Pritzker provides an update on the coronavirus outbreak in his state. This is 40 minutes. Gov. Pritzker good afternoon, everyone. A member tell you that of my Governors Office has tested positive for covid19. This individual started to feel unwell on thursday, march 20 six, and immediately went home. That same day we sent everyone who works in the Governors Office home and had a professional multihour deep cleaning done. We had earlier in march significantly reduced our Indoor Office staff and had all those who could work from home. These are the same that i have stateoffices across the to hold. We have asked to bitter checks for anyone coming into the thompson center. Those checks have continued. Following the staffers exit from the office we reduced in office staff in the Governors Office further to a critical few , asking all those staying at home to selfisolate, as the medical professionals advise. We put in place additional protocols about in office and out of office behavior. The individual who tested positive continues to isolate at home. It has been nine days since that person left the office and none of our staff have demonstrated symptoms. I am incredibly happy this member of my team is doing so well. This is an anxious time for everyone, and should be a that even among those who are most attentive and taking the most precautions, it is still possible to get the virus if you leave home and interact with others. So, let this just affirm what we already know. Nobody is immune. Now ive set all along that this would get worse before it gets better, but speaking the truth in no way softens the blow when it does in fact get worse. And it has been reported to me and im deeply saddened to say that in the last 24 hours, we have had 73 fatalities in the battle against covid19, our largest single day increase to date. There are so many tragedies here. The countless family members, loved ones, friends, and neighbors who grieve. The indefinite delay of funerals and celebrations of life. The fact that this will not be the last day that we say goodbye ansour fellow illinoi because of the terrible toll of covid19. Its ok to let yourself feel all the pain that there is to feel today. I too am grieving, but my grief is only fueling my efforts to fight this virus and when. And win. Let these numbers today be a terrible reminder that this pandemic is deadly serious, so stay at home. Wash your hands many times a day, wipe down surfaces you use with any regularity. If you must leave your home, wear a mask or a bandana or a scarf to cover your nose or mouth. As i mentioned yesterday, today, we are going to go over our latest updates on hospitalization rates and ventilator data. Here in illinois, the percentage of our covid19 test results coming back positive is hovering right around 19 . Since yesterdays update, we are up to 13,549 cases of covid19 tested positive across 77 of our 102 counties. And we know that there are many more people out there who have contracted covid19. And are already in recovery without realizing it. And have some others have recovered at home. Without ever having gotten tested. Nowhere in this country, in not a single state, does anyone currently have the capacity to test at the rate that they have deployed in places like south korea. Rates that would allow us to pick up on an asymptomatic covid19 carrier. That does not mean we wont get there and im pursuing all the options available to make that day arrive sooner rather than later. But in the meantime, its the safest course of action, to consider the recorded positive cases in the United States of america as a significant undercount. Although all the available data serves as an important part of the overall picture, we consider our hospitalization data a particularly significant indicator. If someone is sick enough to need hospital care, they are likely going to seek that care whether or not they have been tested. According to data from april 6, yesterday, the number of known Covid Patients and suspected Covid Patients, as in persons under investigation and assumed to have covid19 for the purpose of medical treatments in our hospitals here in illinois, that number totaled 3680. Since the earliest days of our covid19 response, my administration has worked with our network of more than 200 hospitals to increase capacity in our existing health systems. We now have nearly 28,000 total beds, approximately 2700 of which are icu beds. As a reminder, those numbers dont include the beds we are putting up at our alternate care facilities. Like vibra, metro south, or Mccormick Place. I want everyone to understand that the number of hospital beds we refer to as available at any given moment depends on a host of factors, newly discharged patients, the amount of available staff and equipment on hand just to name a few. Additionally, we are seeing signs of a trend in illinois where the number of people in the hospital for noncovid reasons, things like car accidents, has dropped with fewer people on the roads since we implemented our stayathome order. This is a pattern reflected in other states, as well. As of yesterday, april 6, 43 of our total hospital beds are available. And 35 of our icu beds are available. As for our nearly 2700 ventilators in illinois, 57 are currently available. Down from the 68 available on march 31, just one week ago. So, if you are looking for a trend, heres another one. On tuesday, Covid Patients occupied about 35 of our total icu bed and about 24 of our total ventilators. Today, a week later, Covid Patients occupy 43 of our total icu beds and 29 of our total ventilators. That is an 8 and 5 jump, respectively, in just a week. I will say again that all of these data points have to be considered as just single snapshots of a larger picture. We cant read