COVID-19 Illinois: IL reports 1,231 new cases, 18 additional deaths; Mayor Lightfoot announces housing grants

ByABC 7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Monday, July 27, 2020
COVID-19 Chicago: Mayor Lightfoot announces housing grants
Mayor Lori LIghtfoot announces additional funding for housing grants for those impacted by COVID-19.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois has reported 1,231 new COVID-19 cases and 18 additional deaths Monday, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced Monday.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced that the state's total confirmed COVID-19 cases has reached 172,655, including 7,416 deaths.

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The deaths include:

- Cook County - 1 male 30s, 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 2 females 60s, 3 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 male 70s, 1 male 90s

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

- Peoria County: 1 female 50s

- Winnebago County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s

In the last 24 hours, health officials said that they conducted a total of 30,567 tests. The preliminary seven-day positivity rate for July-20 to July 27 now stands at 3.8%.

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As of Sunday night, officials said 1,417 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, with 250 patients in the ICU and 124 patients on ventilators.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot confirmed the city will add Wisconsin to its travel quarantine order on Tuesday due to the number of coronavirus cases there. The order requires people visiting Chicago or returning from any of the states subject to it to quarantine for 14 days to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Wisconsin will be added to Chicago quarantine list Tuesday, Mayor Lightfoot confirms

The mayor made the announcement at a press conference to introduce an expanded housing assistance program, including an additional $33 million in additional relief for renters and property owners.

The housing assistance program will also provide eviction counseling for low and moderate income renters impacted by COVID-19.

When grants were first announced in March, Mayor Lightfoot said 83,000 people applied for 2,000 available grants.

"COVID-19 has laid bare and exacerbated the issue of housing insecurity, a core symptom of the crushing poverty and economic hardship that remains the reality for far too many Chicagoans," said Mayor Lightfoot. "This much-needed expansion of our Housing Assistance Grants and the creation of the online Chicago Housing Assistance Portal will ensure that our residents have the support they need to stay in their homes, stay safe and stay afloat during these uncertain times."

The city has also created a new online portal at chi.gov/housinghelp.