Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday extended his statewide stay-at-home order for three weeks as the nation struggles to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Pritzker set a new deadline of April 30 for keeping people inside except if necessary to go to a job deemed essential or take care of needs such as getting food or going to a health care provider.
“I trust the governor is acting with the input of healthcare experts and epidimeologists who are informing this action,” Illinois State Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) said. “And he’s operating under his executive authority. I support that he is in a position to make these decisions and trust tht he’s doing it in the best interest of all the residents of Illinois.
“With that being said, at the conclusion, we’ll be in a position to look back and see what was known and then is the proper time to make a judgement on the actions he’s taken.”
Pritzker’s initial stay-at-home order to slow the spread of COVID-19 went into effect on March 21, and was supposed to expire on April 7. When the stay-at-home order was first announced, Illinois had 585 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Illinois has since seen an uptick in confirmed coronavirus cases.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the state had announced 5,994 positive cases and 99 deaths, with 35,225 people tested.
Pritzker has been asked repeatedly at news conferences if he was planning on extending the order, but he has only said that it was something he has been evaluating on a day-by-day basis.
This is a developing story.
• The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: The Daily Chronicle
Be First to Comment