Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday he's "very concerned" about the possibility of a surge in coronavirus cases this fall.
At a daily news briefing, the governor said a surge is likely unless a vaccine or very effective treatment is available. While epidemiologists aren't certain if there will be a surge, Pritzker stated, it's important for the state to be prepared.
"Contact tracing is just one of many items that we're making sure that we keep warm, that we've got working and operating alternative care facilities," he said. "... We need to be ready for going forward."
Illinois marked a single-day record for coronavirus testing Thursday as an additional 2,268 coronavirus cases were reported statewide, bringing the state's total number of cases to 102,686.
One day earlier, Illinois surpassed the threshold of 100,000 cases as state health officials reported an additional 2,388 individuals who contracted the virus.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot also expressed concern about a potential surge Thursday, but during a different timeframe than the one mentioned by Pritzker.
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When asked about the specifics of reopening Chicago's lakefront, Lightfoot said that she's worried about an increase in cases when the city itself reopens.
"So we're going to work to try to mitigate against that," she said. "But having thousands of people congregating on the lakefront is one of the surest ways that I know that we would have the kind of surge."
