Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike addressed growing racial disparities in who is infected with and dying from COVID-19, announcing Friday that new state resources are being sent to historically marginalized communities.

Specifically, new Abbott rapid test machines that can turn around a test result in as little as 15 minutes will be distributed to key South and West Side Chicago regions, East St. Louis and state mental health and developmental centers and prisons.

A new, state-run drive-thru test collection site is also being added next week in the Markham/Harvey area.

Ezike said mortality rates are five times higher among blacks than whites. She said African Americans tend to have higher rates of underlying conditions, including asthma, diabetes and obesity, while at the same time chronically suffering from a lack of insurance and often living in larger households and denser residential settings.

“And let’s not, of course, forget the centuries of structural and institutional racism,” Ezike said.

On Friday, she announced:

68 additional COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours. (The total is now 596 lives lost)

1,465 additional cases confirmed. (The total is now 17,887)

Chicago Police also reported a second officer died due to COVID-19.

Pritzker was asked about complaints that police still don’t have needed PPE. He said they need to contact their superiors and ask them for it, and if they’re not getting it there, contact the local health department or the state police. “We will get it for them.”

Asked about testing in rural communities as there are reports of growing cases, Pritzker said testing remains a concern and needs to be increased everywhere.

The governor was also asked about his advice for those celebrating Easter and Passover. He urged people to stay home and utilize technology. He said he’d been part of two Zoom Seders. “You can connect with people who might not otherwise be able to get to your home for a typical Passover or Easter,” he said. “It’s a little bit like Hollywood Squares.”