Illinois COVID-19 Update: IL reports 9,887 cases, 208 coronavirus deaths

Illinois COVID-19 deaths top 13K in all

ByCraig Wall, Eric Horng, and Alexis McAdams WLS logo
Sunday, December 6, 2020
Chicago area looks ahead to coronavirus vaccine logistics
Medical professionals in the Chicago area are looking ahead to coronavirus vaccine logistics.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois public health officials reported 9,887 COVID-19 cases and 208 related deaths Saturday, the second-highest daily death total since the start of the pandemic.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said some data reported to IDPH is delayed from the weekends, including this past holiday weekend, when reporting the record-high 238 deaths Wednesday.

"Higher case numbers and higher numbers of hospitalizations do lead to, tragically, even more lives lost," Gov. JB Pritzker said.

WATCH: Gov. Pritzker gives COVID-19 briefing

Governor JB Prtizker spoke about the most recent COVID-19 numbers and the plan for the first round of vaccine distribution in Illinois.

The total number of cases in Illinois now stands at 779,975, with a total of 13,179 deaths.

Over a 24-hour period, officials said the state processed 102,678 specimens. In total there have been 11,021,676 specimens tested since the start of the pandemic in Illinois.

The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from Nov. 28 - Dec. 4 is 11.9%.

Gov. Pritzker and IDPH director Dr. Ngozi Ezike went into greater detail about the Illinois COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan Friday.

The test positivity rate is a metric the state began providing in late October. It is calculated by using the total number of positive tests over the total number of tests. This is the metric being used to by state health officials to make decisions about mitigations.

WATCH: Dr. Ngozi Ezike discusses vaccine distribution in Illinois

IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike lays out further details on how the COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed in Illinois.

As of Friday night, 5,331 people in Illinois were reported to be hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 1,134 patients were in the ICU with COVID-19 and 694 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

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

Pritzker and IDPH director Dr. Ngozi Ezike went into greater detail about the state's vaccine distribution plan at Friday's press briefing. The plan relies on a series of hub hospitals around the state, which will handle distribution to each of the 11 EMS regions.

The rollout covers all of Illinois except for the city of Chicago, which will handle its own logistics. The first batch of 86,000 doses could arrive as early as next week.

Front line COVID-19 hospital workers and then people working or living in long term care facilities will be first in line for the vaccine, and the state will also prioritize areas hardest hit by the virus.

"Roll this out to our highest-risk employees and staff members that serve the COVID units and the emergency departments," said Dr. Ankur Singal, with the Edward-Elmhurst Health COVID-19 Task Force.

Vaccinating that group could take weeks or longer, and so it could be some time before other essential workers are immunized.

Four suburban hospitals will be part of the state's distribution plans, including Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin and North Shore Highland Park Hospital in Highland Park. All of those hospitals are able to provide the ultra-cold storage required for the Pfizer vaccine.

RELATED: Loyola University, Christ medical centers to serve as regional distribution points

Other hospitals like Edward Elmhurst Health are moving to purchase refrigerators so they are prepared to receive whatever allotment they get once the vaccine gets FDA approval.

WATCH: Doctor answers COVID-19 questions, gives latest news on virus

Dr. Chris Colbert discusses updates in the COVID-19 vaccine

"I don't think at any time, even during the last pandemic, there was anything quite like this, right. There wasn't a vaccine that was being distributed like this, and in such quick fashion, too," Pritzker said Friday.

Illinois will receive vaccine shipments directly from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and then house them in the state's strategic national stockpile at an undisclosed location. From there it will be sent to the 10 regional hospitals for distribution to local health departments and providers.

"Regardless of how many doses we do receive, IDPH will be tracking shipments, allocations and the data to detect any disparities in administration," Dr. Ezike said.

The deaths reported Saturday include:

- Bond County: 1 male 80s

- Champaign County: 2 females 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s

- Clark County: 1 female 90s

- Clinton County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 90s

- Coles County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s

- Cook County: 2 females 50s, 3 males 50s, 6 females 60s, 7 males 60s, 8 females 70s, 12 males 70s, 3 females 80s, 14 males 80, 6 females 90, 2 males 90s, 1 female over 100

- Cumberland County: 1 male 80s

- DeKalb County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 80s

- DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s, 3 males 80s, 3 females 90s, 3 males 90s

- Effingham County: 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s

- Fayette County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s

- Franklin County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 90s

- Greene County: 1 male 60s

- Grundy County: 1 male 80s

- Henry County: 1 female 90s

- Kane County: 2 males 60s, 3 males 70s, 1 female 80s

- Kankakee County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s

- Knox County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s

- Lake County: 1 female 50s, 2 males 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s

- LaSalle County: 1 male 50s, 2 males 80s

- Lee County: 1 male 80s

- Livingston County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s

- Logan County: 1 male 70s

- Macon County: 1 male 60s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s

- Macoupin County: 2 males 80s

- Madison County: 1 male 70s, 2 males 80s, 1 female over 100

- McHenry County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s

- McLean County: 1 female 80s

- Mercer County: 1 male 70s

- Ogle County: 1 female 80s

- Peoria County: 1 female 80s

- Pike County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s

- Rock Island County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s, 2 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 3 males 70s, 2 males 90s

- Sangamon County: 1 female 50s, 3 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s

- Schuyler County: 1 female 70s

- St. Clair County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 70s, 2 females 90s, 1 female over 100

- Stark County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s

- Stephenson County: 1 male 70s

- Tazewell County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 80s

- Union County: 1 female 90s

- Vermilion County: 2 females 80s

- White County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s

- Whiteside County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s

- Will County: 2 females 60s, 2 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 3 males 80, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s

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

- Winnebago County: 1 male 50s, 3 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s