State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) made the following statement today in response to Governor JB Pritzker’s announcement that in order to fully re-open Illinois in his own 5 Phase Covid-19 chart. Now, a new requirement of having a majority of people take the vaccination is required for the entire state of Illinois in order to open up and get back to normal.
“The governor keeps changing the rules to fit his own attempt to control the people of Illinois,” said Rep. Adam Niemerg. “The governor calls them metrics but he is not relying on real science but creating more barriers for political purposes.”
According to the Governor, every region of the state is in Phase 4 of his five-phase Restore Illinois mitigation plan, with Phase 5 originally being the goal to reach to open Illinois back up to normal gatherings at restaurants, schools, churches, museums, and large group activities. The newly announced ‘metrics’ are seen as a roadblock and not a bridge to the final phase of this artificial plan.
To advance into the Bridge Phase, the entire state must reach a 70% first dose vaccination rate for residents 65 and over, maintain a 20% or lower ICU bed availability rate and hold steady on COVID-19 and COVID-like illness hospital admissions, mortality rate, and case rate over a 28-day monitoring period. To advance to Phase 5, the state must reach a 50% vaccination rate for residents age 16 and over and meet the same metrics and rates required to enter the transition phase, over an additional 28-day period.
“It’s gotten to the point that the average person does not understand the complexity and changes to his executive orders. This new requirement is a road block and not a bridge,” continued Rep. Niemerg. “I say to the Governor, stop moving the goalpost Governor Pritzker! Open Up Illinois Now!”