Pritzker handles virus very well

As we grieve the deaths of over 6,700 family and friends from COVID-19, Illinoisans can be proud that ours was the first state to meet all of the federal Stage 3 criteria for reopening safely. We have socially-distanced, worn masks, sheltered in place, taken 1.4 million tests and performed risky essential work.

We should also salute the competence with which state and local government has responded. With our early outbreak, Illinois would have suffered far more if Governor Pritzker had delayed closing down the state. To keep our front-line workers safe, J.B. even chartered a special flight from China to deliver PPE, while Kushner handed federal stockpiles to profiteers.

Pritzker didn’t trust only his own “very good brain” or proclaim that “if you don’t have testing, you don’t have many cases.” J.B. consulted experts and ramped up testing. J.B. hasn’t pushed officials to underreport COVID-19 deaths in order to look better or justify his policies as some governors have, because he understands that truthfully reporting even tragic news gives public health experts the accurate statistics they need in order to guide us safely through the remainder of this crisis.

Illinois’ shutdown bought us time for doctors to improve treatments, scientists to develop a vaccine and for all to reconsider how to live safely and wisely. We must not squander our sacrifice by becoming careless, or the novel coronavirus shall return with a vengeance as it has in Florida, Arizona and Texas. Masking up still saves lives!

ROBERT HUDSON

Champaign