Governor J.B. Pritzker addresses the State of Illinois each day around 2:30 p.m. to update residents on the state's response to the spread and prevention of coronavirus.
Key points from his address on Wednesday, March 25:
- Illinois has delayed its tax filing deadline from April 15 to July 15
- Three new programs have been made available for small businesses seeking financial relief: Find information on these, here.
- The Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan Fund offers $60 million in low-interest loans of up to $50,000 for small business in every industry outside of Chicago
- The Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program offers $20 million in grants of up to $25,000 to small businesses served by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
- The Hospitality Emergency Grant Program is a $14 million grant program to help small hospitality businesses, providing $25,000 to eligible bars and restaurants and up to $50,000 for eligible hotels
- There are 330 new cases as of Wednesday, including three deaths across 35 counties
- Tests are being done on personal protective equipment to see if its safe to extend the shelf life of specific batches. It's called the Shelf Life Extension Program, and is aimed at recovering PPE that may have otherwise been thrown out.