New Virus Cases Slow, But Officials Fear Spike Following Protests

New statewide totals: 127,757 cases, 5,904 deaths

Protesters and police officers wearing riot gear have a standoff near Daley Plaza on Saturday, May 30, 2020. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)Protesters and police officers wearing riot gear have a standoff near Daley Plaza on Saturday, May 30, 2020. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)

Illinois’ confirmed number of coronavirus cases reached 127,757 on Sunday as the state reported 867 new cases and 43 deaths over the past 24 hours. Nearly 6,000 people’s deaths in the state have so far been linked to COVID-19.

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Doctors and officials fear that number could spike in the near future, given that demonstrations against police brutality saw individuals marching in close proximity to one another in breach of social distancing guidelines.

An easing of stay-at-home mandates — combined with warm spring weather — has also meant more people are dining, shopping and otherwise socializing in public.

Should there be an uptick in serious cases of COVID-19, Illinois has space for patients in intensive care units. As of Sunday, 720 patients with the virus occupied 3,888 ICU beds statewide, while 438 of 5,871 ventilators statewide were in use by patients with the coronavirus.

In the Chicago region, 1,417 of nearly 2,000 ventilators remain available and 462 ICU beds are available out of 1,100.

The recovery rate, or those who tested positive for the virus and did not die from it within 42 days of having contracted it, is 92%, according to the state public health department.

Over the past 10 days, the number of new COVID-19 cases has been under 1,000 per day 50% of the time. (Source: Illinois Department of Public Health)Over the past 10 days, the number of new COVID-19 cases has been under 1,000 per day 50% of the time. (Source: Illinois Department of Public Health)

The state’s rolling positivity rate for the week – the percent of positive cases among those tested between May 31 and June 6 – is 5%.

Labs reported running 20,700 tests from Saturday to Sunday, bringing the total number of coronavirus tests during the pandemic to 1,042,774.

Various testing sites closed over the past week out of precaution due to the civil unrest bubbling in the city and suburbs, but are again open for testing

The state no longer asks that only those with coronavirus symptoms get tested; rather, officials encourage those who took part in protests or other large gatherings to be tested between five to seven days after the potentially triggering event.

Scott County, about 50 miles west of Springfield, remains the state’s sole county in which no coronavirus cases have been detected.

Follow Amanda Vinicky on Twitter: @AmandaVinicky


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