Illinois COVID-19: IL reports 12,702 new cases, 43 deaths; state on verge of new shutdown, Pritzker warns
Gov. Pritzker urges residents to stay home over next 3 weeks, local leaders to enforce COVID-19 restrictions
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Gov. JB Pritzker warned that Illinois could be on the verge of having to shut down again as state public health officials reported 12,702 new COVID-19 confirmed and probable cases, a one-day record, and 43 deaths Thursday.
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The total number of cases in Illinois now stands at 536,542 with a total of 10,477 deaths.
Over a 24-hour period, officials said the state processed 100,617 specimens for a total 8,765,100.
The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from Nov. 5 to Nov. 11 is 13.9%.
As of Wednesday night, 5,258 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19, with 956 in the ICU and 438 patients on ventilators.
WATCH: Gov. Pritzker discusses Thanksgiving safety during pandemic
Gov. Pritzker said Chicago's handling of the pandemic should be a model for the rest of the state, and threatened that if things don't improve across the state, another lockdown may be the only option left.
Illinois is seeing projections that are worse than what we saw this spring, Pritzker said. The state is better prepared with stockpiles of PPE, better testing and overflow capacity plans for hospitals. But even still, some form of a mandatory stay-at-home order is not off the table.
"The numbers don't lie," Gov. Pritzker said. "If things don't take a turn in the coming days, we will quickly reach the point when some form of a mandatory stay-at-home order is all that will be left. With every fiber of my being, I do not want us to get there. But right now, that seems where we are headed."
Better and healthier days will arrive, Gov. Pritzker believes, but they are not here right now. Illinois is grappling with a surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to trend in the wrong direction.
The governor had a simple question for elected leaders who remain defiant and refuse to enforce state guidelines.
"Those who have flat out told the businesses in their communities to ignore what their local and state public health departments and experts, some of the best in the nation, are telling them: What is it going to take to get you to be a part of the solution?" Pritzker asked.
Some suburban businesses, like Capri restaurant in Burr Ridge, fear they will lose everything if the state keeps tightening restrictions.
"This is my livelihood. This is all I know," said Gigi Rovito, of Capri. "My concern is my employees, my customers and I don't think we could recover if we have to do another shutdown and close down the restaurant."
The governor also recommended anyone thinking of traveling for, or hosting, Thanksgiving to quarantine for the next two weeks. He also reiterated the need for people to stay home as much as possible for the next three weeks.
The big concern right now is COVID-19 hospitalizations. Silver Cross in New Lenox is reporting 108 patients, the highest number they have seen in the pandemic. That problem is being seen statewide, with a record 5,259 people now sick with the virus needing hospital care.
"We never saw that number in wave one," said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Dept. of Public Health. "This is an all-time high, and I am telling you that that number is only going to increase based on the number of cases we have identified over the last several weeks.
Gov. Pritzker said the state must also expand testing as people continue to get wait in long lines.
"So over the weekend we are increasing capacity at our most visited sites, Aurora, Arlington Heights and Harwood Heights," Pritzker said.
Gov. Pritzker also announced that the state will be launching an awareness campaign called "Healthy Holidays" on TV, radio, billboards and more to encourage people to wear masks and practice social distancing.
WATCH: Illinois public health officials urge residents to stay home during next 3 weeks
The Illinois Department of Public Health is calling on residents to work from home if possible, to only leave their homes for essential activities - such as grocery shopping, visiting a pharmacy or getting a COVID-19 test - to limit travel especially to areas experiencing high positivity rates, and limit gatherings - even small groups - that mix households, including for Thanksgiving.
Residents are responding in a big way, with lines at COVID 19, testing sites growing daily. Hundreds of cars were lined up for a test at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, Arlington Racetrack and in Harwood Heights.
With the new recommendations by Governor JB Pritzker limiting activity outside the home, there are also new restrictions on bars and restaurants in some collar counties.
WATCH: Stricter COVID-19 restrictions take effect in 4 suburban counties
Governor Pritzker is calling for local officials to enforce mitigations everywhere.
"Local governments right now, if they are not imposing new mitigations and enforcing the ones that are already in place, they are doing it wrong," said Governor Pritzker.
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The deaths reported Thursday included:
-Adams County: 1 male 80s
- Brown County: 1 male 90s
- Bureau County: 1 male 90s
- Clinton County: 1 male 50s, 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Cook County: 1 female 50s, 2 males 50s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- DeKalb County: 1 male 50s
- DuPage County: 1 male 70s, 2 males 80s
- Edwards County: 1 male 70s
- Fulton County: 1 male 70s
- Knox County: 1 male 80s
- Lake County: 1 male 70s, 2 females 80s
- LaSalle County: 1 male 80s
- Macon County: 1 male 80s
- Montgomery County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s
- Morgan County: 1 male 50s
- Peoria County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 80s
- Vermilion County: 1 female 90s
- Wayne County: 1 male 80s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
- Will County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
Tier 2 restrictions:
Bars:
-All bars close at 11pm and may reopen no earlier than 6am the following day
-No indoor service
- All bar patrons should be seated at tables outside
-No ordering, seating, or congregating at bar (bar stools should be removed)
-Tables should be 6 feet apart
-No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
-No dancing or standing indoors
-Reservations required for each party
-No seating of multiple parties at one table
-No tables exceeding 6 people
Restaurants
-All restaurants close at 11pm and may reopen no earlier than 6am the following day
-No indoor dining or bar service
-Tables should be 6 feet apart
-No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
-Reservations required for each party
-No seating of multiple parties at one table
-No tables exceeding 6 people
Meetings, social events and gatherings
-Limit to 10 guests in both indoor and outdoor settings *
-Applicable to professional, cultural and social group gatherings.
-Not applicable to students participating in-person classroom learning, sports or polling places.
-This does not reduce the overall facility capacity dictated by general business guidance such as office, retail, etc.
- No party buses
-Gaming and Casinos close at 11:00pm, are limited to 25 percent capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable
Organized group recreational activities
-Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity both indoors & outdoors *
-Groups limited to 10 or fewer people *
-All Sports Guidance effective August 15, 2020, remains in effect
-Outdoor Activities (not included in the above exposure settings) continue per current DCEO guidance
