Coronavirus Linked to 67 More Deaths as Pritzker Releases Reopening Guidelines

New statewide totals: 110,304 cases, 4,790 deaths

Pedestrians wear masks as they walk along the sidewalk in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on Thursday, May 7, 2020. (WTTW News)Pedestrians wear masks as they walk along the sidewalk in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on Thursday, May 7, 2020. (WTTW News)

With restrictions set to be lifted in all four regions of the state on Friday, 67 more people died in the past day and 2,508 more people tested positive for the respiratory virus, officials announced Sunday.

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In the 24 hours between Saturday and Sunday, labs reported running tests on 25,674 specimens, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The state’s hospitalization rate was flat, even as the number of Northeastern Illinois residents hospitalized because of the virus has fallen approximately 50% since May 1, according to IDPH data.

The statewide positivity rate is currently 9.7%, while the rate for the northeastern region that covers Cook County is 15%.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Sunday released guidelines designed to detail how “retail, offices, manufacturing, barbershops and salons, summer programs, various outdoor recreation activities and bars and restaurants for outdoor dining” will be allowed to reopen starting Friday.

Phase three of the state’s reopening plan is designed to allow 700,000 Illinoisans to return to their workplaces, state officials said.

The guidelines are designed to convince Illinois residents that it is safe to resume spending, Pritzker said.

Shoppers will be required to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing.

Chicago will not move into the next phase of the city’s reopening plan until early June, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Friday.

Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]


Coronavirus Prevention Tips and Resources

Officials advise taking preventive measures to slow the spread of the virus, including: 

—Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water
—Using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol
—Sneezing or coughing into a tissue and then disposing of the tissue
—Limiting contact with people regardless of how you feel
—Staying home when you are sick

Symptoms of COVID-19 include, but are not limited to:

—New onset of fever, cough, shortness of breath
—Congestion in the nasal sinuses or lungs
—Sore throat, body aches or unusual fatigue

If you think you have COVID-19:

Call your doctor before showing up at their office. If you have a medical emergency and need to call 911, tell the operator that you think you have COVID-19. If possible, wear a mask before medical help arrives or presenting at a doctor’s office. More advice for those who think they have COVID-19.

Additional resources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Illinois’ COVID-19 website
Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) website
—IDPH COVID-19 hotline: 800-889-3931
—IDPH COVID-19 email link
City of Chicago COVID-19 website
—City of Chicago COVID-19 hotline: 312-746-4835
—City of Chicago COVID-19 email link


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