Illinois COVID Update: IL reports 12,542 new coronavirus cases, 125 deaths
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois public health officials reported 12,542 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 along with 125 deaths Tuesday.
The total number of cases in Illinois now stands at 738,846, with a total of 12,403 deaths.
Over a 24-hour period, officials said the state processed 116,081 specimens. In total there have been 10,614,079 test specimens tested since the start of the pandemic in Illinois.
The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from Nov. 24 - 30 is 12.2%.
As of Sunday night, 5,835 people in Illinois were reported to be hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 1,195 patients were in the ICU with COVID-19 and 721 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
RELATED: Illinois coronavirus testing: Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Illinois, Chicago area
Six regions in Illinois - Regions 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9 - are currently below target for ICU bed availability. And while overall the number of hospitalizations have improved slightly, there are still many parts of the state that are still struggling with bed availability. Regions 4 and 7 remain below the 20% capacity target for hospital bed availability.
Gov. JB Pritzker also pleaded with lawmakers to pass a longshot, bipartisan COVID-19 economic relief package that was unveiled Tuesday.
"I want to urge the Congress to step up and include in the stimulus package support for bars and restaurants that have been so hard hit by the virus," Pritzker said.
The governor says without federal support, restaurants and bars will have a tough time surviving this winter surge of the virus.
A suburban woman who survived COVID-19 in the spring, but lost her husband to the virus, also joined Gov. Pritzker's briefing.
"They told me I could go home," said Shanna Siegers, of Steger. "But my husband had to stay. That was the last time I saw him alive... I don't want any other family to experience the pain that my family experienced."
She urged people to follow the state's guidance and take this pandemic seriously.
WATCH: Tier 3 mitigations to remain in effect for next few weeks, Pritzker says
After millions took to the skies for Thanksgiving, Governor JB Pritzker grounded any hopes for an easing of restrictions.
"No region will be downgraded from our current Tier 3 mitigations for the next few weeks even if they might be on track to meet those metrics," Gov. Pritzker said.
Gov. Pritzker said the state needs the next few weeks to evaluate whether there will be a surge in new cases stemming from all the holiday travel and family gatherings.
"The hope now is that we can fend off the surge in the next few weeks to get to a healthier holiday time in the latter half of December," Gov. Pritzker said.
WATCH: Who will be given first priority for COVID-19 vaccines in Illinois?
Before Monday's briefing, Gov. Pritzker said he was on a governors' call with Vice President Michael Pence and members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force to discuss plans for a rollout of a vaccine, if and when one is approved for emergency use.
The state is still waiting for final guidance from the CDC on how the rollout of the first available vaccines will go, but distribution details will be left up to governors. Gov. Pritzker said the state expects to announce a tiered plan later this week.
Though it's still unclear how many doses Illinois will receive from the federal government, the expected small number of early doses will be prioritized for frontline healthcare workers, staff and residents at long term care facilities, essential workers and people in marginalized communities.
"There are lot of people who are very vulnerable, as you know, who have comorbidities who are in communities that have been ill-affected because of the prevalence of disease just in general, or the failure of healthcare in those communities," Gov. Pritzker said.
Health care workers will be the first priority, but the state is promising equity will be a consideration in who gets it as vaccines becomes more widely available.
Dr. Ezike promised no part of the state will be left out, but urged people to be patient.
"There's going to be like a Phase 1A and 1B and 1C, and that alone will take you know several months to roll out," Dr. Ezike said. "So it's not a matter of December 10, maybe there's vaccines... several days later, great, you know we're all set."
Over the weekend, a shipment of the Pfizer vaccine arrived on a United charter jet at O'Hare.
Gov. Pritzker said he was told during a conference call with the White House Coronavirus Task Force Monday afternoon that the vaccine was taken to a Pfizer storage facility in southern Wisconsin, although he said he has not confirmed that himself with Pfizer. The company does have a facility in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.
The deaths reported Tuesday include:
- Adams County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Bureau County: 1 female 70s
- Carroll County: 1 male 80s
- Champaign County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Clay County: 1 female 50s
- Cook County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s, 2 females 60s, 3 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 3 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 2 males 80s, 3 females 90, 1 male 90s, 1 female over 100
- DuPage County: 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 2 males 90s
- Effingham County: 1 male 90s
- Ford County: 1 female 60s
- Franklin County: 1 female 80s
- Fulton County: 1 male 80s
- Grundy County: 1 female 70s, 2 females 80s
- Hancock County: 1 female 90s
- Iroquois County: 1 male 90s
- Jo Daviess County: 1 female 70s
- Kane County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Kankakee County: 1 female 80s
- Kendall County: 2 male 80s
- Knox County: 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Lake County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Lee County: 1 female 80s
- Livingston County: 1 male 90s
- Macon County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Macoupin County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Madison County: 2 males 70s, 1 female 90s
- Marion County: 1 female 80s, 2 males 80
- McHenry County: 1 female 70s, 2 females 90s
- McLean County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 males 90s
- Mercer County: 1 female 90s
- Monroe County: 1 male 90s
- Morgan County: 1 female 60s, 2 females 90s
- Ogle County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Peoria County: 1 male 60s
- Perry County: 1 female 70s, 2 females 80s, 3 females 90s
- Rock Island County: 1 male 60s, 2 females 90s
- Saline County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Stark County: 1 female 80s
- Stephenson County: 1 male 50s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 70s
= Vermilion County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 90s
- Warren County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- White County: 1 male 60s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Will County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 90s
- Woodford County: 1 female 70s
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
