Illinois COVID-19: IL reports 1,531 new coronavirus cases, 30 deaths

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois public health officials announced 1,531 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday along with 30 additional deaths.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois now stands at 277,266 with 8,486 deaths, the IDPH reported.

As of Monday night, 1,455 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, with 367 patients in the ICU and 153 on ventilators.

Over a 24-hours period, officials said the state processed more than 41,829 specimens for a total of 5,185,216.. The seven-day positivity rate from September 15 - September 22 is 3.5%

The deaths reported Tuesday include:

-Coles County: 2 males 80s

-Cook County: 1 female 30s, 2 males 60s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s

-Crawford County: 1 male 70s

- DuPage County: 1 female 80s

-Greene County: 1 female 90s

-Jefferson County; 1 male 50s

-Jersey County: 1 male 80s

-Lake County: 1 female 70s

- LaSalle County: 1 male 70s

-Livingston County: 1 female 80s

-Madison County: 1 female 80s

-McLean County: 1 male 80s

- Morgan County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 90s

- St. Clair County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s

-Tazewell County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s

-Will County: 1 male 70s

- Williamson County: 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s, 1 female 100+

At a press conference Monday morning, Governor JB Pritzker touted testing milestones the state has reached in its fight against COVID-19.

Governor Pritzker said the state processed a record 74,000 tests in a one-day period and the state is averaging 52,000 tets a day, which he said is tied for third in the nation behind only California and New York.

The governor said Illinois became one of the first states to surpass 5 million tests since the start of the pandemic.

"These nation-leading accomplishments have allowed Illinoisans do to what most states can't. There's a testing location and testing available for you if you feel you need one and you can get one even without a doctor's order," Pritzker said. "For families, businesses, schools and churches, that means there is a measure of safety here in Illinois that doesn't exist in most other states."

"Testing is a critical step in reducing the spread of the virus, because a positive test result begins the contact tracing process, which identifies who was exposed and needs to be quarantined to prevent further spread," said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. "Currently IDPH has 11 community-based testing sites around the state, as well as mobile testing teams that are deployed each week to various locations throughout Illinois. Anyone can go there to get tested, or at any state testing site. You don't have to have symptoms, or a doctor's referral or order, and there is no cost to you for testing."