During his COVID-19 update on Friday, March 13, 2020, Governor J. B. Pritzker announced that Illinois schools would be closed Tuesday, March 17, through Monday, March 30. The decision affects both public and private schools.
Morrison Community Unit School District #6 schools will close on Monday, March 16.
Governor Pritzker announced schools will be closed, as 14 more COVID-19 cases were confirmed. All are in the Chicago-area except one; 13 have been identified in Cook County and one has been identified in Lake County. The Chicago Teachers Union demanded Friday that the District should close. Schools will be opened on Monday, March 16. The decision follows other States like Ohio, Maryland, and Michigan.
Officials said the age range of Friday’s 14 new cases range from patients in their 20s through their 90s.
- Approximately 30% of the cases in Illinois are travel associated.
- About 41% are a contact of a COVID-19 case.
- The remaining cases do not have a clear connection and could be the result of spread in the community.
“The State is taking aggressive measures to help limit the spread of the virus, as the number of positive cases we report each day is increasing,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “The situation continues to evolve rapidly, and we want to get ahead of widespread community transmission to reduce the number of people affected. We would rather be over-cautious, than put the health of our most-vulnerable populations at risk.”