Pritzker Announces Nearly 3,000 New COVID-19 Cases And 63 Deaths, Highest Number Of Tests In One Day
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Sunday reported nearly 3,000 new cases of coronavirus in Illinois, but also the greatest number of tests in one day so far.
A total of 2,994 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Illinois within the past 24 hours on Sunday, Pritzker said. The total number of confirmed cases statewide now amounts to 61,499.
Pritzker said 97 of the state's 102 counties now have confirmed cases.
A total of 19,417 new tests were reported in the past 24 hours – the highest number in one day.
Pritzker emphasized that the gross number of positive tests is less of an important figure than positivity rates, which have been in the range of 15 and 21 percent each day and which officials want to see drop.
Pritzker said a total of 63 people have died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, for a total of 2,618.
The governor said as of Sunday there were 4,701 people statewide who were hospitalized with COVID-19, with 1,232 in the ICU and 759 in ventilators.
Meanwhile Sunday, Pritzker also addressed large parties that had to be broken up by Chicago Police overnight.
Despite a stern warning from Mayor Lori Lightfoot about staying at home on Saturday, hundreds of people defied her orders. Two parties were broken up by police on the West Side alone.
Dozens of people attended at least one of those street parties, possibly hundreds at the height of it all.
Asked what has to be done to get people to stop congregating, Pritzker on Sunday noted there were many more parties that Chicago Police knew about and stopped before happened.
"The fact is people need to follow the rules. People will get sick if they don't follow the rules," Pritzker said. "We need local government and local police to make sure that people are following the rules."
Pritzker also addressed the issue of scams perpetrated by people trying to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis. He said there have been cyberscams, as well as scams perpetrated by telephone, email, and text message, and even door to door.
Some scammers claim to offer test products, some ask for donations for phony charities, and some involve fraudulent efforts to get federal relief funds. While Pritzker did not mention it Sunday, a DePaul University student is accused of ripping off hundreds of people in a scam in which he claimed to be selling toilet paper.
"The Attorney General will not hesitate to use the authority of his office and partnerships with state and local law enforcement to hold accountable anyone seeking to profit off this pandemic," Pritzker said. "To the scam artists, you will be caught and you will be prosecuted."
