) vote against extending IDPH Emergency Rules regarding masking, vaccine and testing requirements in schools. This has...more
2/16/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Quarantine ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On Friday, a court ruling in Springfield resulted in a temporary restraining order enjoining the Governor from enforcing certain COVID-19 mitigation measures including universal masking. Approximately 150 of Illinois’ 840...more
2/7/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Motion To Enjoin ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
School Districts ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
TRO ,
Workplace Safety
After announcing last week its plans to adopt the CDC’s new recommended shortened timeframes for exclusion, the IDPH and ISBE released several new guidance documents making such changes. The new guidance documents, as well as...more
1/14/2022
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
ISBE ,
New Guidance ,
Public Health ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Social Distancing ,
Students ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
New Guidance Documents: -
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) recently issued the following updated guidance documents related to return to in-person instruction...more
9/28/2021
/ Contact Tracing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
ISBE ,
New Guidance ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Screening Procedures ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Late Friday, Governor Pritzker issued Executive Order 2021-24 requiring schools to exclude students and school personnel for COVID-19 diagnosis, exposure, or symptoms. School districts, not the local health department, are...more
9/21/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Quarantine ,
Sick Employees ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Workplace Safety
Governor Pritzker has ordered a vaccine mandate for all teachers and staff at pre-K-12 schools, as well as students and personnel at higher education institutions. Under the Executive Order, all pre-K-12 school personnel must...more
8/30/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
ISBE ,
Private Schools ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Public Schools ,
State Contractors ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Earlier yesterday Governor Pritzker announced a mandate for all teachers and staff at pre-K-12 schools, as well as students and personnel at higher education institutions, to be vaccinated. ...more
8/27/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Private Schools ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Public Schools ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On May 13, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidance advising that fully-vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physical distance in any setting, except where required by...more
COVID-19 saliva tests have been used as one tool to slow the spread of coronavirus—notably on college campuses. Soon, several saliva tests will be available to K-12 schools. The availability of such tests prompts several...more
In this episode, we discuss the most top-of-mind issues and lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis....more
10/8/2020
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Remote Learning ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities
On August 12, 2020, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) issued a “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)” for Schools.” In a statement by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to stakeholders that same day, ISBE...more
8/14/2020
/ Contact Tracing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
IDEA ,
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
ISBE ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Section 504 ,
Special Education ,
State Health Departments ,
Students