COVID Deaths Fall In Illinois As Vaccine Rollout Continues

ILLINOIS — Sixteen deaths were reported from COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, across the state on Tuesday. On Monday, the state saw 5 deaths, the lowest number since July.

The latest deaths include:

• Champaign County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
• Cook County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
• Kane County: 1 female 30s
• Lake County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s
• LaSalle County: 1 female 80s
• Madison County: 1 male 60s
• McHenry County: 1 male 80s
• Monroe County: 1 male 90s
• Rock Island County: 1 female 90s
• Winnebago County: 1 male 60s

Altogether, 20,781 Illinoisans have died from the virus since the first death was reported in the state nearly a year ago.

Illinois crossed the grim milestone of 10,000 deaths on Nov. 5, nearly 8 months into the pandemic. The next month, the state reported a record 238 deaths in a single day, and the next 10,000 deaths took just three months. Illinois crossed that threshold in February.

Though case numbers are declining — the state's test positivity rate has dropped to 2.7 percent — new cases remain too high, officials say, and they caution residents to keep wearing masks and distancing from their neighbors until more Illinoisans can get a vaccine.

The state reported another 1,510 new cases on Tuesday.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance saying it's OK for fully vaccinated individuals to gather maskless with others who are fully vaccinated.

While even fully vaccinated folks should keep wearing masks in public to protect those who haven't yet gotten their shots, the pace of vaccination is increasing across the state, and it won't be long until things are back to a degree of normality, officials say.

As of Tuesday, Illinois had received 4.18 million doses of the vaccine, plus another 414,900 as part of a federal pharmacy partnership. In total, 3.46 million doses have been administered at a pace of about 92,000 per day over the last week.

But officials say many people could still die if mitigations grow lax. As of Monday night, 1,177 Illinoisans were still in the hospital with COVID-19, including 263 in intensive care and 132 on ventilators.