Coronavirus In Illinois: 2,432 New COVID-19 Cases, 130 Additional Deaths
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Illinois has surpassed 90,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 4,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said there have been 2,432 new cases of the virus in the past 24 hours, including 130 additional deaths.
As of Friday afternoon, Illinois has had a total of 90,369 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 4,058 deaths since the start of the outbreak.
The state has performed 538,602 virus tests to date, including 26,565 in the past 24 hours, for a positivity rate of 9% in the past day, according to Ezike.
As of Thursday night, there were 4,367 virus patients being treated in Illinois hospitals, including 1,129 in intensive care, and 675 on ventilators.
Ezike on Friday also stressed the need for hospitals to test pregnant women who are admitted for delivery, because labor symptoms can mimic or cover up virus symptoms. She said COVID-19 also creates a risk of additional complications after giving birth. Ezike said an estimated 3% to 12% of pregnant women test positive for the virus.
"Knowing if a woman giving birth has COVID-19 will help inform the medical plan, help inform medical decisions that need to be made, including those surrounding the use of the appropriate personal protective equipment," Ezike said. "That will help protect not only the pregnant woman, but also her healthcare providers, and in fact her newborn baby as well."
Knowing if a pregnant woman has the virus also will help doctors determine the best care for her baby after she gives birth.
Gov. JB Pritzker also touted Illinois' efforts to greatly increase testing capacity in recent weeks, with the state conducting more than 20,000 tests per day for the past week.
On April 16, the state met Pritker's original goal of conducting 10,000 tests per day. By May 8, the state had doubled that capacity.
"We won't stop growing our testing until this pandemic is over," Pritzker said.
The governor said Illinois has 251 public testing sites across the state, including 7 drive-through sites, where anyone can be tested for free.
The state is soon opening six new testing sites in Chicago – in Little Village, Pullman, Hanson Park, Englewood, Gage Park and Bridgeport – and also will launch four new drive-through testing sites starting Saturday in the Chatham neighborhood. Next week, the state will open drive-through sites in Champaign, Peoria, and Rolling Meadows. The drive-through sites will be open for free testing seven days a week for people with virus symptoms; as well as healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential workers.
Pritzker also said positive test rates have been gradually declining over the past month, with a 9.2% positivity rate over the past 24 hours, and a 12% average positivity rate over the past week. The governor said the state's cumulative positivity rate since February is 16.8%, with a peak rate of 23.6% on April 4.
"I would urge caution in reading too far into this decline, as there is a strong inverse correlation between the number of tests taken per day, and the associated positive rate; meaning that part of the reason for the lower positivity rate can be attributed to our increased testing," the governor said.
Pritzker also cautioned Illinois residents against visiting neighboring states like Indiana, Wisconsin, and Iowa, where bars and restaurants are open, fearing people could become infected with the disease if gathering in large groups outside the state, and bring the virus back home.
The governor noted all four regions of Illinois are on pace to move to Phase 3 of his "Restore Illinois" plan to reopen the economy by May 29.
"I would suggest that if you're looking for the opportunity to get together to do the things that you've been doing in the past, to go into a retail store or something like that, we're 14 days away, according to the data, from you being able to do that," "We've done so well up to now, I hope you'll continue on the same course," he said.
Under Phase 3 of Restore Illinois, non-essential manufacturing and other non-essenstial businesses would be allowed to reopen under approved safety guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Remote work, whenever possible, would still be encouraged.
Barber shops and salons would be allowed to reopen; and gyms and fitness clubs would be allowed to offer outdoor classes and one-on-one training; all with IDPH guidance. State parks also would be allowed to reopen, as would limited childcare and summer programs. Non-essential public gatherings of up to 10 people would be allowed, as opposed to the current limit of only essential gatherings of up to 10 people.
The governor also defended his threat to withhold federal funding from counties or local governments that defy his stay-at-home order, after the state's five Republican congressmen sent a letter to House and Senate leadership, urging Congress to block governors from being able to withhold relief funds from county and local governments that allow businesses to reopen in defiance of statewide stay-at-home orders.
"I know those five congressmen, and I have spoken with them over my term in office. I know they have the best interests of their constituents at heart, but I think in this case they're missing the point," Pritzker said.
