BOURBONNAIS — Illinois has now seen 9,026 deaths as a result of contracting COVID-19. The Illinois Department of Public Health made the announcement Tuesday as the agency reported 2,851 new confirmed cases Tuesday, including 29 deaths.
“More than 9,000 Illinoisans — our mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, family, friends, and neighbors — have had their lives cut short by COVID-19, leaving tens of thousands more to grieve loved ones lost too soon,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement. “As we pause today to mourn these individual and collective losses, may we find strength in the tools we have to protect our communities: wearing a mask, watching our distance, and respecting public health and each other.”
Among the newly reported deaths Tuesday included 11 residents of Cook County ranging in ages 40 to 80 years old, and two residents of Will County ranging in ages 50-60 years of age.
Nearly 56,000 people had been tested Tuesday, with total positivity making up just over 5.0% of those tested. Tuesday rolling positivity rate is the single largest since September 2nd. Illinois’ rolling positivity rate of 4.5% has now been above 4% for the last four days. Prior to that, it had been below 4% for the past month.
“After 9 months of battling this virus and hearing the updates each day, many of us forget that the hospitalizations and deaths are more than just numbers,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “They are our family, friends, and loved ones who have been directly impacted by COVID-19, which continues to spread. You can help slow the spread and reduce the number of people who become sick with COVID-19 by wearing your mask, washing your hands, and watching your distance.”
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 324,743 cases, including 9,026 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from October 6 – October 12 is 4.5%. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 55,993 specimens for a total of 6,411,254. As of last night, 1,848 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 406 patients were in the ICU and 160 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
