Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday issued a stay-at-home order to go into effect Saturday at 5 p.m. and continue through April 7.
All non-essential businesses have also been ordered to stop operating. Grocery stores and gas stations will remain open. Illinois residents are still able to take walks outside and roads and highways will also remain open.
“We know this will be hard and we’re looking at every tool we have to help you through this crisis,” Pritzker said. “This will not last forever, but it will force us to change. And that’s okay, this should force us to change.”
Pritzker announced the directive at a 3 p.m. news conference and urged people not to go panic shopping and to help each other stop the spread of the virus by complying with the order.
