Will, Kankakee Co. Could See Restrictions Lifted 'Soon': Pritzker

CHICAGO — Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Will and Kankakee counties could see new restrictions lifted "soon," as positivity rates decline in the region and across the state. All but three of the state's emergency management regions saw positivity rates decrease over the past week, the governor said, a turnaround from last week, when nine of the state's 11 regions saw spikes in positivity rates.

"Region 7 will stay put in its current mitigation status until the average falls below 6.5 percent," Pritzker said Thursday, speaking at the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago. "I'm hopeful that Region 7 might become a testament to the community's ability to turn the ship around in the right direction. If they keep up the good work, Region 7 will soon be restored to Phase 4 mitigations, which would mean higher indoor capacity limits for gatherings and business like restaurants and bars."

Region 7's positivity rate is currently 7.1 percent.

But the news wasn't as good for Region 4, the St. Louis Metro East. The positivity rates there continue to rise and this week surpassed 10.1 percent.

"We can't outrun this virus. It hasn't gone away. We can't pretend that we can fully restore our economic vitality as long as it's here without any way to temper or prevent it," the governor said. "Unless we get it under control, either by people following doctors' recommended mitigations, or with an effective treatment or a vaccine, we will be fighting to save the Titanic with a plastic bucket."

Since there is no national strategy, Pritzker said, it is up to Illinoisans to control the virus in their state. He called on local officials to pay close attention to their community's data and impose targeted mitigations when necessary.

Speaking at the same news conference, the state's top public health official, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, announced 1,953 new coronavirus cases and 28 deaths from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus.

"There is much we still need to learn about this virus," she said. "We're still learning if a person can be reinfected, and if so, after what time frame. We're still learning how much viral load is present before someone starts showing symptoms. We're still learning what medicines can be most effective to treat this virus.

"But there are things we do know. We know that presymptomatic and asymptomatic transmission are possible."

Ezike cited a study that shows people may be most contagious before they begin showing symptoms, and another that suggests near universal mask wearing could effectively eliminate community spread of the virus.

"This means that if we all wear masks and keep our distance and wash our hands, we can ... slow the spread of the virus to the point where it stops circulating."

But it will only work, she said, if the vast majority of Illinoisans wear masks.

"We've all got to do this together," she said. "In one simulation, researchers predicted that 80 percent of the population wearing masks could do as much or even more to reduce COVID spread than a lockdown."

"We all want our kids in school," Ezike continued. "We all want our restaurants open. We all want all of our businesses open. And we can do that by wearing masks."

Wearing masks will save thousands of lives and millions of dollars, she said.