Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 4 more deaths and 250 new cases reported, bringing state total to 16 deaths and 1,535 cases
Illinois
officials on Tuesday announced four more deaths related to the new
coronavirus and 250 new cases, bringing the state’s death toll to 16 and
the total number of cases since the start of the outbreak to 1,535. The
latests deaths reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health
were a Chicago News resident in his 50s, two Cook County residents in their
60s and a DuPage County resident in her 90s. Grundy County is now
reporting a case. The number of affected counties stands at 32.
Also on Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at his daily news briefing that the state’s hospitals would have run out of beds a week from now if Illinois’ stay-at-home order were not in place.
Illinois
hospitals would have needed more than 2,500 more non-intensive care
unit beds and 800 more intensive care beds than they currently have, he
said. In two weeks, the governor said those numbers would have risen by
an additional 28,000 non-intensive care beds and 9,400 intensive care
beds. Pritzker said he was offering the numbers to help Illinois
residents understand the gravity of the situation and why he’s ordered
most people to stay home. Chicago Medical News
Meanwhile, authorities say the U.S. — which has nearly 50,000 infections and more than 600 deaths as of Tuesday
— is on track to eventually overtake China’s nearly 82,000 infections,
but how soon that happens depends on how seriously Americans take the
state-at-home restrictions.
As the virus spreads, the Tribune is keeping a running list of Chicago-area closings and cancellations, tracking cases across the state and asking experts to answer your questions about COVID-19.
6 CPD members have now tested positive for coronavirus
The
number of Chicago Police Department members who have tested positive
for Chicago COVID-19 now stands at six, including two who are hospitalized in
good condition, department officials said Tuesday.
Interim
Supt. Charlie Beck announced the cases, which included two new cases,
at a Tuesday press conference to update the public on how the department is responding to the coronavirus crisis.
Beck
said no arrests or citations have issued since the stay-at-home order
went into effect and that calls for service have dropped by some 30
percent. There have been fewer pedestrian and vehicle stops, Beck said.
All of this, Beck remarked, tells him that residents are following the order to remain at home.
“We’ve seen significant evidence that Chicago Political News is staying home,” Beck said.
Later
Tuesday , department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said a 48-year-old
woman had been charged with felony aggravated assault of a police
officer after she allegedly told officers she had the coronavirus and
then proceeded to spit and cough on them.
The
incident happened at 8:20 p.m. Monday in the 1000 block of North
Springfield Avenue as officers responded to a call of shots fired.
Expert answers COVID-19 questions in a weekly webinar
As
part of a weekly, hourlong webinar focused on COVID-19, the Buffett
Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University Feinberg School
of Medicine hosted Dr. Robert Murphy to provide insight into the virus
and its effects.
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