Governor JB Pritzker announced yesterday that the government is taking additional steps to ensure people are paid if they are sick with the coronavirus. The administration will file emergency rules this week to clarify that individuals unemployed due to COVID-19 can generally qualify for unemployment benefits to the full extent permitted by federal law.
The emergency rules, once filed, will provide assistance to individuals who may be restricted in the type of work they can perform due to COVID-19. The administration is also asking Congress to waive interest on any federal loans that Illinois and other state Unemployment Trust Fund accounts might require due to added strain from the outbreak, as well as maintaining the full federal unemployment tax credit for employers in states that may require those loans.
The announcement came yesterday on the heels of 6 more cases being revealed to the public by Pritzker and health officials in Chicago.