NOTE: Watch the press conference live beginning at 1:15 p.m. in the player above
Chicago's mayor and top health official plan to deliver an update Wednesday on the city's testing efforts as numbers continue to spike, sparking new restrictions across Illinois and a stay-at-home advisory within city limits.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady are expected to address testing measures in a press conference at 1:15 p.m. in City Hall.
The latest address comes one day after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced heightened Tier 3 mitigations across the state.
Arwady said Tuesday that data shows as many as one in 15 Chicagoans has an active COVID-19 infection currently and the city is seeing its numbers double every 12 days.
"And that curve hasn't shown any signs of slowing," she said, warning that "additional restrictions" could be coming.
Stay-at-home advisories took effect in Chicago and suburban Cook County early Monday, with officials urging residents to only leave home for essential activities in an effort to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
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Lightfoot issued the city's stay-at-home advisory last week, saying the city has reached a "critical point" in the second surge of its coronavirus pandemic.
The advisory, which was issued among other restrictions, "calls on all Chicagoans to follow clear measures to protect their community and help us flatten the curve."
“Chicago has reached a critical point in the second surge of COVID-19, demanding that we undertake this multi-faceted and comprehensive effort to stop the virus in its tracks,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “The gains we have made this past year have been the result of our willingness to work together. Even in this difficult moment, we will continue to unite as we always have for our city in order to halt the rise we’re seeing, shake out of the fatigue we’ve been experiencing, and make the crucial difference in what our future is going to look like.”
According to the city, "residents are strongly advised to adhere to the advisory." It took effect at 6 a.m. Monday and will be in effect for at least 30 days.
