Updated 12/31/2020 10:00 AM It was just one case. Illinois' sole COVID-19 infection was announced Jan. 24 and the public moved on. One case became 19 on March 10. Nineteen infections morphed into 46 on March 13, prompting Gov. J.B. Pritzker to close schools and urge people to avoid unnecessary trips.
"This virus is here to stay," Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike said. As the unthinkable spiraled, Illinoisans still at work began making grocery lists and wondering what to tell their kids. March 17 brought a total of 160 cases, the state's first virus death and an outbreak at a DuPage nursing home, which ultimately killed 14 people. When he was notified, "I said, 'Oh my God.' My heart sank," county board Chairman Dan Cronin said.