CHICAGO – A substantial set of federal and state tools opened up Monday when Governor JB Pritzker announced a disaster proclamation for Illinois, along with four new cases of COVID-19 in Illinois, bringing the number of cases up to 11.
"This declaration will build on a robust response," Pritzker said. "Now we have three testing labs – in Chicago, Springfield and Carbondale. We expect to be able to meet demands for testing."
"This is going to affect your daily life, but your city, county and state officials are working hard to communicate forward," Pritzker said. He pointed to the following suggestions:
- If you think you might be sick, call a health care provider.
- If you're asked to self-isolate, obey instructions.
- Call the elderly to make sure they have what they need.
- Do not hoard medical supplies.
- Educate yourself about what's going on and precautions you're being asked to take.
"Community members take care of each other – don't let fear overtake level thinking," Pritzker said.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin joined the press conference.
A representative of Chicago's Public Health Department said of the four new cases, one is a woman in her 50s and another in her 70s that are family members of the 6th case in Illinois – a woman confirmed Friday – that had been on a cruise. She is an employee of Chicago's Vaughn High School.
Close contacts – like the Vaughn High School employees' family members – are the most vulnerable. There appears to be no sign of transmission at the school. At this point, all tests have returned negative. Students and staff are being monitored for 14 days.
The third woman traveled to Illinois and the fourth woman in her 70s had just returned from an Egyptian cruise.
Overall 600 tests have been run, but only 11 thus far have tested positive.
