Illinois Coronavirus Update May 7: 70,873 Cases, 3,111 Deaths

ILLINOIS — State health officials on Thursday reported 2,641 new cases of the coronavirus and 138 additional deaths, bringing the statewide total to 70,873 confirmed cases and 3,111 deaths.

Ninety-seven of 102 Illinois counties now report cases of the virus. The latest deaths include:

• Clinton County: 1 male 70s
• Cook County: 1 female 30s, 1 male 30s, 2 males 40s, 2 females 50s, 5 males 50s, 1 unknown 50s, 6 females 60s, 12 males 60s, 1 unknown 60s, 9 females 70s, 19 males 70s, 10 females 80s, 14 males 80s, 17 females 90s, 6 males 90s, 1 female 100+
• DuPage County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s, 2 males 70s, 4 females 90s
• Jackson County: 1 male 60s
• Kane County: 2 females 80s, 1 female 90s
• Kankakee County: 1 female 80s- Lake County: 2 males 60s, 1 female 80s
• Macon County: 1 female 70s
• McHenry County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
• Peoria County: 1 female 90s
• Rock Island County: 1 male 70s
• Sangamon County: 1 female 80s
• St. Clair County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
• Will County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 2 female 90s, 1 male 90s
• Winnebago County: 1 female 80s

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday that the virus is hitting the state's Latino communities especially hard. Latinos account for about 40 percent of all new cases in the last week, according to Marina Del Rios, research and medical director at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The governor announced an equity task force to address the issue.

On Tuesday, Pritzker unveiled "Restore Illinois," his 5-phase plan to reopen the state. "Science and data are our overarching guardrails for how we move forward," the governor said.

"Here's the truth, and I don't like it any more than you do," Pritzker continued. "Until we have a vaccine, or an effective treatment ... the option of returning to normalcy doesn't exist. We have to figure out how to live with COVID-19 until it can be vanquished."

The Illinois Department of Employment Security said Thursday that it had processed 74,476 unemployment claims for the week ending May 2 and more than 1 million in total since the pandemic began in March.

Within the past 24 hours, labs in Illinois have completed 17,783 coronavirus tests, officials said. The state now routinely meets its original goal of 10,000 tests per day, and so far 379,043 people have been tested for the virus statewide.

But according to a Harvard study published last week, Illinois needs to conduct about 19,000 tests per day to accurately gauge the number of infections in the state, and health experts say federal and state governments' failure to test enough people is the biggest barrier to safely reopening the country.

The United States now has more than 1.2 million confirmed coronavirus infections, according to Johns Hopkins University, and more than 74,844 Americans have died from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus.

Globally, more than 3.8 million people have been infected with the new coronavirus and more than 267,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Officials say a state helpline has been set up to provide emotional support and quick answers to questions about the coronavirus pandemic. Illinoisans can test "TALK" to 55-2020 (or "HABLAR" for Spanish), and within 24 hours they will receive a call from a counselor. Residents can also text keywords like "UNEMPLOYMENT," "FOOD," or "SHELTER," to the same number to receive additional information about those topics.

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

Coronavirus Deaths Top 3,000: Watch Gov. Address Live

An additional 138 people have died from the virus in Illinois in the past 24 hours, state health officials said.

Pritzker Highlights Coronavirus' Toll On IL Latino Community

Latinos are "testing positive for COVID-19 at the highest rate of any demographic group in Illinois," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said

Reopening Illinois: 6 Things To Know

The earliest the next phase of reopening could start is May 29 — but it's complicated. Here's what you need to know.

Pritzker Brags As Coronavirus Testing In Minority Enclaves Lags

KONKOL COLUMN: Pritzker's claim he stepped up testing among Latinos doesn't match data, testing site map. What are you going to do gov?

51 Confirmed, Suspected Cases Of Coronavirus At Silver Cross

The hospital has 36 inpatients who have tested positive for the coronavirus and 15 persons under investigation as of Thursday morning.

Workers At 64 Nursing Homes Reject Offer, Remain Set To Strike

Nursing home owners say SEIU Healthcare negotiators turned down an offer for a raise and hazard pay ahead of a strike planned for Friday.

Illinois Has 4th Most Coronavirus Restrictions: Study

Here's how strict Illinois has been with its stay-at-home order, according to WalletHub.

5-Year-Old Albie Gill Launches 'Keep Away Corona' Podcast

Albie's podcast is called "Keep Away Corona," and it's even got the attention of the Obama Foundation.

Why No Arrests For Parties That Violated Stay-At-Home Order?

There were also no tickets or arrests for those parties, at least not on Saturday night.

What Rights Do Workers Have If They Don't Feel Safe Returning?

CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported Monday night on what employees can expect.

Young Mother Dies Of Coronavirus; 'Everybody Loved Her'

Nyla's little son already knows his numbers, his colors, knows about dinosaurs, all taught all that by his mother, the family said.

Coronavirus by the numbers:

Illinois:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 70,873
• Deaths: 3,111
• People tested: 379,043
• Recovered: No data available

Nationwide:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 1,245,622
• Deaths: 74,844
• People tested: 7,759,771
• Recovered: 189,910

Global:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 3,813,123
• Deaths: 267,469
• People tested: No data available
• Recovered: 1,266,047

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.