- Credibility:
CHICAGO — Another 18 people died from coronavirus during the last day in Illinois.
Twelve of the victims were in Cook County, including a man in his 30s, according to state data. In all, 7,416 people have died from COVID-19 in Illinois.
Another 1,231 people tested positive for coronavirus, as well, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Illinois up to 172,655. The state’s positivity rate rose to 3.8 percent.
As of Sunday night, 1,417 people were hospitalized with coronavirus, including 350 people in the ICU and 124 people on ventilators.
In Chicago, there have now been 59,160 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,754 deaths. The city’s positivity rate is at 4.9 percent.
Gov. JB Pritzker warned last week the coronavirus is making a comeback in Illinois. The state has seen weeks of gradual increases in its number of new cases, and the positivity rate has risen slightly even though increased testing means it ideally should have dropped, officials said.
The growth in the positivity rate shows Illinois is seeing increased transmission of the virus, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, head of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said during a Wednesday press conference.
The rise in cases here is “very concerning,” Pritzker said.
Everyone should be wearing masks in public if they are able to do so, as they drastically cut down on transmission of coronavirus, the officials said.
Everyone should still practice social distancing and wash their hands frequently, Ezike said. She said businesses should also require customers to keep 6 feet apart and wear face coverings.
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