Note: Stream the update live in the player above beginning at 12 p.m. CST.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is set to deliver a COVID-19 update Wednesday, according to his public schedule.
He's expected to speak at a news conference beginning at 12 p.m. at Chicago's Thompson Center, his office says.
It wasn't immediately clear what the governor will be discussing.
He last held a coronavirus-specific update on Monday, when he announced three major milestones that Illinois had reached in testing: surpassing 5 million total tests, reaching a single-day high in tests conducted and an average number of daily tests conducted ranked among the highest in the nation.
Pritzker has also repeatedly issued calls for assistance and funding from the federal government, warning that the state could face cuts and layoffs due to the havoc the pandemic has wreaked on state revenue sources.
Meanwhile, the governor has also faced increasing pressure from parents and student-athletes to allow fall sports to commence in the state of Illinois, but is standing firm that he will not sign off on allowing sports like football to start now.
Local
Health officials in Illinois on Tuesday reported 1,531 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, along with 30 additional deaths attributed to the virus.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Tuesday's new cases of the virus brings the statewide total to 277,266 confirmed cases since the pandemic began. The 30 additional deaths bring the statewide death toll to 8,486 fatalities attributed to the virus.
Health officials said 41,829 tests were conducted in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of tests in Illinois to 5,185,216 since the pandemic began.
The statewide seven-day average positivity rate was 3.5% Tuesday, officials said, no change from the day before.
Currently, 1,455 patients remain hospitalized statewide, with 367 of those in intensive care units and 153 on ventilators.
