Encouraging news emerged from Sunday’s briefing as the Coronavirus Task Force announced Illinois would be receiving more supplies like N95 masks, test kits and ventilators to help treat patients and keep health care workers safe.
“600 will be going or have gone to Illinois,” said President Trump before taking aim at Gov. J.B. Pritzker. “There’s a governor I hear him complaining all the time, Pritzker, he’s always complaining.”
Earlier Sunday, Prtizker made his feelings of frustration with the federal government known, in an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” as well as telling reporters at his daily press conference the state has only received a fraction of the equipment its requested.
“It is wrong. It’s just wrong what’s happened,” an irritated Pritzker said of the lack of aid. “I know people know I’m upset about this. Sometimes I feel like I’ve said it every day because I feel it every day but if you could experience the frustration of trying to get PPE when you are competing against who is supposed to be your allies you would understand why this bothers me.
Also at that press briefing, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike announced a large spike in cases of the coronavirus in the state with 899 new cases that span 70 of 102 counties in the state.
The White House’s Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx offered some positivity saying social distancing and stay-at-home orders seem to be helping.
“We can really see that beginning to work and we are hopeful over the next week… though we will see rising numbers,” Dr. Birx cautioned. “We are also hopeful to see a stabilization across these large metro areas.”
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Pritzker says he believe Illinois will reach it peak in coronavirus cases toward the end of this month. The stay-at-home order is in place until April 30th.
