IL: New Coronavirus Cases Remain Below 10K For Second Day

ILLINOIS — State health officials on Tuesday reported 9,469 new cases of the coronavirus and 125 more deaths from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus.

After nearly 22,000 new cases reported over the weekend, and another 8,322 on Monday, Tuesday marks the second day in nearly a week the state has reported less than 10,000 new cases of the virus and the fifth day in a row to see a drop in the test positivity rate. In addition, the Illinois Department of Public Health says all of the state's emergency management regions have seen declining positivity rates in recent days, though hospitalizations and daily deaths remain high. The statewide totals now stand at 674,089 infections, 11,677 confirmed deaths and 491 probable deaths.

The deaths reported Tuesday include:

• Bureau County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 90s
• Champaign County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 males 90s
• Coles County: 1 male 80s
• Cook County: 2 females 30s, 1 male 30s, 1 male 40s, 2 females 50s, 1 female 60s, 4 males 60s, 6 females 70s, 7 males 70s, 6 females 80s, 5 males 80s, 3 females 90s, 5 males 90s
• DeWitt County: 1 male 80s
• DuPage County: 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
• Effingham County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
• Grundy County: 1 male 60s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
• Hancock County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
• Henry County: 1 female 90s
• Iroquois County: 1 male 80s
• Jefferson County: 1 male 70s
• Kane County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
• Kendall County: 1 female 70s
• Lake County: 1 female 40s, 2 females 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
• LaSalle County: 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s, 1 female 100+
• Lee County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s
• Macon County: 1 female 90s
• Madison County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s
• Marion County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
• McHenry County: 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
• McLean County: 1 female 30s
• Mercer County: 1 male 90s
• Peoria County: 1 male 70s, 3 males 80s, 1 male 90s
• Pike County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
• Randolph County: 1 male 80s
• Sangamon County: 1 female 80s
• Stephenson County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
• Tazewell County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
• Vermilion County: 1 female 80s
• Warren County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
• Whiteside County: 1 female 80s
• Will County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
• Winnebago County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s

Hospitalizations fell slightly Tuesday after falling over the weekend for the first time in weeks and rebounding slightly on Monday. As of Monday night, 6,171 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 across Illinois — about 0.5 percent lower than the previous day — including 1,203 in intensive care and 668 on ventilators. Hospitalizations remain high in most regions of the state, officials said, and six regions have seen staffed ICU bed availability drop below a dangerous 20 percent threshold.

The statewide case positivity rate — a rolling, seven-day average — is now 10.4 percent, half a percentage point lower than on Monday.

(That's the number the state has reported since the start of the pandemic and is calculated by dividing total cases detected by total tests performed. Another way to calculate the positivity rate is to divide the number of positive tests by total tests performed. By that calculation, the test positivity rate is 12.4 percent.)

According to Johns Hopkins University, a positivity rate of less than 5 percent is a good measure of whether enough tests are being conducted, and state officials have said a rate higher than 8 percent will trigger new restrictions in a given region.

See how your region is doing here.

The entire state moved to Tier 3 mitigations on Friday, which meant the closing of casinos, theaters, indoor museums, performing arts centers and indoor amusement centers. Indoor service at bars and restaurants is now prohibited, and retail and grocery stores will operate at 25 percent capacity, with delivery or curbside pickup options encouraged.

"The simple fact is that COVID-19 is spreading so quickly and so widely, and our hospitals are beginning to experience real strain, and at the current infection rate, they will be overwhelmed," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said. "So whenever possible, we need you to stay home."

The United States now has more than 12.4 million confirmed coronavirus infections, and at least 258,665 Americans have died from COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. Based on the latest predictions by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 276,000 to 298,000 Americans could be dead from the disease by Dec. 12.

Globally, more than 59.5 million people have been infected and more than 1.4 million are known to have died.

Illinois Patch Local Business Information Center

As local and state economies slowly emerge from pandemic lockdowns, it's often hard for customers to know the conditions under which local businesses are open. The business center contains easily accessible and up-to-date information about scores of local businesses, including everything from operating hours to the availability of by-appointment services, quick website links and other contact information. It's free to use and free for businesses to join.

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

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Illinois Coronavirus Helpline:

Illinois 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 such as "UNEMPLOYMENT," "FOOD" or "SHELTER," to the same number to receive additional information about those topics.

Coronavirus by the numbers:

Illinois:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 674,089
• Confirmed Deaths: 11,677
• People tested: 9,990,304
• Recovered: Illinois does not provide exact numbers of recovered cases, but says the recovery rate is 97 percent.

Nationwide:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 12,481,115
• Deaths: 258,665
• People tested: 181,142,529
• Recovered: 4,633,600

Global:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 59,508,339
• Deaths: 1,403,513
• People tested: No data available
• Recovered: 38,070,672

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 800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.