Illinois COVID-19 cases close to record high, 68 more die

CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois health authorities reported 6,516 confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, marking the fourth-highest total reported on a single day in the state since the start of the pandemic.

The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported that 68 more people have died, bringing the statewide toll to 9,878.

The state has reported a total of 430,018 COVID-19 cases since March.

Illinois is already on track to be under stricter rules statewide starting Wednesday as one region after another saw surging case totals. The other peak one-day totals for confirmed cases have all come since Thursday.

Restrictions under the state's plan to try and control outbreaks include a ban on indoor bar and restaurant service, stopping food and drink orders at 11 p.m., and limiting crowds to 25 people or 25% of room capacity.

At a briefing in Chicago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker again called on local officials to enforce those restrictions, including at any events planned for Tuesday evening while election results are tallied.

Pritzker, a Democrat, said further spread of the virus will put too much pressure on Illinois hospitals and could mean healthcare providers don't have space to treat patients who need help.

"That is why people all across the state need to stand up and make sure that they're doing everything they can locally ... to enforce the rules here so that we don't end up with a terrible nightmare of a healthcare situation and people dying because they can't even get treated in their local hospital," Pritzker said.

But Pritzker said he was confident that local election authorities, with help from the state, were prepared for people who opted to vote in person Tuesday. The state's emergency management authority delivered hand sanitizer, masks and face shields to local election officials ahead of Tuesday's vote, he said.