![](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/389/2020/03/05120419/Coronavirus-2.jpg)
By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – If you’re waiting for Gov Pritzker to close Illinois schools, forget it. The governor said Thursday that’s going to be a local decision.
“The Illinois State Board of Education is working with school districts around the state to make sure they are following guidance and policies,” Pritzker said at his daily coronavirus briefing Thursday. “Every school district is a little bit different, and I encourage school administrators and faculty to make responsible decisions, guided by recommendations from the CDC, from IDPH, and from our state governor’s office.”
The state announced seven new cases, including that of a child. No new counties are among the seven, which bring Illinois’ total to 32.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, has some of the facts: “Approximately a third of our cases here in Illinois are travel-associated. About half are related to a contact with a COVID-19 case. The remaining cases are not as clear and could be the result of community spread.”
The seven new coronavirus cases include a child, but Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago’s public health commissioner, says he is in good condition – and did not even have to go to the hospital.
No new Illinois counties are represented in the latest seven cases.
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]