Pritzker issues modified stay-at-home order to extend through May

Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday he’s issuing a modified stay-at-home order, which will run through the end of May.

The new rules, set to be signed by Pritzker next week and go into effect May 1, will require all individuals over the age of two who are medically able to wear a face covering or a mask when in a public place where they cannot maintain social distance.

“People should wear a mask and they should be reminded if they’re not wearing a mask that they’re not,” he said, adding he is not calling for anyone to be arrested for not complying.

Certain businesses will be allowed to reopen under the order, such as greenhouses, garden centers and nurseries. Retail stores may reopen to fulfill telephone and online orders through pick-up outside the store and delivery.

There will be a phased reopening of state parks under guidance from the Department of Natural Resources. Golf courses may also reopen under strict safety guidelines provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Fishing and boating in groups of no more than two people will be permitted.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is also set to issue guidance to surgery centers and hospitals to allow for certain elective procedures to restart.

Facilities will need to meet criteria, including proper personal protective equipment, ensuring available space for COVID-19 patients and testing of elective surgery patients to ensure they are not positive for the virus.

Department Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said they will give more details in the coming days. She said they want to ensure that individuals have access to procedures addressing issues that can become serious if not treated, but preserve hospital beds in case of a surge in COVID-19 cases.

“We’ve been working very hard to try to come up with very safe ways that we can help these postponed procedures and surgeries which, after postponing them for too long, could actually become more of a harm to the patients instead of a benefit,” Ezike said.

Essential businesses and manufacturers will be required to provide face coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain six feet of social distancing as well as follow new requirements that maximize social distancing and prioritize the well-being of employees and customers.

“I know that even with these changes, this stay-at-home order leaves many restrictions in place,” Pritzker said. “And in the coming weeks as we get to the point of working our way down to the other side of the peak, as we move forward, there will be more to do to get people back to work and open up even more.”

He added that he will bring back restrictions if people violate or break the new order.

House Republican Leader Rep. Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, said in a statement that he supported the updated order and complimented Pritzker for incorporating several of his party’s requests.

“While I am pleased with today’s actions, we must do more to restore economic vitality of the state while maintaining the health and safety of our citizens,” he said.

Senate Republican Leader Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, also said he was pleased with the order. However, he said he hoped Pritzker would have introduced a phased-in, regional reopening of the state.

“Downstate communities, while following the proper social distancing guidelines, are not seeing the same number of cases, but they’re suffering just the same economically,” Brady said.

Rep. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, filed a lawsuit Thursday afternoon to block the order from going into effect. The lawsuit alleges the stay-at-home order exceeds the governor’s authority.

“Enough is enough,” Bailey said in a video posted to his Facebook. “We cannot be held hostage by this… We have to live and we have to move on.”

Officials announced 123 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, bringing the state’s total to 1,688.

Additionally, officials reported 1,826 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the state’s total to 36,934 cases in 96 counties.

A total of 173,316 tests have been completed.

Pritzker also unveiled new models that show Illinois is now looking at a peak, or plateau, of deaths per day to occur in late April or early May. That period is likely to see more than 100 deaths per day for several weeks, though Pritzker added there is still uncertainty, especially when forecasting outward with such a small sample size.

“I guarantee that the model that we’re sharing today will change in the coming days as projected numbers about those days are replaced with actual numbers,” he said.

Officials also noted Thursday that the hospital bed, ICU bed and ventilator capacity remains relatively flat.

“Although use has been increasing slowly, capacity has also been increasing, thereby maintaining relatively stable levels,” Ezike said.
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