Illinois announced 1,209 new cases and an additional 53 deaths Friday in the biggest one day jump in both cases and deaths the state has seen to date.
At a Friday news conference, Gov. J.B. Pritzker also urged residents to wear a mask when going outside.
“Maybe it’s a homemade fabric mask, or maybe it’s a manufactured general mask, really just something to cover your nose and mouth out of courtesy to those around you in case you’re one of those who are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic,” Pritzker said at his daily briefing.
Seventy percent of ICU beds are now occupied in the state of Illinois while only fifty percent of the state’s ventilators are available, according to data from the state health department Friday.
“Every day we have added existing beds and equipment at our existing hospitals to increase capacity,” Pritzker said Friday. “That availability is diminishing as Covid-19’s presence continues to grow,” Pritzker told reporters.