Illinois COVID-19 Update: IL reports 1,962 new coronavirus cases, 25 deaths

65% of Illinoisans 65 or older received at least 1 COVID vaccine dose

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Saturday, March 20, 2021
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CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois Department of Public Health officials reported 1,962 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 25 deaths on Saturday.



IDPH reported a total of 1,220,432 COVID-19 cases, including 21,059 deaths, since the beginning of the pandemic.



As of Thursday night, 1,179 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 228 patients were in the ICU and 103 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.



RELATED: Illinois COVID vaccine map shows how many residents vaccinated by county



Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported testing 77,661 specimens for a total of 9,558,920 since the pandemic began.



RELATED: Illinois coronavirus testing: Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Illinois, Chicago area



The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 13-19 is 2.6%.



A total of 5,341,895 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago, with an additional 414,900 doses allocated to federal government partners for long-term care facilities, bringing the total number delivered in Illinois to 5,756,795. A total of 4,631,122vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of Friday night, including 360,941 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 98,165 doses. There were 120,426 doses reported administered in Illinois Friday.



Sixty-five percent of Illinoisans 65 and older have received at least one vaccine dose, inching closer to the target of 70% that could see Illinois enter the Bridge Phase.



Double lung transplant using lungs from donor who previously had COVID performed at Northwestern



Northwestern Medicine surgeons have performed a double lung transplant on a patient using lungs from a donor who previously had COVID-19, the healthcare provider said Friday.



The transplant recipient is an Illinois man in his 60s. He received lungs from a donor who had mild symptoms. The donor died from an unrelated accidental death and no longer had COVID at the time.



The patient works in healthcare and was diagnosed with COVID-19 in May 2020 and suffered permanent lung damage.



Illinois COVID-19 vaccine guidelines do not include pot smokers in Phase 1B; those who smoke cigarettes included



Illinois residents who smoke marijuana will not be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine early.



This decision was made despite the fact that cannabis smokers are at a higher risk for respiratory issues.



However people who smoke cigarettes or have smoked do qualify for the earlier phase.



The deaths reported Saturday include:



-Cook County: 1 female 30s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s


-Douglas County: 1 female 90s



-Franklin County: 1 female 90s


-Madison County: 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s


-McHenry County: 1 male 80s


-McLean County: 1 female 90s


-Moultrie County: 1 female 100+


-Ogle County: 1 male 80s


-Sangamon County: 1 female 90s


-St. Clair County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s


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

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