Illinois will keep some coronavirus restrictions in place until the federal government has provided an effective treatment or vaccine to the public.
“The federal government provided us with remdesivir to distribute and we did and it’s actually been somewhat effective from what we understand for hospitals that have used it,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said during a press conference.
Other potential therapeutics, such as hydroxychloroquine, turned out not to work as well. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took the drug off its emergency use list for coronavirus.
“We’re not making decisions about therapeutics at the state level,” Pritzker said. “That’s really going to be an FDA decision and of course there’s a lot of trials out there that are ongoing.”
Pritzker said he wanted all Illinois residents to have access to a vaccine, and that he'll talk to White House coronavirus task force expert Dr. Anthony Fauci about how to proceed.
“I have been in somewhat regular touch with Dr. Fauci, not on this subject particularly, but in my next conversation with him I’ll certainly ask him," Pritzker said, as he values Fauci's opinion.
Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., said on Tuesday that health experts are “building the plane as they fly” to deal with the coronavirus crisis.
“We released the first recommendations on testing and surveillance three weeks ago and are preparing to release recommendations on therapeutics and vaccines very soon,” Walden said during a Congressional hearing this week.
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