Coronavirus

Pritzker Says White House Sent Illinois Wrong Kind of Protective Face Masks

Such personal protective equipment for health care workers is "not a luxury that they should have to ration," Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.

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The 300,000 face masks promised to Illinois by the White House were delivered on Sunday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said this week, but they are the wrong kind.

“What they sent were not the N95 masks that were promised, but instead were surgical masks, which is not what we asked for," said Pritzker, who has clashed with President Donald Trump over the federal government's pandemic response.

The Democratic governor and the Republican president engaged in a war or words on Twitter last week.

That ended with a phone call between the two and a promise to deliver the state 300,000 so-called N95 face masks thought to be optimal in protecting against coronavirus transmission.

Turns out the delivery wasn't what Pritzker was hoping for.

Such personal protective equipment for health care workers is "not a luxury that they should have to ration," Pritzker said.

Although new cases reported Monday were just 40% of the 1,105 counted Sunday, Pritzker and Ezike noted it's no indication that new infections have peaked. It has more to do the timing of reporting of test results from commercial labs.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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