Illinois Coronavirus Update April 16: 25,733 Cases; 1,072 Deaths

ACROSS ILLINOIS — Illinois surpassed 1,000 deaths from the new coronavirus on Thursday. In an afternoon update, state health officials said 1,140 more people had tested positive for the virus, and 125 more had died.

As of 2:30 p.m. Thursday, the state's coronavirus case count stood at 25,733, with 1,072 deaths attributable to COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Nationally, more than 648,788 Americans have caught the virus, and 30,920 have died as of Thursday afternoon.

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The most recent deaths include:

• Bond County: 1 male 70s
• Champaign County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
• Christian County: 1 male 70s
• Cook County: 1 male 30s, 2 females 40s, 1 male 40s, 3 females 50s, 6 males 50s, 5 females 60s, 8 males 60s, 1 unknown 60s, 8 females 70s, 18 males 70s, 10 females 80s, 17 males 80s, 6 females 90s, 5 males 90s, 1 male 100+
• DuPage County: 1 female 80s, 2 males 90s
• Kane County: 1 female 70s
• Lake County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 2 females 80s, 3 females 90s, 2 males 90s
• Madison County: 1 female 70s
• McHenry County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s
• McLean County: 1 female 80s
• Monroe County: 1 female 80s
• St. Clair County: 1 male 60s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 90s
• Will County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s

The state is working to increase its testing capacity but has thus far failed to meet its 10,000-test-a-day goal. The lack of testing is even more pronounced in the state's African American communities. So far, 122,589 people have been tested for the virus in Illinois, just 5,660 more than the previous day. On Wednesday, the state tested 6,300 people.

Meanwhile, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the state may face a $7.4 billion budget deficit due to the "massive economic disruption" caused by the pandemic.

"We will need to make extraordinarily difficult decisions on top of the difficult decisions we've already made, but together with the state legislature we will make them," the governor added.

With a record number of unemployment claims, many Illinoisans are counting on a stimulus payment from the federal government to weather those "difficult decisions." Some payments have already showed up in bank accounts, but others have been sent to the wrong bank account or otherwise gone missing. You can try to check your payment status online here.

Ninety of 102 Illinois counties now report coronavirus cases. Alexander County reported its first case on Wednesday.

More than 3.2 million Americans have been tested for the coronavirus since the outbreak began, and 104,039 have been hospitalized due to the virus. More than 52,000 patients in the U.S. have recovered.

Globally, more than 2.1 million people have been infected and at least 140,371 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than half a million people worldwide have recovered from the coronavirus.

Here's what's happening with coronavirus in Illinois:

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Coronavirus: 'We Are Bending The Curve,' Pritzker Says

But "this curve may not flatten, and it may go up again if we don't adhere to the stay-at-home order," the Illinois governor said.

Pritzker: 513,000 Unemployment Claims In March Alone

Families are hurting "at a scale many of us haven't seen in our lifetimes," the governor said.

'It's OK To Feel': Pritzker Announces Coronavirus Support Lines

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2 Smith Village Residents Die Of Coronavirus; 11 Test Positive

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Period To Claim Illinois Lottery Prizes Extended During Pandemic

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Coronavirus by the numbers:

Illinois:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 24,593
• Deaths: 948
• People tested: 116,929
• Hospitalized: No data available
• Recovered: No data available

Nationwide:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 648,788
• Deaths: 30,920
• People tested: 3,262,921
• Hospitalized: 104,039
• Recovered: 53,489

Global:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 2,113,226
• Deaths: 140,371
• People tested: No data available
• Hospitalized: No data available
• Recovered: 537,475

Sources: Johns Hopkins University and IDPH

Tips from the CDC on dealing with coronavirus:

While the best way to prevent illness is to avoid virus exposure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention generally recommends taking these actions to prevent the spread of viruses:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.

What to do if you're sick:

Call head if you're planning to visit your doctor:

• If you have a medical appointment, call the health care provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the health care provider's office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.

Stay home unless you must see a doctor:

• Stay home: People who are mildly ill with COVID-19 are able to isolate at home during their illness. You should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care.
• Avoid public areas: Do not go to work, school, or public areas.
• Avoid public transportation: Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing or taxis.

Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home:

• Stay away from others: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.
• Limit contact with pets and animals: You should restrict contact with pets and other animals while you are sick with COVID-19, just as you would around other people. Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus.
• When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick. If you are sick with COVID-19, avoid contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked and sharing food. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with pets and wear a face mask. See COVID-19 and Animals for more information.

Avoid sharing personal household items:

• Do not share: You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home.
• Wash thoroughly after use: After using these items, they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.

Masks:

• CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.
  CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.
• Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
• The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.
• Face mask instructions - sew- and no-sew masks

To donate personal protective equipment (PPE), email PPE.donations@illinois.gov. For health questions about COVID-19, call the state coronavirus hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.