- Credibility:
CHICAGO — Another 29 people died from coronavirus in the last 24 hours and an additional 673 new cases were reported throughout the state, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced Saturday.
Of the dead Saturday, 12 people were from Cook County and all but one victim was over the age of 60.
In total, the state has seen 131,871 total confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 93 percent of those recovered, according to IDPH. In total, 6,289 people have died from the virus statewide.
On Friday, the Chicago Department of Public Health announced the city was on track to move to Phase 4 of the reopening plan by July 1 if cases continue to decline, but Dr. Allison Arwady, head of the department, urged vigilance.
“The way we move ahead here is the choices that each one of you makes every day,” Arwady said. “The city can work to think carefully about reopening. Businesses are working very hard to make them as safe as they possibly can be,” Arwady said. “But the decisions that you make … [are] especially important as more businesses continue to open.”
Phase 4 will see gyms, museums and zoos return, though with capacity limits; restaurants will be allowed to offer indoor dining; and groups of 50 or fewer people will be able to gather.
To prevent any setbacks, people should continue to wear face coverings, stay home if sick, wash their hands frequently and not put other people at risk, especially those who are 60 or older or have underlying health conditions, Arwady said. She added people at protests should wear masks, try to stay 6 feet apart and get tested for COVID-19.
“We don’t want to experience a setback now,” Arwady said. “And you can help us be different from a lot of these other states if you keep COVID in mind.”
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