Illinois governor issues disaster proclamation as number of coronavirus cases grows
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday issued a “disaster proclamation” for Illinois as he announced four new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 11 in the state.
The proclamation is Illinois’ version of a state of emergency, Pritzker said during an afternoon news conference. He said the move gives Illinois access to federal and state resources and tools as officials expect more cases to come about.
The four new cases of coronavirus are all in Chicago and have been confirmed by an Illinois Department of Public Health laboratory:
▪ A woman in her 50s and a woman in her 70s, family members of the sixth case, a woman in her 50s who was on a cruise ship with coronavirus.
▪ A woman in her 50s from California who traveled to Illinois.
▪ A woman in her 70s who was on an Egyptian cruise linked to coronavirus.
Illinois officials described them all as “in good condition.”
The previous seven cases were also in northern Illinois, in Chicago or Cook County. The first two cases, a married couple diagnosed in January, have recovered, according to officials. The rest of the patients are either in home isolation or in a hospital.
The closest known case of coronavirus to the metro-east is a 20-year-old woman in Ladue who returned from studying abroad in Italy. She was tested in Missouri, and the test is considered “presumptive positive” until it is confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Missouri officials are tracking her travels, which includes flying into Chicago O’Hare International Airport, staying with a friend in Chicago and taking an Amtrak train from Chicago to St. Louis.
Amtrak has said it is cleaning and disinfecting the train, as well as its Chicago and St. Louis stations.
The woman’s father and sister violated their quarantine on Saturday night, officials announced Sunday. They went to a father-daughter dinner and dance at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton. Two schools have closed as a result.
“The way the family has reacted to this situation is really a tale of two reactions and a study of how people should and should not react to the coronavirus,” said St. Louis County Executive Sam Page. “The patient had conducted herself responsibly and maturely, and she is to be commended for complying with the health department’s instructions.”
One of the 11 people who have tested positive for the respiratory disease in Illinois was infected through community transmission rather than travel. Health officials said during Monday’s news conference that is a sign that COVID-19 is “not circulating widely in the community at this time.”
The officials emphasized that transmission requires close contact with someone who has the virus and coughs or sneezes.
Illinois’ disaster proclamation
Here’s how the governor’s office says the state will benefit from the disaster proclamation:
▪ Federal reimbursement for state response costs.
▪ Use of State Disaster Relief Fund, covering direct state costs and reimbursements to Illinois National Guard and mutual aid groups.
▪ Use of the state’s mutual aid network, groups of public safety response professionals — including hundreds of health care providers and management professionals, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, emergency medical technicians and disaster response professionals — that are available to deploy to areas of shortage.
▪ Governor can activate Illinois National Guard reservists, some of whom may be doctors and nurses.
▪ Expedited procurement should it be necessary.
▪ Additional executive authorities to protect public health and safety.
Prevention tips
Public health officials offered the following advice for Illinois residents:
▪ Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
▪ Cover your cough or sneeze.
▪ Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
▪ Clean often touched surfaces frequently.
▪ Maintain a social distance, 3 feet, between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
▪ Avoid visiting long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, especially if you’re sick.
▪ Stay home if you do not feel well.
▪ Avoid large gatherings if you are 60 years and older or have certain health conditions like heart disease, lung disease or an weakened immune system.
▪ Plan a safe visit to the doctor if you experience any symptoms.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and Cigna have announced they will waive the costs for COVID-19 testing, according to a news release from the governor’s office. Medicaid and Medicare are also covering testing costs, the release stated.
Anyone with questions about COVID-19 can call the Illinois hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 3:56 PM.