too much into a single data jump or drop. But these trends do offer us further insight into the overall reach of covid19 in our state as we adjust to the how and the where of our response. I also want to stress that these are our collective numbers across the state. Not every hospital has even out has even that availability and there is a fairly extraordinarily large range across the state depending upon where you live. In the city of chicago, the southwest suburbs and the northeast suburbs average icu bed availability in those hospitals it is still below 25 . With some hospitals in the area near max capacity. But this is not just a chicagoland issue. We are closely watching other areas around the state, places like peoria at 42 of icu beds available and dropping and places like the edwardsville region at just 33 available. Im proud to lead a state where our regional hospitals already collaborate closely to direct area patients to their more underutilized facilities. As the situation evolves, im prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure that every patient can receive the care that they need, including stepping into direct icu patients to underutilized hospitals myself if need be. Given the crucial nature of ventilators in treating covid19, we are also tracking ventilator ability specifically, investigating the need to move ventilators not just within a region of the state, but from region to region within the state, as needed. For those of you who did not hear your region listed as one operating with a lower percentage of available beds, that is not a sign that covid19 is not a problem in your community. Far from it. It might feel like a lifetime ago, but it was just a couple of weeks back when the state of illinois had just a few confirmed cases in just one county. It was only last tuesday that we had confirmed cases in just 54 counties. That is an increase of 23 counties in seven days. We have to be operating as if covid19 is circulating not just in every county, but in every community. We need to maintain our course and we need to keep working to flatten the curve. I want to mention because i was asked a question about this yesterday, my team and i have been working hard to reduce the number of individuals housed in our state corrections facilities. As of today, over 60 individuals at the department of juvenile justice have been released. That is more than 25 decrease in our juvenile population. At the department of corrections during this pandemic, we have not released over 1100 low risk individuals. Directre incarcerated by action of my administration or regular release programs. We are doing everything we can to protect those individuals who remain incarcerated in those facilities and we are focused on protecting our corrections and juvenile justice staff with ppe and medical checks as they perform a vital function to keep our communities safe. Make no mistake, we are working to flatten the curve everywhere. Equally important in our battle against covid19 is our work to expand Hospital Capacity in preparation for our peak. In addition to working with hospitals to add beds at existing health care centers, as a reminder, we are in process of standing up alternate care facilities at five sites across the state. Mccormick place, advocat Sherman Hospital in elgin, the Metro South Health center in blue island, Westlake Hospital in cook countys melrose park, and vibra hospital in springfield. Those beds are not health care sufficient beds until they have doctors and nurses to turn them into a space for care. And im proud that in our workforce expansion effort in health care, we have now surpassed 2300 applications for temporary permits for outofstate and former medical professionals to join our fight against covid19 here in illinois. And finally, to round out our conversation about Hospital Capacity, i must talk about ventilators, the equipment known to make a real difference in the outcomes for Covid Patients in critical condition. First and foremost, i want to express my gratitude, my genuine, sincere gratitude to the people of california and to the governor of california, gavin newsom, who sent us 100 ventilators overnight for use by patients here in illinois. It is truly incredible to work with elected officials across the nation who are providing true leadership. My pledge to the state of california and to every other state and territory is that when we can, once we are past our peak, illinois will pay it forward. We will pay it forward in any way that we can, including passing along these ventilators to the next hotspot in the nation and any that we may be able to spare. As you know, over time, we have also received 600 ventilators from the federal government, 300 of which were directed specifically to the city of chicago by the white house. Im grateful for all of those ventilators as well. We continue to scour the globe with our own statelevel procurement operation to secure the rest of the ventilators we may need. While this market is just as competitive, if not more so, than that for ppe, we have so far placed orders for 3620 ventilators. The first batch of these deliveries will arrive in april with the rest coming over the next several months. Ventilators are critical tools in this fight. They can save lives, but they are not a cure. No magic quantity of ventilators will solve covid19 for us. No number of ventilators will make up for a person ignoring our stayathome order or not making their Due Diligence taking their Due Diligence in washing their hands and the other orders we have asked you to follow. Ventilators are but one part of what amounts to a manypronged approach sorry a manypronged approach, but all of them are phenomenally critical all together. Staying at home is the most likely reason