The 21st—Monday, March 30, 2020

The coronavirus disease continues its spread across Illinois. This weekend saw more than hundreds of confirmed new cases.

We talked with newsrooms in Northern, central and southern Illinois about what they're seeing on the ground in their regions. Plus, how are emergency rooms in Illinois preparing for a surge in COVID-19 patients? We heard from hospital workers on the frontlines. And, even though campuses are closed because of the coronavirus, student journalists are continuing to report for their college papers, and their communities. 

Today's guests:

Molly Parker, reporter, The Southern, Carbondale, Illinois 

Ryan Denham, reporter, WGLT, Normal, Illinois 

Jenna Dooley, News Director, WNIJ, DeKalb, Illinois 

Ernest Wang, M.D., president of the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians and Chief of Emergency Medicine and Clinical Associate Professor, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston 

Robert Healy, M.D., Chief Quality Officer, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana

Stephanie Yohannan, associate vice-president for the emergency department and behavioral health services at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago

Erin Morrison, arts reporter, Prospectus, Parkland College

Sam Malone, Editor in Chief, Northern Star, Northern Illinois University 

Noah Thornburg, managing editor, Northern Star, Northern Illinois University