Health
COVID-19 in Illinois: State Surpasses 300K Cases
(WTTW News)
State health officials reported 1,453 new cases of the coronavirus Sunday and 17 additional deaths, bringing statewide totals to 301,541 cases and 8,791 deaths since the first infection was reported in Illinois in late January.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 2,442 cases and 31 deaths Saturday.
Seventeen residents of Cook County were among the deaths reported Saturday and Sunday, including a woman in her 30s, a man in his 40s and three women and one man in their 50s.
More than 50,000 specimens were tested by state labs in the past 24 hours, according to the IDPH.
The rolling seven-day statewide positivity rate is 3.3%, according to IDPH, down from 3.7% a week ago. That figure is higher both in Cook County (5.1%) and Chicago (4.4%), according to the latest data available from the state.
Across the state, 28 counties are considered to be at a warning level for the virus, IDPH announced Friday, including DeKalb, Boon and Lee counties in northern Illinois.
A county reaches a warning level when it experiences an increase in at least two COVID-19 risk indicators from the state’s resurgence mitigation plan, according to IDPH.
Earlier this week, a member of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s close staff who traveled with him across the state tested positive for the coronavirus. The governor and everyone who had close contact with that staffer will self-isolate for 14 days, as recommended by state and federal public health guidelines.
Note: This story was originally published Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020. It was updated with data released Sunday by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
