Coronavirus In Illinois: 1,293 New COVID-19 Cases, 81 Additional Deaths

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Another 81 people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois, and another 1,293 cases were diagnosed as of Saturday. That brings the total number of deaths to 677 and total number of cases to 19,180 in the state

In a press conference Saturday, Gov. JB Pritzker told residents their feelings are normal during the pandemic and announced a new "Call4Calm" hotline to help residents dealing with mental health struggles during this time. The hotline is free to use for residents.

"This isn't a crisis hotline but a source of support," Pritzker said. "We are living in a deeply unprecedented moment, and holding the emotional ramifications of that inside will only be harder on you. Please know that you don't have to feel it all alone,."

Residents can text the hotline no matter personal circumstances and remain completely anonymous. Once a resident sends a text to the hotline, within 24 hours they will receive a call from a counselor employed by a local community mental health center to provide support.

To reach out just text "TALK" or "HABLAR" for Spanish to 552020.

Residents can also text the number with key words like "unemployment" or "food" or "shelter" to receive information on how to get assistance.

Pritzker also said while the vast majority of people who get COVID-19 are able to stay home and get better without hospitalization, the state is going to help those people through a remote patient monitoring program using Telehealth Services and Pandemic Health Worker programs in partnership with OSF HealthCare and the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

Patients will receive daily virtual visits and kits with thermometers, blood pressure cuffs and other items.

"This will also help limit the spread of the virus and safeguard hospitals," Pritzker said.

"To help see all our residents through this pandemic, the Department has contracted for these specific at-home COVID-19 supports for anyone in the state regardless of whether they are insured," said Theresa Eagleson, Director of Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. "We've also significantly expanded telehealth and remote options to ensure access to health care, including addiction and mental health treatment, for our over 3 million Medicaid members."

This service will be live in southern and central Illinois Monday. Residents in southern Illinois can reach the hotline at 833-673-5669. Those in central Illinois can call 217-545-5100. Pritzker said the service will be available in northern Illinois soon.

Pritzker noted that while children are not as likely to suffer the worst physical symptoms of COVID-19 they are still affected by the pandemic.

"No child has been spared the upheaval that COVID-19 has brought to their daily lives," he said.

He announced a virtual town hall he will hold for children with Lurie Children's Hospital and the Center for Childhood Resilience, the Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership and the Mikva Challenge on the hospital's Facebook page at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Pritzker also talked at length about what needs to happen to lift the statewide "stay at home" order, and what getting back to normal will look like. The governor said "three T's" are essential to lifting that order – testing, tracing, and treatment.

The governor repeatedly has said much more testing is needed to determine who has COVID-19. Health officials say that could means millions of tests. Additionally, Pritzker wants an anti-body test tat could determine who may have had the virus -- perhaps not knowing or having mild symptoms -- and therefore could have immunity.

Pritzker said the second key, contact tracing, requires identifying people who might have come into contact with an infected person and perhaps treating them.

Finally treatment; coming up with drugs to minimize the health dangers of the virus, or a vaccine to immunize people against it.

Meantime, with Easter Sunday coming up, Pritzker urged people to continue social distancing and not to attend services in person or even as a drive-in style service.

"We are just beginning to bend the curve here, but this is not a sign we should let up," Pritzker said, noting a lower rise of hospitalizations than originally estimated.

"We do have evidence of people who got sick from a church and other services," said Dr. Ngozi Ezike of the Illinois Department of Public Health. "If there are churches that were planning to convene tomorrow, please cancel now."

The state also will open a new drive-thru COVID-19 testing center next week in the south suburbs, near Markham and Harvey, the governor announce Friday. The site will run hundreds of tests per day.

The state is also preparing to open 2,000 hotel rooms outside of Chicago to provide alternate housing in the suburbs and downstate for people who test positive but have low-level symptoms and don't need hospital care, or have been exposed to COVID-19 positive person and might need to move out of their home as a precaution to avoid infecting family or roommates.

The hotels -- located in Springfield, Rockford, Metro East, Quad Cities, Schaumburg, Mount Vernon, Peoria, Carbondale, Quincy, Marion, Macomb, Champaign, collar counties -- will be ready to be activated next week, based on individual counties' needs, according to the governor.

Several hotels in Chicago already have opened up space for people with minor COVID-19 symptoms, as well as for healthcare workers and first responders who might not want to risk taking the virus home with them.

Pritzker said the federal government also has approved a request to use the Veterans Affairs hospital system to support COVID-19 patients as medically necessary.