New single-day high with 330 fresh COVID-19 cases
State has 1,865 coronavirus cases, as three new deaths bring total to 19
Gov. Pritkzer lays out the state’s economic response to the coronavirus outbreak at Wednesday’s briefing, backed up by Michael Jacobson, president of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association. (Illinois Information Service)
By Ted Cox
Illinois set a one-day high with 330 new cases of COVID-19 reported Wednesday, while three new deaths brought the statewide toll to 19.
“We will see cases continue to grow,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, at the daily coronavirus briefing at the Thompson Center. She advised residents across the state to continue to observe the stay-at-home order to deter the spread of the disease, saying, “Together we are protecting all of Illinois and decreasing the number of fatalities.”
“The sacrifices that you are making are saving lives, truly,” said Gov. Pritzker.
The 330 new cases brought the statewide total to 1,865, and the coronavirus has now been detected in 35 counties. After Illinois registered three straight days in the 200s on new cases, Wednesday’s total topped the previous high set Sunday when 296 new cases were reported. According to the Department of Public Health, the three new deaths involved a Kane County man in his 90s, a Cook County man in his 60s, and a Will County woman in her 50s.
Western Illinois University published an interactive map online showing the spread of the disease across the state and also neighboring counties across state lines.
After the governor focused on statewide hospital capacity at Tuesday’s briefing, he turned his attention Wednesday to government attempts to minimize the economic impact of the pandemic, announcing first that Illinois will follow the federal government in extending the tax filing deadline from April 15 to July 15. He also lauded a $2 trillion national stimulus package working its way through Congress, specifically applauding U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin for their work getting $1,200 checks out to those making less that $75,000, phasing out for incomes up to $99,000, and with an additional $500 a child for families. He also praised them for helping to extend unemployment benefits to independent contractors, freelancers, and so-called gig workers.
“This was a record-breaking emergency relief package and much-needed for our state,” Pritzker said.
On the state level, Pritzker and Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced three new programs providing more than $90 million to businesses struggling to stay afloat, administered through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The bulk of that will come in a $60 million Small Business Emergency Loan Fund, providing low-interest loans of up to $50,000 for small businesses. Another $20 million will provide grants of up to $25,000 for businesses in suburban and rural counties, and another $14 million will target the hospitality industry with grants up to $25,000 for bars and restaurants and $50,000 for eligible hotels.
Michael Jacobson, president of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, called that “an important first step in trying to save our industry.”
“We understand business has slowed,” Frerichs said. “We do not want businesses to close forever.” He said it would be easier to restart businesses that have stayed active through what he called a “soft landing” than ones that have shut down entirely.
Pritzker said the state was working to bolster the Department of Employment Security online system, which has been overwhelmed with new claims for unemployment. “Enough hasn’t been done,” he acknowledged. “We remain overloaded. People are going to have to be patient, at least for now.” He advised those filing for unemployment to try off hours. “Hang with us here,” he added. “It’s not working the way I want it to to either.”
“We are all concerned about the economy,” Frerichs said. “However, make no mistake, our decisions should be guided by medical experts and science, not by television talking heads and Twitter posts.”
Pritzker praised grocery-store workers, custodians, mass-transit workers, factory workers, and delivery drivers as the “unsung heroes in this fight,” keeping critical supply chains open as otherwise state residents hunker down.
Ezike reminded citizens that, in addition to the stay-at-home order, they should stay six feet apart from others, wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds, cough or sneeze into a tissue, clean frequently used surfaces, and use hand sanitizer that’s 60 percent alcohol.
Separately, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a sterner reminder Wednesday to her residents to stay home as much as possible as many Chicagoans poured into the streets to enjoy one of the first days of springlike weather.
“I want to remind everyone of how critically important it is for all Chicagoans to adhere to the state mandate during this time, which was implemented to stop the spread of COVID-19 and save lives,” Lightfoot said. “In the face of this global pandemic we all must play our part in flattening the curve locally, and that means staying at home as much as possible during this time. I want to be clear we are not saying that you cannot go outdoors, but everyone must implement social distancing when doing so and exercise increased caution.”
She advised residents to:
Go for a walk or run but maintain physical distance from others while doing so.
Walk their dog, but not congregate at the dog park or beach.
Visit one of the city's public parks and outdoor recreation areas that remain open for use during regular operating hours, but avoid clustering in groups.
Shop at the grocery stores that remain open, as long as you are not sick, and practice social distancing.
Continue visiting the restaurants that remain open for pick-up and delivery.
In issuing her latest health warnings, Ezike said that the highly contagious COVID-19 was being found in “clusters of infection in families.” She said that was part of the reason she was visibly moved in announcing the latest deaths Tuesday, because in the midst of the outbreak, and with the limits on social gatherings, families are not capable of mourning together at wakes and funerals.
“I just buried my father last month,” she said, “so when I think of people who can’t do what I did for my father last month I feel it’s very real as to what people are going through and the sacrifices that they’re making.”