Coronavirus Won't Peak Until Mid-May In Illinois: Pritzker

ILLINOIS — Despite earlier projections that coronavirus cases could peak in mid-April in Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday told the Washington Post that the virus is now expected to peak in mid-May. Currently, Illinois' stay-at-home order is set to expire April 30, but officials have indicated it will likely be extended.

In a video interview for Washington Post Live, Pritzker noted that Illinois was the second state to issue a stay-at-home order — California was first — and that because residents have been abiding by the order "for the most part," the coronavirus peak has shifted.

"The result is we've had many fewer deaths than anticipated, our hospitalization rate is somewhat stable, climbing a little bit but somewhat stabilizing — and, of course, our ventilator needs have gone down," the governor said.

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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the stay-at-home order could be extended through June, according to the Chicago Tribune.

On Tuesday, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced 1,551 new cases of coronavirus and another 119 deaths. The state total is now at 33,059 cases and 1,468 deaths.

Of the new deaths, patients ranged in age from their 20s to their 90s.