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Illinois Gov. Pritzker says peak is still yet to come, may extend stay-at-home order

Health officials announced 119 new deaths over the last 24 hours

CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he expects the state to reach its peak around mid-May and that factor could lead to the extension of the current stay-at-home order.

During the daily coronavirus briefing Tuesday, state health officials announced there have been 1,551 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 33,059 cases. There have also been 119 new deaths, bringing the total to 1,468.

Sixty percent of ventilators in the state are available for use, health officials said.

Pritzker said the Department of Public Health is still looking at models to try to best predict when the state could reach its peak.

The governor said his administration will be working on making changes to the stay-at-home order, which he anticipates will extend at least 14 days past the date when the state reaches its peak.

"It is working," Pritzker said. "To remove it, as I see some governors may want to do, is to open back up to infection."

On March 31, Gov. Pritzker extended the stay-at-home order through the end of April.

"We have bent the curve because we've had a stay-at-home order," Pritzker said Tuesday.

All Illinois public school buildings are to remain closed through the end of the school year.

Pritzker holds coronavirus briefings every day at 2:30 p.m. 

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