At least 138,359 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S.
The new coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 589,000 people worldwide.
More than 13.8 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to a paucity of evidence, many unreported cases, and suspicions that some governments are hiding or minimizing the extent of their nations’ outbreaks.
The United States has become the most affected country, with more than 3.5 million diagnosed cases and at least 138,359 deaths.
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4:40 am: Illinois governor files suit to demand masks in schools
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, along with the state director of health and the state superintendent, filed a lawsuit aimed at demanding that they cover their faces in schools.
“As a parent, I would not send my children to a school where face covers are not required because the science is clear: face covers are critical to preventing the spread of the coronavirus,” Pritzker said in a statement Thursday.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday, according to the Illinois attorney general’s office.
The complaint is filed against three schools that have “announced their refusal” to follow public health guidance from various state agencies and the executive orders of the governor, according to the complaint.
“From the CDC to the American Academy of Pediatrics, doctors and epidemiologists agree that to bring together large groups of people, especially indoors, you need to cover your face to stop the spread. As school districts finalize their fall operations plans, it is imperative that they understand that these clear, evidence-based requirements for wearing face shields must be followed to keep our children, teachers and communities healthy and safe, “said Pritzker.
According to the lawsuit, three schools issued a letter stating that the governor’s order was not legal. The state asks the court to verify that the governor’s order is legal and that there is “an injunction that requires schools to stop refusing to comply with executive orders and the Guidance,” according to the complaint.
Illinois has more than 159,000 diagnosed cases of COVID-19, with at least 7,452 deaths.
The Pritzker lawsuit seeking to demand masks comes after the Georgia governor is doing the opposite. Gov. Brian Kemp issued an executive order Wednesday that bans the mask mandates and announced that the state is suing Atlanta after Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms enacted a city-wide face-covering rule.
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Sophie Tatum of ABC News contributed to this report.
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