COVID-19 death toll climbs by 105 in Illinois

CHICAGO (AP) - Officials announced Saturday that Illinois saw another 105 deaths in one day from the coronavirus pandemic, bringing the state's total to 2,559.

At a news conference with Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said 2,450 more people have tested positive for COVID-19, putting the state's total at 58,505.

But after Ezike said the state had received more than 15,000 coronavirus test results on Friday and that the total number of people tested in the state stands about about 300,000, Pritzker suggested those numbers are cause for cautious optimism.

'œIt is really a function of doing more testing,'ť Pritzker said of the increase of cases, pointing out that the infection rate has dropped a bit.

The news conference also came a day after protests against the governor's restrictions in downtown Chicago and at the Capitol in Springfield. Pritzker said he was troubled that some protesters in Springfield carried signs with Nazi imagery, including swastikas.

'œThe meaning of that swastika is unknown to people or if it is known, it was a demonstration of hate among us,'ť the governor said. But, he added the number of people who have expressed similar views is a tiny fraction of the 'œmillions of people in this state who are helping each other.'ť

As he has done several times, Pritzker said he wants the restrictions removed as quickly as anyone else, but not until it is safe to do so.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.