Governor Pritzker has issued a statewide mandate for Illinois residents to stay at home or in their place of residence. The order requires all residents to stay home, unless traveling for essential needs or business, and requires businesses not engaged in essential activities to cease all activities except for minimum basic operations. The order took effect on Saturday, March 21, 2020 at 5 p.m., across the State of Illinois and will remain in place until the Governor’s Disaster Proclamation expires on April 7, 2020.
“We are mobilizing every resource at our disposal and collaborating with national, state and local partners to develop a comprehensive and coordinated response to the virus. Fortunately, there are effective steps that we can all take to curb the spread of COVID-19 and support each other. We urge you to share information on this page with your neighbors and colleagues to ensure everyone is safe and receiving the help they need.
This is an unprecedented public health challenge. But make no mistake, with everyone working to battle its transmission, Chicagoans will prevail against COVID-19 and come through this stronger than ever.” Get answers to frequently asked frequently asked questions here!
What does this mean for Illinois residents? Checkexpress has compiled a list of useful Illinois websites to keep you informed…
- DPH – Department of Health Illinois is a website that will keep you informed on local COVID-19 testing, current number of Illinois residents infected or deaths, and is also a great site for health facts about COVID-19.
- IDPH – Illinois Department of Health provides video feeds of live news alerts. Also gives scheduled times of upcoming meetings.
- Chicago Tribune COVID-19 Pandemic – The Chicago Tribune has cut the pay wall (where you would previously need a subscription to view their site) so anyone can access all important local and global news connected to COVID-19.
- Chicago Tribune’s COVID-19 Cancellations – A running list of Chicagoland-area events cancelled due to the Coronavirus. This page also gives a timeline of our current stay in place order.
- Illinois CDC– Health updates and a comprehensive prevention guideline of “How to Protect Yourself” during this time.
- Chicago.gov – This city website provides the latest information on a range of topics regarding COVID-19 within the city of Chicago, city updates & alerts are available.
- Patch Chicago -Stay connected with your neighborhood by getting local alerts! These alerts can let you know which grocery stores have what or where to find a digital town hall meeting.
The COVID-19 “stay in place” has caused us to take on new titles at home, such as: chef, teacher, crafter, homeschooled student, at home nurse, and many more. Here are a couple fun and helpful sites to make this stay in feel less stressful!
For Families:
- KidsOutandAbout.com – 250+ Creative Ways to Keep Your Family Sane During the COVID-19 Crisis
- The Know.com – Ways to entertain your kids (and keep your sanity) during the Coronavirus outbreak!
- Time.com – The Secret to Keeping Your Kids Happy, Busy and Learning if Their School Closes Due to Coronavirus
- KidsHealth.org – Coronavirus (COVID-19): How to Talk to Your Child
For Couples and Singles:
- Talkspace.com – 6 Tips to Keep from Destroying Your Relationship During Quarantine
- Wired.com – How to Not Completely Hate the People You’re Quarantined With
- Boston.com – What you need to know about maintaining your mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak
- Today.com – How not to kill your spouse when you’re both working from home
These are uncertain times. We are all living in new routines, revamped lifestyles, and daily schedules. One thing that remains consistent is our humanity. Many of our amazing fellow Americans are putting their lives on the lines every day to protect us from the worst of this pandemic. We thank all of you for your continuous service.
We can do our part by following the precautions of our current stay in, donating to various organizations to help people in need, and supporting local businesses:
- Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund
- Blood Donations
- Chicago Food Bank
- Support Local Restaurants
