CHICAGO, Ill. — Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday it has been one full month since he declared a disaster proclamation.
“Since then, we’ve needed to close down our restaurants and bars, and limit large gatherings, we took schools to remote learning, we instituted a stay-at-home order following the best advice available,” Pritzker said.
In the past month, the governor said there are many aspects that are helping the healthcare capacity such as ordering personal protective equipment in bulk, ordering ventilators, adding beds to our existing institutions, and calling retired healthcare workers back to the field.
Pritzker said Illinois is, in fact, bending the curve, and could be moving to a flatter curve.
“But, we need to keep watching the data on a daily basis. Keep in mind our case numbers and death toll are still growing. And, thus our fight must continue,” Pritzker said. “The data will show that those numbers are growing more slowly, and that’s a very good thing.”
Pritzker said it is the citizens that are helping to fight this virus, such as not gathering in groups, wearing masks, social distancing and more.
“You all are the first line of our protection in your communities,” Pritzker said.
Thursday marks one week since the All In for Illinois campaign, which has reached three million people on social media.
There are 1,344 new cases of COVID-19 in Illinois, with 66 new deaths, according to Dr. Ngozi Ezike with the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The total case count is at 16,422, including 528 deaths, in 81 counties.
Ezike said that people are working around the clock.
“This pandemic is certainly testing the public health system. The IDPH laboratories are working around the clock now seven days a week, multiple shifts, testing specimens for COVID-19,” Ezike said.
Ezike encourages people to reach out to their friends and neighbors, through the phone. They do not want anyone to die at home due to complications of COVID-19 because they are scared to seek medical care.
“We want everyone to receive the care they need,” Ezike said.
