Pritzker extends and modifies stay at home order

Photo courtesy of J.B. Pritzker Facebook page.

CHICAGO – After announcing 1,826 new cases of COVID-19, the governor is extending a modified stay at home order.

Illinois Department of Public Health reports a total of 36,934 cases of COVID-19, including 1,688 deaths.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker will be signing a modified version of the stay at home order. The order will go into effect on May 1st.

Photo courtesy of IDPH

Illinois projects to see a peak or plateau of deaths per day between late April and early May. These models and projections led to the extension of the stay at home order.

“I see your pain and I am so very sorry for it. But for every person that wants to go to dinner or hang out with friends at a park or swing open their salon doors. there is a family mourning the death of someone they love,” said Pritzker. “There is a parent, a child, a friend who would give anything to have their greatest string be the difficulty of staying home and not the unimaginable pain of a life lost too soon.”

The new order will allow state parks to begin a phased re-opening. Activities like fishing will be allowed with no more than two individuals. Golf will also be permitted under safe guidelines and social distancing.

The order will also allow greenhouses, garden centers and animal grooming services to re-open as essential businesses.

Retail stores that are not an essential business will be able to operate to take telephone and online orders with pick-up and delivery options.

The new order requires all individuals to wear a face-covering or mask in a public area. The requirement applies to individuals over the age of two who are able to medically tolerate face-covering or a mask.

Pritzker warned that if people violate or break the rules, he would bring back the original restrictions of the order.

“Illinois has the best people in the world. I’ve said all along that I would fight like hell for you,” said Pritzker. “I’m asking you to hold on for just a little while longer to help make sure that we all see through to the other side of this struggle.”