Illinois announces 2,119 new virus cases, 80 more deaths

CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois has recorded 80 additional deaths from COVID-19, bringing the state's total for the disease caused by the coronavirus to 1,874, state health officials said Saturday.

The state also has 2,119 new cases, raising that number to 41,777 among residents ranging in age from younger than 1 to older than 100, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced.

Forty-six of the new deaths occurred in Cook County, the department said.

Department head Dr. Ngozi Ezike said that as of midnight Friday, 4,699 people in Illinois were hospitalized with COVID, including 1,244 in intensive care units, and, of those, 763 on ventilators.

Ezike also said she needed to address myths and rumors surrounding the outbreak and purported remedies.

Over the past two days a 'œsignificant number'ť of calls have come in to to the Illinois Poison Center associated with exposure to cleaning agents, Ezike said during a state news briefing.

'œInjecting, ingesting, snorting household cleaners is dangerous. It is not advised and can be deadly," she said.