Pritzker extends the state’s “stay at home” order until April 30

Posted on March 31, 2020
Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday extended the state’s “stay at home” order until the end of April. (Twitter/Governor JB Pritzker)

 

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Plan on hanging around the house a few more weeks.

Gov. JB Pritzker Tuesday announced he would extend the “stay at home” order until April 30. That also applies to schools.

The state Tuesday announced 937 new coronavirus cases and 26 more deaths, for totals of 5,994 cases and 99 deaths.

And Illinois Department of Public Health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike announced a new guideline from the CDC: “We should be concerned about people transmitting the virus even 24 or 48 hours before the symptoms become. So that is further evidence that we have to stay home,” she said. “You can’t eyeball someone and think whether they are sick or not.”

Meanwhile, the new $2.2 trillion stimulus bill is not enough.

“We are going to have to see another relief package, because, not only is there an unemployment problem – which, hopefully, will be only four months or so long – but there is also a challenge to our city budgets and our state budgets, and it goes beyond what was provided in the federal stimulus that was passed just recently,

“We have to address these things.”

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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