Illinois is joining California and New York in issuing stay-at-home orders, the latest attempt to contain the spread of coronavirus by asking non-essential workers to remain at their residences.
“To avoid the loss of potentially tens of thousands of lives, we must enact an immediate stay at home order for all in Illinois,” said Governor J.B. Pritzker, adding that “left unchecked, cases in Illinois will rise rapidly.”
The restrictions will start on Saturday evening, and it will extend through April 7.
Residents will still be able to leave their homes for essential services, as well as to go out and do activities like hiking and running. A set of sectors, including agriculture and media, will not be included in the order, but all non-essential business must stop operating. Restaurants will still be allowed to remain open for delivery and pickup, along with supermarkets, pharmacies and gas stations and other businesses.
California Governor Issues Statewide Stay-At-Home Order Due To Coronavirus Crisis
“For the vast majority of you already taking precautions, your lives will not change very much,” Pritzker said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced shelter-in-place measures in the past 24 hours, meaning that 1-in-5 Americans are under such restrictions.
Pritzker also said that residents who go to the grocery store or to a gas station should “buy what you need within reason.”
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