Pritzker Urges Respect For Family's Privacy Amid Safety Concerns

ACROSS ILLINOIS — Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday publicly addressed questions regarding the whereabouts of his family and whether he considered travel they'd made to their homes in Florida, Illinois and Wisconsin as unsafe or contradictory to his executive order. Currently, he said, his family is sheltering in place at their "working farm."

Pritzker and his wife have two children. His wife and daughter had been at their home in Florida since early March, Pritzker said Friday. He added that while in Florida, his wife, M.K. Pritzker, and his daughter were sheltering in place. He said his entire family has been practicing what he preaches daily, following guidelines to slow the spread of COVID-19.

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Pritzker said he's been very private about the whereabouts of his family due to threats to his safety. In particular, he said protesters outside the Thompson Center, where his daily briefings take place, hold signs that he finds threatening.

On Friday, he urged the public and those reporting on his family to respect their privacy to prevent putting him and family in danger.

Currently, Pritzker is in isolation at his home after a staffer tested positive for the new coronavirus.

Pritzker and all staff who were reporting to the governor's office had tested negative for the coronavirus. Around 20 staff members have been regularly reporting to the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago during the coronavirus crisis.

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As of Friday, there have been 4,058 deaths to date and 90,369 positive coronavirus cases, according to state health officials. In the past 24 hours, 2,432 more people have tested positive for the virus and there have been 130 additional deaths.

On Friday, state officials also addressed testing, touting Illinois' testing capabilities to date and addressing what they are hopeful in the future. Testing pregnant women will be among the new norm. A positive test for a pregnant woman could mean her doctor would be able to personalize her medical plan to help keep her and her baby healthy.

Moving forward, all front line and essential workers will receive tests, including police officers, correctional officers, gas station employees, grocery store workers, childcare employees and more. Staff at nursing homes, home health care aides, anyone with a compromised immune system and anyone with COVID-19 symptoms or who has been in direct contact with someone who tests positive for the virus will receive a test, Pritzker said.

Over the past 24 hours, more than 26,000 people in Illinois have received a COVID-19 test. To date, 538,602 Illinoisans have been tested for the virus.