HOMEWARD BOUND
Illinoisans hit the stores as gov announces statewide stay-at-home order through April 7
First he asked. Then he pleaded.
Now Gov. J.B. Pritzker is ordering all residents to stay at home as part of the most serious effort yet to combat the spread of the coronavirus in Illinois.
Beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday and effective through April 7, all Illinois residents must stay home except for limited outdoor activity, shopping for basic needs and working certain jobs deemed essential.
Pritzker issued the order alongside Mayor Lori Lightfoot Friday afternoon following weeks of health officials urging people to practice “social distancing” to stem the global pandemic.
“My bedrock has been to rely on science: real, actual science,” Pritzker said. “To avoid the loss of potentially tens of thousands of lives, we must enact an immediate stay-athome order for all in Illinois.
“All non-essential businesses must stop operating. If you can work from home and aren’t already doing so, now is the time you must,” Pritzker said.
The reality of the COVID-19 threat was underscored by the fifth death in the state attributed to the disease, a Cook County woman in her 70s. The first four Illinois coronavirus deaths were confirmed earlier in the week.
And with 163 additional cases announced Friday — marking a third straight day of record spikes — the statewide patient tally jumped to 585. That number could hit 3,400 as early as next week with expanded testing and will continue to rise exponentially, according to Pritzker’s office.
“The numbers you see today are the people that got sick a week ago,” UChicago Medicine epidemiologist Emily Landon said in an impassioned plea for people to stay home. “And there are still people who got sick today who haven’t even noticed they’ve gotten sick yet … In short, without taking drastic measures, the healthy and optimistic among us will doom the vulnerable.”
Cases have been confirmed in 25 of the state’s 102 counties, affecting patients ranging in age from 3 to 99.
Pritzker’s order also extends to Illinois schools, which had been shut down until the end of the month but now will be closed at least until April 8. Lightfoot previously extended the closure of Chicago Public Schools through April 21.
The mayor called it “a make-or-break moment for our city and state” but urged residents to keep calm. Essential services including grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations will stay open, but most other places that don’t sell food or medicine will close under Pritzker’s order.
Roads and highways will stay open along with public transportation systems, including the CTA.
“I want to be clear: This is not a lockdown or martial law,” Lightfoot said. “Do not take this direction as a reason to run to the stores, buy everything in sight and hoard vital supplies.”
In terms of enforcement, Lightfoot and Pritzker agreed the order amounts to “asking people to do what they know they ought to” but said police will be vigilant.
“If [officers] see somebody who maybe is violating this order, they would talk to them and ask them not to,” Pritzker said. “Last resort, really, there is the reckless conduct misdemeanor that someone could be charged with. But we anticipate people will follow this order.”
Anyone spotted potentially violating the order by Chicago police will “get an admonition to go home, and for most people, that’ll be enough,” Lightfoot said.
And while Chicago Park District buildings and libraries will close for the duration of the order, people are allowed to enjoy the outdoors.
“Yes, you can go outside for a walk, but practice social distancing. Remember, this is the new normal, for now,” Lightfoot said.
Pritzker also shot down rumors of state militia members being called to enforce martial law.
“Those are all false, and I want people to take a deep breath … There is also, I hate to tell you, an effort by the Chinese government and the Russian government to feed into that paranoia about what’s going on,” Pritzker said.
The governor activated 60 National Guard members earlier in the week, but they’re tasked with assisting with medical services.
“THE NUMBERS YOU SEE TODAY ARE THE PEOPLE THAT GOT SICK A WEEK AGO. AND THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WHO GOT SICK TODAY WHO HAVEN’T EVEN NOTICED THEY’VE GOTTEN SICK YET … IN SHORT, WITHOUT TAKING DRASTIC MEASURES, THE HEALTHY AND OPTIMISTIC AMONG US WILL DOOM THE VULNERABLE.”
EMILY LANDON, UChicago Medicine epidemiologist, in an impassioned plea for people to stay home