Coronavirus Illinois: Governor To Extend Stay-At-Home Order Through May

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday said he would extend the state’s stay-at-home order through the end of May, saying the move is necessary to retain the gains made in the last month. The stay-at-home order had been scheduled to expire April 30.

“If we lifted our order tomorrow, we would see deaths shoot into the thousands in May, and that would last well into the summer,” Pritzker said in justifying the action.

He added: “This is the part where we have to dig in.”

The only state with a longer stay-at-home order in place is Virginia where residents are being asked to stay home through June 10. Wisconsin’s order runs through May 26. Pritzker said he would sign the extension next week.

“We now have what we didn’t have two months ago, an understanding of what COVID-19 cases, deaths, hospitalizations and ventilator and ICU usage look like every day in Illinois,” Pritzker said, adding cases are not expected to peak until mid-May.

“A later and lower peak, pushing the peak further down the line might not sound like good news, but I promise you, it saves lives,” he said.

Pritzker said he’s modifying his executive order, requiring essential businesses to provide face-coverings for employees who cannot maintain 6-feet of social distancing and adding occupancy limits. Other measures include staggered shifts and the operation only of essential lines of manufacture.

“We are making progress building out testing and launching our contract tracing initiative,” he said.

Some modifications to the stay-at-home order will take effect May 1 to allow some nonessential businesses to reopen for online and phone orders, and curbside pickup and delivery. State parks will open on a phased basis while greenhouses, garden centers and nurseries, and animal grooming services will be allowed to operate.

Before hospitals can start scheduling elective surgeries, they will have to meet certain benchmarks, including maintaining enough space for COVID-19 victims and acquiring enough personal protective equipment for personnel.

The Illinois Hospital Association has estimated the state’s hospitals are losing $1.4 billion a month, with some forced to furlough employees.

The state recorded 1,826 new cases Thursday, bringing the total to 36,934, along with 123 more fatalities, bringing the death toll to 1,688 – the vast majority of the cases in Chicago where more than 15,000 cases and 641 deaths have been reported.

Pritzker said earlier the state’s schools would remain closed for the rest of the school year.