CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- As the number of COVID-19 cases surge across Illinois and the rest of the country, the state set two records for single-day case counts last week.
Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union" with host Jake Tapper, Gov. J.B. Prtizker said Illinois is third in the nation when it comes to testing, adding that his administration is trying to get the word out to convince people to continue to follow safety protocols.
But the governor blamed President Donald Trump and his allies in Illinois for telling people to stop following the rules.
"We're trying to continue to convince people to do the right thing. But it's the president's allies in our state, all across the state, who are simply saying to people 'don't pay attention to any of the mitigations, don't follow the rules,'" Pritzker said on CNN.
Related
The governor said he doesn't anticipate imposing any new statewide restrictions to halt the spread of the coronavirus, explaining that COVID-19 mitigation measures are imposed on a regional basis.
"On a statewide basis, we haven't looked at increasing mitigations. But, as regions flip over and need these resurgence mitigations more and more we may end up in a situation where a majority of our regions or even all of them are in these resurgences," Pritzker said.
Pritzker added that he recommends families hold virtual gatherings this Thanksgiving. He said that if families do choose to meet in person, they should wear masks and practice social distancing.
On Sunday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 4,245 more COVID-19 cases and 22 additional deaths, bringing the state's total to 344,048 cases and 9,214 deaths.