Illinois COVID-19 State Of Emergency To End In May, Pritzker Announces

CHICAGO — The statewide public health emergency declared during the first wave of the COVID-19 virus in Illinois will end on May 11, the same day the federal government is due to allow the expiration of two national emergencies associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker first declared a public health emergency on March 9, 2020, joining a dozen other states. According to the governor's office, linking the state and federal emergencies allowed more federal money to the state and provided more access to health care for Illinois residents.

"Since COVID-19 first emerged nearly three years ago, my administration has worked diligently alongside the federal government to battle this once-in-a-generation pandemic by following scientific and medical guidance to support frontline workers and save lives," Pritzker said Tuesday in a statement.

The governor's announcement came a day after President Joe Biden notified Congress that he will only extend federal COVID-19 emergencies for 100 more days. Ending the emergency declarations too abruptly would risk "wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty," White House budget officials said in a policy statement.

"Our state's disaster proclamation and executive orders enabled us to use every resource at our disposal from building up testing capacity and expanding our healthcare workforce to supporting our vaccine rollout and mutual aid efforts," Pritzker said.

According to the governor's office, the disaster proclamation allowed for federal reimbursement of state spending on the coronavirus response, the use of the State Disaster Relief Fund, and provided the governor with broad powers of executive action.

Illinois residents were able to receive additional food stamps, with more than 1.5 million children getting pandemic nutrition support, while Medicaid expansion allowed for additional access to telehealth options, according to the governor's office.

Pritzker, who was elected to a second term in November, has had emergency powers for more than 70 percent of his time in office.

"Let me be clear: COVID-19 has not disappeared," Pritzker said. "It is still a real and present danger to people with compromised immune systems—and I urge all Illinoisans to get vaccinated or get their booster shots if they have not done so already."

In his state of the state address nearly two years ago, Pritzker pledged that the pandemic would eventually come to an end.

"The marathon has been long, and I believe there is one more leg left to run," the governor said in the Feb. 17, 2021, address. "It requires patience and perseverance and courage to battle the last attacks of an invisible enemy. But it is going to end. That is something I promise you."

The end of the federal emergency will mean that people without health insurance will have to pay out-of-pocket for COVID-19 tests, treatment and vaccines — only 15 percent of Americans have received the updated booster, which is the only one formulated to address the strains of COVID-19 currently in circulation.

Once the federal government is no longer buying up doses of vaccines, Pfizer plans to start charging up to $130 a dose. And, due to a separate federal rule change, millions of people are expected to lose Medicaid coverage after April 1, according to the Associated Press.

Related: Biden To End COVID-19 Emergencies On May 11

The National Academy for State Health Policy has been tracking each state's emergency orders.

According to the nonprofit, Illinois is one of eight states that still had a declared disaster or state of emergency as of the start of February.