Illinois COVID-19 Update: IL reports 6,003 cases, 79 coronavirus deaths
Over 900K in Illinois have been infected with virus since pandemic began
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois public health officials reported 6,003 COVID-19 cases and 79 related deaths Sunday.
This is the first time since Dec. 7 the state has reported fewer than 100 COVID-19 deaths in a 24-hour period.
The total number of cases in Illinois now stands at 900,370, with a total of 15,202 deaths.
WATCH: Gov. Pritzker gives COVID-19 update on Dec. 18, 2020
Illinois Director of Public Health Dr. Ngozi Ezike shared a bit of good news during Friday's press conference: Illinois did not see a post-Thanksgiving surge in COVID-19 cases.
"I am really happy to say that we did not see the significant surge that we were very much concerned about in relation to all the reports that we saw of the large amount of travel," Dr. Ezike said. "I think all the mitigations that we had in place in advance of Thanksgiving, have been helpful. So, no we did not see a surge following Thanksgiving."
Prior to the fall surge, state health officials had said they expected to see around 11,000 deaths by the end of the year. But there have already been over 15,000.
"It really seems worse to have someone get infected now and succumb to this virus when we're really close to having a way to have that not be the eventuality," Ezike said.
Pfizer doses are now being administered across Illinois.
RAW VIDEO: First COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Illinois
But Illinois officials are again giving a holiday warning. For the last two months, Dr. Ezike said the highest number of cases has been people ages 20 to 29 years old.
"While these younger people are much less likely to suffer severe illness, we still see that those younger individuals can expose our older family, older friends who could suffer illness if they were to gather for the holidays," Dr. Ezike said.
Like Thanksgiving, state officials recommend you only celebrate with those in your household.
"The best way we can protect our frontline workers and slow the spread of this virus is to double-down on mask wearing, social distancing, washing hands frequently," Gov. JB Pritzker said.
Over a 24-hour period, officials said the state processed 78,079 specimens. In total there have been 12,434,525 specimens tested since the start of the pandemic in Illinois.
RELATED: Illinois coronavirus testing: Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Illinois, Chicago area
The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from Dec. 13-19 is 9.6%.
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.
As of Saturday night, 4,389 people in Illinois were reported to be hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 991 patients were in the ICU with COVID-19 and 546 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The deaths reported Sunday include:
- Adams County: 1 male 70s
- Bureau County: 1 female 80s
- Christian County: 1 male 80s
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 9 males 60s,3 females 70s, 4 males 70s, 8 females 80s, 4 males 80s, 3 females 90s, 4 males 90s, 1 female over 100
- DuPage County: 1 female 40s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s
- Fayette County: 1 female 80s
- Hancock County: 1 male 90s
- Jefferson County: 1 male 80s
- Kane County: 2 males 50s, 1 male 80s
- Knox County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Lake County: 1 male 70s
- Lee County: 1 male 90s
- Madison County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Montgomery County: 1 male 60s
- Ogle County: 1 male 80s
- Peoria County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Perry County: 1 male 70s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 70s
- Sangamon County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 60s
- White County: 1 female 60s
- Whiteside County: 2 males 70s, 2 males 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male over 100
- Will County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