that you can avoid ending up on a ventilator. Remember that. Staying at home is the most likely reason that you can avoid ending up on a ventilator. I know that especially on a warm day like today that is particularly hard to hear. The sun shines and it feels a little bit more like this should be over, that you have time to hang out with your friends and loved ones by the lake, at the fairgrounds, over dinner. Believe me, i would do just about anything for an immediate solution to this. Here is what you need to know. That solution is not coming tomorrow or next week or next month, but it is coming. Every day that we support our Health Care Systems, every day that we flatten the curve, that is another day that the incredible roster of scientists and researchers and innovators in the world come a little bit closer to finding solutions in the fight against covid19. A vaccine, yes, but also treatments, therapeutics, widespread antibody tests, so that we know who out there has already had the virus and recovered. Just yesterday, a Second Company launched the first human trials for a vaccine. By bending the curve, we are buying them all time. But a vaccine will not come in the next few weeks or even the next several months. We need time to find solutions, time to save lives. Valuable time now that allows us to move beyond the crisis more quickly. I want to thank the many, many illinoians who are staying home and by doing so protecting their communities, families, neighbors, and friends. They are all all in for illinois. With that, i would like to turn it over. Thank you so much, governor. Good afternoon. As you all are aware, it is very difficult to share the information about the lives lost and all of the additional individuals who have contracted this disease. But it is important for everyone to remain informed and it is important for us to have a realistic picture of some of the dangers associated with covid19. We are reporting 1287 new cases, including 73 individuals who have lost their fight against covid19. That brings our statewide total to 13,549 total cases with 380 lives lost. While we know that our Health Care System is gearing up and preparing for this pandemic, we are getting more ppe, we are acquiring ventilators, and recruiting health care workers. Let me give you some positive news. We have repeated our survey to identify individuals who have recovered postreceiving a positive test. We received approximately a 40 response rate, which is good, as electronic surveys go. Of all the people who responded who are seven days after their positive test result, 43 indicated that they have recovered. Given the large number of cases, we know that that is a significant number of people to have been in an improved status seven days after their positive test. So, while 68 of the cases in illinois are younger than 50, we do know that 80 of the deaths in illinois have occurred in those who are 60 years and older. But we have seen deaths in all ages. Yes, we are reaffirming that our older population is at highest risk, but as all people can be infected, that means that all people are at risk. And even for the most severe complications, including death. The more people that are infected, the more additional people that can be that this virus can be spread to. With an eye on our most vulnerable populations these highrisk groups are elderly people, people in congregate settings like Nursing Homes and congregate living facilities, people who have hypertension, people who are on who hemodialysis, people who are battling cancer or who are otherwise immunocompromised, people with cardiac disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease so and pregnant people are in this category, as well. I say this not to cause despair, but to arm everyone with the truth, as well as with the weapons that we have. In normal battle, you show up to the fight, but for this battle, the Winning Strategy is to stay at home. It is to retreat, it is to be in the house. Wash your hands frequently. Cover your face, your mouth and your nose. Keep six feet of distance if you have to go out. We want to turn this tide and end the pandemic as soon as possible. With that, i will summarize comments in spanish. [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] and with that i will turn it over to Governor Pritzker. Governor pritzker happy to take any questions. Reporter yeah, governor, the staff member that tested positive, did this individual have close contact with you or the doctor . Were you tested . Was the doctor tested . Governor pritzker i was not tested. I did not have regular, close contact with this person. This is somebody who worked in the office but not particularly close to my office. And didnt regularly enter my office. So very little direct exact this person. Reporter and the doctor as well . its the same. And again, remember that testing typically would come after the symptoms develop. But was not tested either. Reporter just a question regarding the report of the states procurement of cadaver bags. Did you want to if you could comment on that . Is 12,000 the number that the state is seeking . And is that something within the models of something that could be gov. Pritzker i dont really want to comment on it. Were preparing in all ways. We dont know ha the numbers will be in the end. Its hard to point at exactly what the numbers would be. Obviously there are models out there, but a lot of them. If we end up being prepared in that way, i would be glad that we were. Reporter governor, the current data on deaths are underestimates. And you addressed that. Is there any way to calculate how many deaths we may have missed here in illinois that could be covid19 related . Gov. Pritzker is there any way to calculate . Reporter how many deaths that