Coronavirus Illinois: IL COVID-19 cases increase by 614 to over 147K
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois is reporting 614 new COVID-19 cases and 6 deaths Monday, following the long July 4th holiday weekend.
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Sunday that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state has reached 147,865, including 7,026 deaths.
Deaths from COVID-19 reported across Illinois include the following:
- Champaign County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Cook County: 2 male 60s, 1 female 80s
- DeKalb County: 1 female 90s
Within the last 24 hours, Illinois performed 21,134 tests, bringing the state's total to more than 1.7 million.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total tests from June 29 - July 5 is 2.6%.
Chicago's emergency travel order took effect Monday, requiring anyone entering the city from states experiencing a surge in COVID-19 infections to quarantine for 14 days.
The order requires anyone traveling to Chicago from Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Idaho, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah to quarantine. States can be added to that list if their COVID-19 cases surge as well.
Chicago also began cracking down on Phase 4 guidelines for businesses.
Officials want to stop huge crowds disregarding capacity limits, social distancing and face coverings seen last weekend.
Businesses in violation could see fines of up to $10,000. Investigators can also immediately close businesses in the case of "egregious violations," the city said.
As cases surge around the country, Illinois remains firmly in Phase 4. To avoid an uptick like other states, Illinois and Chicago health officials warn that it's really a matter of personal responsibility, rather than policy, right now.
"The three W's, if you will, watching your distance, washing your hands, and wearing masks or face coverings have to be tied, intimately, to increased gatherings and recreating," warned Dr. Ngozi Ezike of the Illinois Department of Public Health. "Hopefully, with those tied together we can still stay where we are or very close to where we are and not have a significant surge."
You've heard that advice before, but Illinois and Chicago health officials agree that it's now up to us, every individual. They say what we do individually is critical to what happens next.
"My ask for everyone in Chicago is to keep doing those things that we know work," said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of Chicago's Department of Public Health. "The reason that we've seen the decreases that we've seen is mostly about individual level behavior change, even more than they are about the decisions we make at a systems level."
Across the region, Illinois' positivity rate - the percent of people testing positive each day - has remained stable around 2.6%. In Michigan, it's lower. But in both Indiana and Wisconsin, it's climbing.
WATCH: Doctor discusses 14-day quarantines
"If people are coming to visit you here in Chicago from those parts of the country, you want to be really careful with those folks," said Dr. Arwady. "You want to be keeping your distance, you don't want to be in crowds."
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot remains steadfast about making tough choices, too.
"If we see that we're heading in the wrong direction, I'm not going to hesitate to take action," Lightfoot said.
