- Credibility:
CHICAGO — Coronavirus killed 44 more people during the past day in Illinois.
All of Illinois is seeing rapid increases of deaths and new cases of COVID-19, with officials warning a second wave is beginning.
City and state officials have said people should return to strictly following safety measures — like wearing a mask, staying 6 feet from others, washing their hands regularly and avoiding crowds — to slow the virus’s spread.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned Monday the city could bring back tougher restrictions for businesses in a bid to halt the second wave. She’s due to give a press conference at 1 p.m. Thursday.
The most recent victims include nine people in Cook County, including a man in his 40s and a man in his 50s. At least 9,387 people have died throughout Illinois.
The state also reported 4,942 newly confirmed cases, bringing the total up to 360,159.
Illinois’ seven-day positivity rate was 5.7 percent, with 80,977 tests reported in the past day.
As of Wednesday night, 2,463 people were hospitalized with coronavirus in Illinois, including 525 people in the ICU and 212 people using ventilators.
In Chicago, an average of 645 cases are being reported per day, a 54 percent increase from the prior week. The city’s had 90,722 confirmed cases so far.
An average of three people are dying per day in the city. At least 3,018 Chicagoans have died so far.
Deaths have remained steady at two or three people per day for months, but officials have warned hospitalizations are going up and they expect to see more people dying soon.
The city’s seven-day positivity rate has risen to 6.4 percent. It was 4.6 percent the prior week.
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