Effective April 16, 2020, an emergency amendment to Illinois' workers'
compensation rules will make it easier for workers at essential
businesses to obtain workers' compensation benefits for
COVID-19 related injuries. Specifically, the emergency amendment
creates a rebuttable presumption that exposure of a "COVID-19
First Responder or Front Line Worker" to the virus arises out
of and in the course of, and is causally connected to, their
employment.
The emergency amendment broadly covers any individuals employed
as police, fire personnel, emergency medical technicians, or
paramedics and all individuals employed and considered as first
responders, health care providers engaged in patient care,
corrections officers, and the crucial personnel identified under
Section 1, Parts 7-12 of the Illinois March 20, 2020 stay-at-home
executive order. The reference to Parts 7-12 of the stay-at-home
order means employees who work for the following types of
businesses will be
