Today, Governor Pritzker and governors and lieutenant governors from Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin joined together to encourage everyone to make a plan for how they can get the safe and effective vaccine once they become eligible.
“Although it is a new year, COVID-19 is still present across our states, and we all have a personal responsibility to do our part to protect our families, frontline workers, and small businesses. Each of our states is working around the clock to distribute the safe and effective COVID vaccines as quickly as possible. But we ask everyone to be patient,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The quicker we act to distribute the vaccine, the quicker we can reduce the strain on our health care system and defeat this virus. But until everyone is able to get vaccinated across our states, we must double down on mask wearing, social distancing, and washing hands frequently.”
Over the past ten months people from across the region have stepped up to fight COVID-19. States are working around the clock to ramp up vaccine distribution efforts and end the pandemic once and for all. Together, the governors urged individuals to make a plan for themselves and their families on how they can get vaccinated as soon as possible. People are encouraged to visit their state health departments website for more information.
Pritzker also shared his thoughts on President Biden’s COVID-19 response plan:
“One year and one day since the first known COVID-19 case was identified in the United States, I’m incredibly heartened to see the Biden-Harris administration step up to the herculean task of providing a truly cohesive, prepared, robust national response to COVID-19 that saves lives, protects our healthcare workers, supports small businesses, gets children back into schools, and promises the economic recovery Americans deserve,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Make no mistake: this plan will help us beat COVID-19. The administration has a comprehensive vision for how we as one nation can achieve our common goals of putting this pandemic behind us in a smart and safe way, while simultaneously stepping up our preparations and leadership on a global scale. I’ve been calling on the federal government to wield the full force of the Defense Production Act since last March and I’m pleased to see President Biden issue an executive order promising to do just that, filling critical gaps in our nation’s ability to not just vaccinate, but also continue to test and treat our residents. Illinois welcomes the new administration’s commitment to being a genuine partner, not an obstacle, for states in navigating this collective crisis with open arms – now let’s get to work to bring this pandemic to a close.”
For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine visit https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/.
Participants include:
- Illinois: Governor JB Pritzker, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton
- Michigan: Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II
- Ohio: Governor Mike DeWine, Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted
- Indiana: Governor Eric Holcomb, Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch
- Kentucky: Governor Andy Beshear, Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman
- Wisconsin: Governor Tony Evers, Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes
- Minnesota: Governor Tim Walz, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan