CHICAGO — Dr. Ngozi Ezike said Friday while restrictions are being lifted and Illinois moves into phase three of Restore Illinois, residents still must take personal responsibility such as social distancing and wearing masks.
Ezike said it is important to wear masks because it’s sometimes impossible to tell who is transmitting the virus, including oneself.
1,622 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the past 24 hours, totaling to 117,455 confirmed cases. Ezike reported an additional 86 deaths related to the virus. The total number of lives lost in Illinois due to the virus is 5,270.
“Contact tracing is ramping up,” Ezike said.
Ezike said it is important to talk if you have been contacted by a contact tracer.
She said no contact tracers will ask for money or banking information, those are for a scam.
“Contact tracing is a part of our new normal,” Ezike said.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker spoke on Friday’s phase three milestone.
“Illinois, today, you have officially entered the next phase of our path forward,” he said.
“As of today, thousands of our small businesses in nearly every municipality around the state are again opening their doors safely.”
Part of the entry into phase three, Pritzker said, is ending the stay-at-home order.
“Today, I’ll be signing a new executive order that reflects the changes under phase three of Restore Illinois, because Illinoisans have succeeded in moving beyond staying home as our primary goal,” he said.
“In this new executive order, called the ‘Community Recovery Order,’ reflects our new, more open reality but, for public health purposes, still requires groups of 10 or fewer for all groups, and continuing other mitigation practices, such as maintaining social distance and wearing a face covering in public.”
Pritzker also said his daily briefings would be ending, and briefings will only take place as needed.
Pritzker sounded off on the situation in Minneapolis with the death of George Floyd.
“I cannot imagine the rage and fear that must be felt by a black American, watching what happened to George Floyd,” he lamented.
“The threat that comes to every black American under color of law, that they see in a video like that, we’re lucky that video was ever taken, because that is happening around America, probably everyday.
“And, time and time again, even when these videos come out, and we feel like it’s time for a major change, and we work toward that change, somehow for black America, it never really comes, and that’s unacceptable. For me, the progress that should have been made has failed.”
