On the same day the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 141 deaths of Illinoisans diagnosed with Covid-19, a church in northwest Illinois lodged a federal lawsuit against Gov. JB Pritzker, alleging his stay-at-home order violated its pastor’s religious freedom.
In response, Pritzker’s administration inserted language into the governor’s new stay-at-home order that goes into effect Friday, specifying that Illinoisans may leave their homes “to engage in the free exercise of religion, provided that such exercise must comply with Social Distancing Requirements and the limit on gatherings of more than 10 people in keeping with CDC guidelines for the protection of public health.”