State announces 81 new deaths, 1,293 more COVID-19 cases and start of support hotline
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Saturday announced the start of a mental health support hotline as state officials reported 81 more people died from COVID-19 and another 1,293 are infected with the disease.
The number of Illinois residents who have died from the new coronavirus now stands at 677, while the number of those infected from the respiratory disease in the state has climbed to 19,180. The majority of confirmed cases are in Chicago and the six-county suburban region, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Pritzker sounded a cautious note of optimism during the Saturday afternoon briefing that included Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike and others.
"So, I will tell you a few things to watch in the numbers and we'll be talking about the hospitalization numbers and the ICU numbers again as we have each week in the next few days," he said. "But what we're seeing is a flattening of the curve. And what that means is a lower rise in hospitalizations than was originally anticipated. That's a really good sign.
"Hospitalizations, ICU bed use and ventilators are the most real way you can track the way that the virus is moving, and what effect it's having on our communities and whether it's increasing exponentially, arithmetically or otherwise, and what we're seeing is a flattening of that curve."
Acknowledging that lives have been turned upside down, Pritzker said a free hotline called Call4Calm has been launched for Illinois residents experiencing stress or other mental health problems related to COVID-19. Those who want to speak to a mental health professional must text "talk" to 552020, or "hablar" for Spanish on the same number.
Officials said those who seek help will remain anonymous and receive a call within 24 hours from a counselor employed by a local community mental health center to provide support. Those who use the service also may use key words such as "unemployment" or "food" for information on available support and services.
"This isn't a crisis hotline, but a source of support," Pritzker said.
Another statewide initiative still being finalized for northern Illinois is a remote patient monitoring program featuring telehealth services and pandemic health workers. The state has contracted with two providers for areas downstate, with a partnership for the northern area expected this week.
In part, the pandemic health workers will handle daily virtual visits with patients, deliver wellness kits and follow up to ensure further assistance isn't needed after 14 days in an effort to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases. Thermometers, pulse oximeters, blood pressure cuffs and alcohol wipes will be included in the kits.