Prairie State Wire

As COVID-19 cases drop and vaccines become more readily available, Gov. J.B. Pritzker faces criticisms for not loosening state restrictions after a year to allow for economic recovery.

Wirepoints president Ted Dabrowski and Tom Miler discussed the repercussions of the governor's continued shutdown on WJPF.

"The curve is flat, and we've got vaccines strongly on the way," Dabrowski said. "So, you know, we've been arguing, hey, it's time … to give up his executive orders or his executive power or have the Legislature stripped him of that power. And that, of course, you know, throws up a few people."

One of the main points of debate for Pritzker to ease restrictions is the need for people to return to work. The unemployment rate in Illinois rose to 17.2% in April as a consequence of the pandemic, according to the Center for Illinois Politics. 

"He's kept it [the state] closed way too much, way too long," Dabrowski said. "And you've got to think a lot of, you know, people who supported him that probably are not going to be happy, of course, got to the retail sector where the sixth-worst in the country for the, you know, bars and restaurants for a number of job losses in this past year."

The drop in employment a month after the pandemic was worrisome, but the report noted that the unemployment rate would eventually balance out once vaccinations increase and herd immunity is acquired. It will just take some time to reach a full economic recovery, and predictions for a better future are promising.

"The economy should quickly kick into an extended period of strong growth as people shed their fear of getting sick and get back to doing what they did before the pandemic," the cited Moody's analytical report predicts.

As of March 23, Illinois had a reported 1,227,708 total COVID cases and 23,408 deaths despite the ongoing public closures according to worldometer's website, ranking the state 15th in the nation in deaths per million.