In the push to test 10,000 people daily for the coronavirus in Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker, says simply, we’re just not there yet. Automated laboratory machines would have helped the state labs to do 200 tests per hour. However, these machines haven’t been working the way that the state wants.

The Governor says that he is putting his faith in his scientists to be able to produce ways to test here. We are also producing our own raw materials here so that the state doesn’t have to rely on the Federal Government, or anybody else.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Illinois Director of Public Health, says that a new blood test has been authorized by the FDA to detect antibodies in people that have already been infected. This test can go a long way towards the fight of COVID-19.

The test can also be used to see who can donate plasma, something that is strongly needed right now to help people fight the virus.  The numbers for today are 1,529 new cases with 82 deaths. This brings the total to 15,078 cases including 462 deaths in 78 counties. There is hope as the rate of growth in these cases does seem to be slowing. 

Governor Pritzker also says that he has thought about opening up different parts of the state at different times but is hesitant, due to models suggesting that Chicago will get its peak long before the rest of the state will. He is continuing to look at models and adjust as they become available. For more on the coronavirus visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com and listen for Governor JB Pritzker’s press conferences every afternoon at 2:30 on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms.