SE Illinois News

State House candidate Dr. Paul Jacobs (R-Carbondale) fears Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s calculated plan for reopening the state may ultimately cause more harm than good.

“What we are going to find is that the increase in suicide and overdose deaths will end up surpassing the deaths that we are getting with coronavirus,” Jacobs, who is now running in the 115th District, told the SE Illinois News. “It seems no one understands there will be significant problems if the state is not opened. This week we were at 14% unemployment. If it goes to the 32% that St. Louis Federal Reserve says may happen, it is estimated there will be 77,000 deaths from suicide and drug overdose directly related to the recession. Illinois’ part in those deaths will be approximately 3,300 people. At this point, Illinois has approximately 2,500 COVID deaths.”

Jacobs argues the five-phased plan recently laid out by the governor lacks the sense of urgency that’s needed given the gravity of the problem.

Pritzker’s plan calls for a region-by-region reopening of the economy that weighs the fact some regions of the state are bound to be in position to move to the next phase faster than others. He added the state is already on Phase Two of the plan, which allows nonessential stores to open on a limited basis as the spread of the infection ideally begins to fall.

“As far as the vaccine is concerned, it could be five years away or at best similar to flu shots,” he said. “Flu shots are usually given to about 50% of our population. They often are only effective 50% of the time. As far as treatment, there is available from Gilead a treatment that is approved for serious COVID patients.”

Jacobs said a plan that seeks to protect those most vulnerable while allowing everyone else to return to livelihoods makes the most sense to him.

“As I have said before, the governor has reached his legal 30 days,” he said of the stay-at-home order Pritzker first enacted back in late March. “This means that the state Legislature should at this point be involved. I do feel many Democrat districts are the same as conservative and their business leaders want to end the isolation policy and put Illinois back to work.”

Jacobs said he fears what the outcome will be if the state continues on its current path.

“If small businesses, schools and churches are not allowed to open soon, many people will look for new states to live in,” he said. “A surprising number of people have said they will move to states that are open so their children can continue their education. That is of course on top of businesses that will be bankrupt.”