Pritzker: Postpone all large gatherings, schools to stay open; 7 new Chicago-area cases
Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued new guidelines Thursday about large gatherings in public spaces as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state climbed to 32, with five new cases in the suburbs.
Pritzker recommended Thursday that all public gatherings and community events expected to attract 250 people or more be canceled or postponed. The recommendation aligns with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The governor also mandated that events of 1,000 or more people be canceled or postponed immediately.
Pritzker said he knows some people in areas of Illinois not yet affected by the coronavirus will question the necessity of such strict statewide guidelines.
"Don't be fooled into thinking your community is immune," Pritzker said. "It is not."
The actions come as Illinois health officials announced that seven more people have tested positive for the coronavirus: a Chicago woman in her 40s, a Chicago child, two women in their 70s and a man in his 50s in Cook County outside Chicago, a Kane County man in his 70s, and a McHenry County man in his 60s.
"I am not going to hesitate to take the most aggressive measures possible to protect the people of our state," Pritzker said. "We need to reduce social contact in order to try and control the spread of the virus and prevent our medical infrastructure from dealing with too many cases at one time."
Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and city and state health officials held a joint news conference on Thursday in Chicago, with each outlining bans on various gatherings and meetings. That includes everything from large churches to concerts and conferences.
Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health said no details would be disclosed about what may be the youngest patient so far in Illinois, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Arwady said the Chicago child's school has been notified, but she did not specify the school. A McHenry County teenage boy was announced as a confirmed case on Tuesday.
"While older adults appear to be suffering more severe illness, the young child in Chicago is a reminder that anyone can be infected with this virus," said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the state's director of the public health department.
Ezike said a third of the state's cases involve travel and about half are related to contact with another person with COVID-19.
"The remaining cases are not as clear and could be the result of community spread," Ezike said. "So while you may not have a case in your community now, we anticipate that there will be."
The governor said he is not requiring that all schools in the state shut down but the state will be monitoring the situation on a day-to-day basis.
He also said the state's primary election will go on as planned Tuesday, but early voting hours will be extended.
In Chicago, Lightfoot said she reached a deal with Comcast to provide low-income homes with 60 days of free internet - and doubling of internet speeds in those households, the Sun-Times reported.
She said she would not close Chicago Public Schools because it would have "potential cascading effects" on many low-income students who rely on schools for food and shelter.
Pritzker also announced the James R. Thompson Center will be closed to the public beginning Monday, although all government services will still be open and state employees will still work in their respective offices. The CTA, however, will remain open.
"It may evolve right now, but we don't see any reason or rationale for us to shut down public transit in the city of Chicago," Lightfoot said. "The CTA is also taking additional measures to make sure buses and train cars are clean."
Pritzker said he also talked with all Chicago sports teams and they've agreed either to postpone games or play without fans until May 1.