As businesses across the country have been forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the abortion industry is booming in states that have allowed abortion businesses to remain open. In Illinois, Planned Parenthood just opened its 18th facility, which will offer abortions.
The facility is located in Waukegan, and was originally supposed to open in March. Though the opening was pushed back temporarily due to COVID-19, they’re now accepting appointments, and appear eager to get the word out.
According to Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, the COVID-19 pandemic has somehow “created a growing urgency” for abortions. “At PPIL, we believe ensuring access to high-quality health care is part of having a healthy community and our new Waukegan Health Center is a critical piece of that puzzle,” she said in a press release. “The COVID-19 pandemic created a growing urgency for increased access to essential health care in the region. I’m proud that PPIL is able to open our doors to help area residents seeking high-quality sexual and reproductive health care.”
READ: New report shows Illinois has become ‘the abortion dumping ground of the Midwest’
While thousands in Illinois have died from COVID-19 (nearly 4,000 at the time of publication), causing politicians to close businesses, the abortion industry is allowed to remain open. In 2018 alone, 42,000 preborn babies lost their lives to abortion in Illinois. Just last year, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an extreme pro-abortion bill into law that erases virtually all of the state’s restrictions on abortion. The new law repealed a previous ban on partial-birth abortion (D&X) and repealed parental notification laws. It also allows for taxpayer-funded abortion and removes conscience protections for health care workers.
Planned Parenthood of Illinois is now OPEN in the Waukegan area! Accessibility to healthcare has never been more important. #accessforall #healthcareaccess pic.twitter.com/Gffsvge0AC
— Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (@PPIAction) May 12, 2020
Laura Tucker, chair of the Planned Parenthood of Illinois board, hinted that state residents were desperate for a new Planned Parenthood facility. “The new Waukegan Health Center will help meet an urgent need in the community,” she said. “By providing the full range of reproductive health services, community education, and other needed resources, PPIL is poised to improve the region’s overall health and wellness. We are honored to open our doors and serve the people of Lake County during this unprecedented time.”
According to the press release, the Waukegan location was specifically chosen because it is the third-largest county in Illinois, has a large uninsured population, and the location will be able to serve Illinoisans across six counties. The Chicago Tribune also noted that the facility is easily accessible through public transportation.
Illinois Right to Life Executive Director Mary Kate Knorr released a statement in response to the news of the facility’s opening.
“Governor Pritzker reminds us every day in his press conferences that we are being confined to our homes so as to protect human life, yet a brand new abortion clinic has been allowed to open,” she said. “Churches, schools, and businesses are closed… but the nation’s largest killer of the unborn is expanding. Now is the time for righteous anger. This isn’t just about our state – 13 percent of Illinois abortions are performed on out-of-state women. If you live in this COUNTRY, you should be angry.”
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