State health officials report 2,049 new coronavirus cases

Posted on April 22, 2020
Gov. Pritzker with the daily update on COVID-19. (WJBC file photo)

 

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – With other states preparing to open up commerce, what about Illinois?

Some form of that question comes up increasingly during Gov. JB Pritzker’s daily coronavirus briefings.

“I think i have foreshadowed for everybody, and i think it’s widely understood, that the things that we need to open the economy are things that we don’t quite yet have in place, nor does any state,” Pritzker said Wednesday. “Some states are reopening anyway. That’s their choice. I think people might get sick; many people might get sick. But what have I said (is necessary? Testing. Tracing. Treating. and PPE,” referring to personal protective equipment.

And Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said nobody is immune: “I cant give more specifics, but I know over 2500 health care workers (have contracted coronavirus) and we think that we know of potentially eight deaths that are associated with them.”

The new cases reported Wednesday is a new one-day high for Illinois, 2,049, with 98 deaths. The state totals are 35,108 cases and 1,566 deaths.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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