Illinois Spent $169 Million on Covid-19 Response Over 3 Weeks

(Bloomberg) -- Illinois, among the states with the highest total coronavirus cases, has spent $168.5 million over the past three weeks for masks, respirators, cleaning supplies and other products and services to respond to the pandemic.

The state spent $5.1 million on March 24, and costs jumped to $34.7 million on April 10, according to a report on Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s website. This is the first time Illinois has publicly released a tally of the costs related to the virus. Swabs were among the earliest expenses, according to the itemized list. Other costs include hand sanitizer, goggles, face shields, post-mortem bags and reimbursements to the Illinois National Guard.

Illinois has reported 22,025 coronavirus cases, including 794 deaths, as of Monday, according to the state’s department of public health. Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation March 9 allowing for the coordination of state and federal resources. That includes the strategic national stockpile of medicine and personal protective equipment to help local governments prepare for the Covid-19 outbreak in the state, according to the comptroller’s website.

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