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 Tuesday in Chicago.
The announcement is set for 12 p.m. at Chicago's Thompson Center.
While it's not clear what the governor will say, he has already this week called for more funding from the federal government, warning the state could face cuts and layoffs at a time when many are already struggling.
Meanwhile, the governor has 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.
During a press conference Tuesday, Pritzker said that he is continuing to listen to “doctors and researchers,” and said that the choices of other states will not impact his decision.
“I’m not willing to sacrifice people’s lives or their health,” Pritzker said. “Neither the children nor their parents who would be affected also. I’m relying on doctors and researchers to give us the information. This isn’t a political decision.”
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While all states that border Illinois are currently playing high school football, including Wisconsin and Indiana, Pritzker was adamant that he won’t be swayed by the decisions of the state’s neighbors when it comes to allowing fall sports to take place.
“Those are states, fine, if they decided to endanger children and families in those states by allowing certain contact sports to take place, then that is their decision. It is not something that is good for the families and the children of Illinois.”
Illinois health officials confirmed 1,466 new cases of coronavirus Tuesday, along with 20 additional deaths.
According to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the new cases reported Tuesday bring the state’s total number of COVID-19 cases to 264,210 since the pandemic began earlier this year.
The 20 new fatalities brings the statewide death toll to 8,332, according to officials.
Tuesday, officials reported 39,031 new test samples turned in to state laboratories, bringing the total number of tests conducted statewide to 4,810,827.
The seven-day positivity rate held steady at 3.6%, its lowest in recent weeks.
