- Credibility:
CHICAGO — The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Illinois ticked upward Thursday, with state officials saying 869 more people tested positive for the virus in the past day. There had been 828 new cases the day before.
An additional 36 people died from COVID-19-related causes, bringing the state’s total to 6,987.
A total of 144,882 people in the state have tested positive since the start of the pandemic. The state’s seven-day positivity rate average remained at 2.6 percent, meaning 2.6 percent of all tests returned in the past week were positive.
Dr. Allison Arwady, head of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said the rest of Illinois is beginning to see a rise in confirmed cases — as are parts of Cook County and nearby states, like Indiana.
That rise hasn’t hit Chicago yet, Arwady said, but it shows people here need to be diligent and keep up with safety measures.
“The main thing is all around us, cases are on the incline,” Arwady said during a livestreamed Q&A. “The state of Illinois, as a state, is going up. Not dramatically up, but it’s going up.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday warned bars and restaurants to abide by social distancing and 25 percent capacity limits or face closure.
Chicago has lost 2,611 people to coronavirus. Its positivity rate is now at 4.6 percent.
Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.
Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.