could have occurred since january that are unrecorded . Gov. Pritzker the question im , not sure everybody can hear online or elsewhere, is there any way to estimate how many people may have died of covid19 that were unrecorded because we werent counting or professionals didnt know . The d. P. H. Is going back in the records to look at some of those, but i dont think that its clear yet. Maybe i should turn it over to the doctor. No, its a good question. We do have coroners or medical examiners who might be doing postmortem tests to see if they can get at that information, so the numbers may increase for the number of people who have expired or passed on before it was acknowledged that they had covid at the time of death. Reporter is it protocol thats requiring everybody to be tested for covid19 even if there werent signs before they died . There is not a protocol that has been put out by d. P. H. , but people are taking the totality of the case and trying to decide who might be appropriate for testing. We might get adjustment of numbers, and we will update you with those numbers on our website and as we report out. Well do a couple more and then weve got to go online. Gov. Pritzker did you have a question . Yeah, yes, sir. You bet. Reporter do you want local Law Enforcement to enforce your stayathome order to the point of arresting citizens . Gov. Pritzker look, i have not encouraged that. That is up to local Law Enforcement and to local entities. Cities and counties, some of them are looking at passing ordinances for example, and some of them have declared their own states of emergency. There are situations like what i read about in quincy, where there were several parties, two parties that im aware of that occurred and, look, i think were asking people to do the right thing. And most people the vast majority of people are doing the right thing. But if people are encouraging others to get together in groups of more than 10 or to not socially distance, i mean, i think at some point it is worthy of considering a real consequence. Then you mentioned every day citizens. I want to ask you about that. How about someone who is at their home, right, and they live and they look next door and there are 50 people in the lawn. Do you encourage them to call local Law Enforcement . Gov. Pritzker i do. I would. Well do one more question in the room. Reporter you mentioned Law Enforcement. Weve noticed state police, they dont seem to be pulling people order. Has there been some directive from your office to conduct Traffic Enforcement differently . Weve seen vehicles parked in the middle of expressways state police with their lights on as a warning trying to get people to slow down. Gov. Pritzker no i have not , given any directive like that. Well go to questions online. Hospital executives have told us theyre prepared to share one ventilator with two patients . Is the state advising hospitals to do this . Wouldnt this double the number of patients that could be treated by ventilators we do have . Gov. Pritzker so the process of allowing a ventilator to be used by two people is not one that should be encouraged. It is one that would be an extreme last resort. We are trying to obtain ventilators from any every corner of the earth that we can so there will be one ventilator available for someone who needs it. Not a twoonone ventilator. Thats what i would have us focus on. That would be some extreme circumstance. And frankly, ive heard that the use of two people on one ventilator is something that isnt even medically considered appropriate in any way because the machinery of a ventilator doesnt allow for adjustment for two different people on one machine. Do you have any regrets about anything you should have or shouldnt have done or said during this crisis . Gov. Pritzker oh, gosh. I think thats always a hard question to ask somebody in public life. Are there more things that you could have done or done something differently . I suppose so. Every day, you know, i ask myself about each decision that i make. Is there another choice here . Or did i miss something . You know, i can look back certainly and say, did i miss something that happened in the past . But look, we we took action. We were we were quick i think to get on this subject when, you know, when it was clear that that just asking people to not gather in groups of 50 or 250 i think originally we said 250 and 1,000 being enforceable. That seems like months ago now. Thats about four weeks ago. And thats back when there were very few cases. That didnt seem like enough. We went to closing we went to limiting the numbers of people getting together to a smaller number and then closing bars and restaurants and then closing schools and the stayathome order and so on. Yet, there are more things that could be done. So, you know, i wish i knew about this in january when, you know, when the intelligent agencies seemed to know about it and we could have begun building ventilators ourselves. To counteract covid on minorities, you say the state is reopening hospitals in those communities. Youre saying they will only serve black and brown patients. Or are you reopening them for good . If not how does it close the , Racial Health gap . Gov. Pritzker no, we are not limiting it to a certain race. Thats not the case. And people will be referred to those hospitals. I think the benefit for the most part will be that people dont show up as a matter of first resort to any of these alternate care facilities. Theyre referred to those facilities. And if it is near where someone lives that will be a better place for them than some other location. And so its really just a reference to the idea that well be able to serve more people. And many of the people who will go to those facilities will be perhaps closer