Officials announced Thursday that a child in Chicago is among seven new cases of coronavirus reported in Illinois, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 32.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker also announced he was mandating that all events of more than 1,000 people be canceled and said he is encouraging event organizers around the state to consider cancelling or postponing any events of over 250 people in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
While most of the sickened individuals are older, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike said the case of the infected child serves as a “reminder that anyone can be infected with this virus.”
Ezike said a Chicago woman in her 40s and three other people from Cook County, two women in their 70s and a man in his 50s, also tested positive for the coronavirus, Ezike said. The other cases involve a Kane County man in his 70s and a McHenry County man in his 60s.
Ezike said a third of the state’s cases involve travel and about half are related to contact with another person with COVID-19.
“The remaining cases are not as clear, and could be the result of community spread,” Ezike said. “So while you may not have a case in your community now, we anticipate that there will be.”
Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said the child is in good condition and didn’t have to be hospitalized. Arwady said that has been the case for many Illinoisans’ stricken with coronavirus.
Pritzker said that owners of all Illinois’ major sports teams agreed to cancel or postpone all games scheduled until May 1 as the coronavirus continues to spread across the state.
The cancellation of large gatherings and decision to shut down major sporting events across the state were among a series of directives Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced as the state responds to the COVID-19 crisis.
However, Pritzker did not call for the closure of schools across the state. Instead, he said schools will be monitored “on a day-by-day basis.”
Chicago Public Schools will not be closed.
However, Lightfoot said “CPS will begin scaling back large-scale events” and as well as banning “community events of more than 1,000” for 30 days, includes all concerts and conferences.
“No gathering takes priority over the health of any attendee,” she said.
In addition to nixing major events, Pritzker announced that the Thompson Center downtown would be closed starting Monday to “people who don’t have business with the state.”
