Lake County Gazette

Illinois state Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) is doing all he can to spread the word about the state’s call for former medical workers to join in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

In hopes of addressing the growing patient load at area hospitals, Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently made the call for former doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants and respiratory care therapists to return to the field to help with the crisis.

“Licensure fees will be waived so that these vital personnel may immediately re-join the state’s healthcare workforce,” Wilcox posted on Facebook. “Healthcare license reinstatement forms will be available on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s website. These applications will be expedited and the state will coordinate with hospitals and other healthcare sites in Illinois to put medical professionals where they are needed.”

In addition, the state has moved to automatically extend licenses through the fall for medical officials who would otherwise need to reapply. The state is also acting to make it easier for those who practice in other states and live in border communities such as in the Quad cities, to be able to practice within Illinois’ borders.

While New York has experienced the most outbreaks by far in the United States, health officials now deem Illinois a hot spot area and as of April 2 known infections have risen, according to the Chicago Tribune.

As a way of enforcing the stay-at-home order Gov. J.B. Pritzker enacted earlier this month and now extended through April 30, city officials have also started cracking down on businesses found in violation by imposing fines of as high as $10,000 per violation.