The human toll of the new coronavirus continues to mount in Illinois, with three more deaths and 134 additional cases of the respiratory virus reported Thursday as state officials continued to strongly urge people to stay home as much as possible to curtail its spread.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker stopped short of issuing tighter restrictions on public gatherings or ordering residents across Illinois to “shelter in place.” He also did not extend school closings beyond the current March 30 end date.
“I’m looking at all of these things, literally every day,” Pritzker said. “We’re contemplating what are the moves that we need to take based upon the guidance that we’re given.
“I know that there are discussions at the federal level and, frankly, among the advisers that I have, who are some of the experts in the world that are here in Illinois, that would guide to, ‘This is going to take longer than people have expected.’ And so we’re listening to that guidance and operating based upon that every day.”
Pritzker’s comments came at a daily news briefing where he announced the deaths of a Will County man in his 50s, a Cook County woman in her 80s and a Florida woman in her 70s who was visiting Sangamon County. “I feel like I can speak for all of Illinois when I say we offer them our collective strength at this time,” Pritzker said.
Earlier, Patricia Frieson, 61, of the Gresham neighborhood on the South Side, was diagnosed with COVID-19 and died Monday night at the University of Chicago Medical Center, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office and one of her siblings. The first known casualty of COVID-19 in Illinois, she died of pneumonia related to the disease, the medical examiner’s office announced Thursday.
The woman who died in Sangamon County was a 71-year-old Florida resident who had been visiting the Springfield area when she fell ill. She was the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the county and the first death there, according to a joint news release from the hospital system and the county.
In all, there have been 422 cases of the coronavirus reported in 22 counties across Illinois since the start of the outbreak, officials said. The patients, a handful of whom have fully recovered and are out of isolation, have ranged in age from 9 to 99. The disease is especially dangerous for people over 60 and those with underlying health conditions.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said the dramatic increase in reported cases is likely to continue as the ability to test for the virus increases.
“Unfortunately, we do anticipate additional deaths,” Ezike said. “We continue to issue the guidance: Please, everyone, stay home as much as possible so we can reduce the number of people who are infected, which will reduce the number of people who get serious illness, which will reduce the number of people who will lose their life.”
In the past week, Pritzker has closed schools and shut down dine-in service at restaurants and bars through at least March 30 and ordered the cancellation of all gatherings of 50 people or more. On Thursday, he said “parents should be contemplating the possibility” that the school closure will be extended.
At the same time, the governor sought to reassure Illinoisans that essential aspects of daily life will continue.
“Essential services will not close,” Pritzker said. “Interstates, highways and bridges will stay open. Grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, these sources of fundamental supplies, will continue to operate.”
The governor discourage people from hoarding food, gas or medicine based on rumors of impending shutdowns.
“Buy what you need within reason,” Pritzker said. “There is enough to go around as long as people do not hoard. We will never shut these services down.”
Indeed, Pritzker also announced that his administration is working with grocers across the state and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association to encourage special shopping hours for older residents before stores open to the general public.
The administration also is taking steps to try to soften the blow of his shutdown order on small and midsize restaurants and bars by allowing a two-month delay in state and local sales tax payments.
The sales tax holiday applies to dining and drinking establishments that had less than $75,000 in sales tax liabilities last year. They will not be charged penalties or interest on payments due in March, April or May.
The Illinois Department of Revenue estimates this will apply to nearly 80% of bars and restaurants statewide. Business must still file sales tax returns and will be able to make payments in four installment from May 20 through Aug. 20.
Chicago Tribune’s Antonia Ayres-Brown and Liam Ford contributed.
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
