Pritzker says hospital capacity would be overwhelmed without action

Illinois’ hospital infrastructure would be overwhelmed within a week by COVID-19 cases if the state didn’t take preventive action, including issuing a stay-at-home order, Gov. JB Pritzker said during a media briefing Tuesday.

Under a worst-case scenario, hospitals across the state would by March 30 need an additional 2,511 non-intensive care unit beds, 837 ICU beds and 419 ventilators compared to current capacity.

By April 6, hospitals would need an additional 28,222 non-ICU beds, 9,407 ICU beds and 4,704 ventilators.

“What we have seen in other countries of COVID-19’s ability to overwhelm the system could happen here too,” Pritzker said. “We are not immune.”

Pritzker said that nearly 60 percent of the state’s 2,594 ICU beds are currently occupied and nearly 30 percent of its 2,229 ventilators are in use.

State officials reported 250 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday and four more deaths. There have now been 1,535 positive tests in the state in 32 counties. There have been 16 deaths.

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