CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker pushed back against notions that his coronavirus mitigations were designed to strip individual freedoms away from residents at his daily briefing on Thursday.

“People may have the notion that we’re taking their freedoms away, but there are laws on the books that say the job of government…is to step in and try to reduce the disaster and save as many lives as we can,” he said.

“We’ve put the science and facts out there throughout this…why those mitigations are in place. There are people who don’t want to believe them and say that we’re taking their freedoms away, but that’s not at all what we’re doing,” he added.

Pritzker also updated the timeline of the vaccine’s anticipated arrival to between December 14th and 19th. The state expects approximately 109,000 doses, he said.

Even if the expected number does arrive, of both the Pfizer vaccine and the expected Moderna vaccine, both of which are pending emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration, he said that would still not cover all of the high-risk recipients in the first wave.

High risk recipients have been designated as healthcare industry workers, long-term care residents, and those who reside in congregate settings.

JB Pritzker also encouraged residents to give blood to help alleviate strain on the state’s healthcare system.javascript:false

Hospitals are also collecting convalescent plasma – blood from people who have recovered from COVID-19 – to help existing patients currently battling the virus. COVID-19 antibodies in the blood of recovered patients can be used to treat others.

As the U.S. reached 100,000 hospitalizations for COVID-19 yesterday, the CDC warned that the months ahead could become “the most difficult” in public health history, Pritzker said. The governor again advised Illinois residents to stay home, get a flu shot, wear a face mask and remain socially-distant from other people.

Illinois Department of Public Health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said the CDC has reduced the recommended length of quarantine for those infected for COVID-19 to 10 days, instead of the original 14 days, if they are not suffering any symptoms.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 10,959 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 192 additional deaths. Some data reported to IDPH is delayed from the weekends, including this past holiday weekend.

The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from November 26 – December 2, 2020 is 10.4%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from November 26 – December 2, 2020 is 12.3%.

Region 1’s 7-day rolling positivity average: 15.4% (15% yesterday)
Boone: 19.4% (19.6% yesterday)
Carroll: 10.1% (9.2 % yesterday)
DeKalb: 14.4% (12.2% yesterday) Up
Jo Daviess: 9.8% (9.2% yesterday)
Lee: 18% (17.4% yesterday)
Ogle: 15.1% (15.7% yesterday) DOWN
Stephenson: 15% (14.7% yesterday)
Whiteside: 14.4% (14.4% yesterday)
Winnebago: 15.5% (15.7% yesterday)

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(This story was originally published on December 3, 2020)

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