Governor J.B. Pritzker is warning Illinoisans about the risk of contracting COVID-19 over the upcoming holiday weekend. In a press conference held earlier today (Wednesday), the Governor was joined by medical professionals, including U of I Health Infectious Disease Physician Doctor Susan Bleasdale.
She talked about the importance of mask wearing and avoiding high-risk activities such as eating out and socially drinking, especially if there are strangers around you.
"However, when you dine in a large setting with multiple people you don't know, this can also present further challenges for us and for the Department of Public Health because contact tracing for a group of people that you don't know who you were in contact with can create a delay in the notification of potential exposure and someone could develop symptoms and then have secondary transmission beyond that."
Doctor Bleasdale also said that dining with people you know still has risk of transmission because they are outside of your household.
The press conference comes after new rules for the Metro East took effect today.