Illinois State Senator Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo) is calling on Governor JB Pritzker to immediately remove the tightened restrictions on the Metro east, because of what the Senator says, are flaws in the way the Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting the state's COVID-19 cases. Schimpf says roughly 30 percent of Metro east resident cross the river to Barnes-Jewish Healthcare, in St. Louis, and he says there were reports BJC HealthCare was only reporting positive cases to IDPH.
"Because they were not including negative test results from the BJC system, I fear that our positivity rate was inflated much higher than what it actually was."
The Senator from Waterloo says since Illinois leaders are using the positivity rate to shutter businesses, the metrics used should be more accurate and transparent.
WSIU has reached out to the IDPH for comment.
