Illinois COVID-19: IL reports 10,009 new COVID-19 cases, 42 deaths
Austin coronavirus testing site seeks to increase accessibility
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois officials announced 10,009 new COVID-19 cases and 42 additional deaths Sunday.
The death toll in Illinois has crossed 10,000, with a total of 10,196 deaths, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported. The total number of cases has now reached 487,987.
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Over a 24-hour period, officials said the state processed 90,757 specimens for a total 8,404,304.
The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from Nov. 1 to Nov. 7 is 12%.
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As of Saturday night, 4,303 were hospitalized with COVID-19, with 833 in the ICU and 368 patients on ventilators.
Hospitals brace for surge in admissions
Coronavirus testing: Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Illinois, Chicago area
In Austin, on Chicago's West Side, there was free COVID-19 testing until 5 p.m. Sunday.
Austin resident Tracey Williams said Sunday she knows the pandemic is getting worse, so she just wanted to make sure she was being safe.
"A lot of people here don't have transportation to get to certain sites," she said, saying the site Sunday offered crucial support. "I'm disabled, so I can't get around to a lot of places, so I think this means a lot to the West Side community."
State Rep. LaShawn Ford worked with the state to set up this pop-up testing site in a minority working community he said can really use the help.
"They're frontline workers, they're essential workers, and what happens is they go out and they're exposed to a lot of people," Ford said.
Ford said the governor has promised as much testing as the West Side needs. Communities of color have been hit disproportionately hard by the virus.
Ford also said he's working to make people aware of contact tracing efforts, which are lagging in the city.
"We're gonna make sure that we spread the word that, if you get a call from the contact tracer, answer the call and follow the instructions of contact tracers," Ford said.
Some food donations were also made available Sunday.
"We need all the help we can get," said Annette Griffin, who got tested for COVID-19. "Come out and get tested. That's the main thing is to come out here and get tested because this is real. This is killing people."
The pandemic is also creating and compounding existing issues in communities like Austin, Ford said.
"This is a very, very tough time in Illinois and all over the world," he said. "People are struggling, people are unemployed, people are struggling to put food on the table."
The state announced mobile testing teams would be made available across northern Illinois in the next week.
Free testing will be available regardless of symptoms, insurance or immigration status.
Testing demand grows, and testing supplies run out
Here's where the sites will be:
COOK COUNTY:
DUPAGE COUNTY
GRUNDY COUNTY
KANKAKEE COUNTY
LAKE COUNTY
MCHENRY COUNTY
The deaths reported Sunday included:
Champaign County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 60s
- Cook County: 1 male 30s, 1 female 50s, 2 females 60s, 3 males 60s, 1 male 70s, 3 females 80s, 8 males 80s, 4 females 90s, 3 males 90s, 1 female 100+
- DuPage County: 1 female 70s
- Franklin County: 1 female 70s
- Hancock County: 1 male 70s
- Kane County: 1 female 80s
- Lake County: 1 male 90s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 90s
- Macon County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Madison County: 1 female 80s
- Moultrie County: 1 female 90s
- Vermilion County: 1 male 80s
- Will County: 1 male 80s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 60s
