A group that represents hospitals in Illinois says they are working with all levels of goverment to take care of people who have COVID-19.
Danny Chun, from the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, says most hospitals in the state have been planning for weeks.
They postponed elective procedures and re-purposed hospital beds to treat patients who have been infected with the coronavirus.
Some rooms have also been turned into "negative pressure isolation rooms."
And many on staff have been retrained. Chun says more than 1,100 people in Illinois who retired or left health care have signed up to help during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both Genesis Health System and UnityPoint Health Trinity in the Quad Cities have been working together on their surge plans and capacities.
And the two routinely work with rural and small hospitals to help treat patients who need more intensive and specialized care.
Chun says some administrators may not want to discuss in detail the number of patients they've planned for to avoid alarming the public.
The Illinois Hospital Association says to help, everyone should stay home, and follow CDC guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