to where they live. How do you respond to rob blaine will how are to the suggestion that the longer we quarantine the longer we hurt immunity which could lead to more people getting the virus . Gov. Pritzker ok. Folks, let me just point out that that Great Britain went by this theory. That perhaps the we just let everybody get it then everybody will get will have hurt immunity faster and everybody will be ok. If you let everybody have it all at once which is what happens when you just let it go, you overwhelm your Healthcare System and more people die, a lot of people can die. And so the suggestion that we should just let it happen so that herd immunity occurs faster is an invitation for us to let people die. And i wont do that. I will not do that. Can you provide more detail on the federal staff that is being sent to illinois . How many people . Where are they being assigned and what roles do they serve . Gov. Pritzker so we are awaiting the final approval. We were told yesterday that we had had approval to receive these medical staff. We are still awaiting final approval of them. They are intended to as i know understand to be assigned to the the you know, we had field medical stations. Those 250bed packages that arrived for Mccormick Place. Those personnel are intended, as i now understand, to staff Mccormick Place and those locations. But theres no reason that we cant if they are, in fact, assigned and i assume they will be, theres no reason why we cant go back to the military and to the federal government and ask that we reassign some if thats appropriate. In terms of opening the state back on may 1, if you extend the stayathome order, would you consider opening up parts of illinois especially some county that havent been severely affected by covid19 . Gov. Pritzker would i consider opening certain parts of illinois . Look, i mean were at 77 counties as of today where there are cases and its growing. And the number of cases is growing. And the number of deaths is growing now. And so, its hard for me to see that that just because you havent had a case in your county or in your community that youre not going to see cases developing and growing. And we see hot spots, correct, that are happening all over the state. Likenow, look at areas champaigne and metro east. You know, we need to get much further along here before we Start Talking about a regional or statewide stand down of these orders. Governor President Trump said , in a press conference last night you were very happy about the white house covid19 Task Force Response to illinoiss needs. The president cited a governors meeting with Vice President pence and said there wasnt a negative person on the call, even Governor Pritzker is happy. He suggested that youre happy but telling the press a different story. Could you respond to that . Gov. Pritzker the president is taking one snapshot. What i was happy about on that call was the fact that army corps of engineers had done such a spectacular job working with our local tradesmen to build out Mccormick Place, and i expressed my gratitude for the help of fema in a variety of circumstances. But i have been on many calls with the white house, with staff at the white house, with the Vice President , even with the president , and i have expressed my displeasure on a number of those calls. Look, im happy when they make promises and then deliver on those promises. Im unhappy when they do not deliver on promises or when lies are are spoken, and look, im going to fight for the people of illinois in every and all circumstances. But ill praise somebody when they do something right. Regarding i. D. O. C. Furloughs, will any inmates regardless of crime be eligible for their furlough is medically vulnerable . Where will they go when released, and how can i. D. O. C. Make sure they dont spread covid in their communities . Gov. Pritzker everybody thats released has a medical review before theyre released. Thats the first thing. , this, know this is no is not open to anybody and everybody thats incarcerated in the state of illinois. We are we have reviewed files, continued to review files of those who are nonviolent offenders, those who pose the least risk to communities. And we have been working expeditiously as possible to make those reviews. There are some limitations on our ability, even for someone risk atow least low risk in our community to returning the community and committing a crime because we are required to have a location for them to live at. And sometimes they dont have some place to go. But were trying to work through even that problem by working with local organizations. So well continue to work at this. Im giving you kind of regular updates here about how were managing through with our corrections. And i think that our correction staff and leadership are doing an excellent job. This will be our last question. When will workers in the gig economy be able to apply for Unemployment Insurance on the states website . Gov. Pritzker so there are independent contractors who are eligible, have the ability to get unemployment even now under what the federal government offered in its last relief package. Im working with our federal officials to try to continue to expand that opportunity for people. Look, theres a lot of relief thats going to be needed here. And we cant stop now. And unfortunately, we have two and fortunately we have two great warriors in the u. S. Senate and our house member who are fighting if for same thing, fighting for the state of illinois. Working together with them, ive had two calls last night with two different members of our congressional delegation exactly about how to expand relief for people across illinois. Ill continue to do it. Thank you very much. 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