20-29 now largest COVID-19 age group; Pritzker 'will not hesitate' to tighten restrictions
Cases of COVID-19 in Illinois grew by 707 Tuesday and deaths increased by 25, as Gov. J.B. Pritzker urged 20-somethings to be cautious while socializing and warned he'll pull the plug on indoor dining at bars and restaurants if a surge occurs.
With more than 2 million tests conducted, the state's COVID-19 infection rate stands at a seven-day average of 3% returning positive results, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported. The daily positivity rate based on 28,446 new tests is 2.5%.
Illinois has had 155,506 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 7,218 people have died from the disease since the pandemic began.
Currently, individuals between 20 and 29 constitute the largest age group contracting COVID-19, with 26,945 cases, or 17% of Illinois' total.
And, recent data shows indoor bars and restaurants that don't follow precautions can be a breeding ground for "significant transmission" of COVID-19, Pritzker said.
Illinoisans in their 20s who flout social distancing and face mask requirements might think "they're invincible and they can't possibly catch (the virus). That's not the point. You can carry the virus, you can spread it to other people and may not ever feel the conditions that come with the virus," Pritzker said.
Two men in their 20s were among 12 deaths Tuesday in Cook County.
Pritzker said he will not hesitate to roll back authorization for indoor gatherings at bars and restaurants, for example, if public health metrics such as positivity rates or hospitalizations regress.
On June 26, Illinois eased numerous stay-at-home restrictions - allowing people to congregate in groups of up to 50, dine inside restaurants, and go to bars and movie theaters - as the state reached Phase 4 of a five-phase reopening plan.
"We are watching these numbers very, very closely," Pritzker said Tuesday while announcing $4.7 million in funds for the Illinois Apprenticeship Program.
COVID-19 hospitalizations for the state stood at 1,416 as of Monday, slightly lower than the 14-day average of 1,424.
Meanwhile, the average daily case increase in Phase 4 is 845, or 1.3% higher than the 834 daily cases in the previous third phase of reopening.
"We've been very measured about how we reopened the state," Pritzker said. "There are many people who complain that where we are now is not open enough. I will not hesitate to reimpose some mitigations if we see our numbers moving upward."
Downtown Arlington Heights opened streets for alfresco dining in June and "the outdoor seating has really saved us all," said Derek Hanley, owner of the popular Peggy Kinnane's Irish Restaurant & Pub. So far, "people are being really respectful" of rules.
Indoors, it's not as busy with tables spaced apart and signs at the bar warning parties to keep their distance.
"Personally, it's up to us as individual owners to monitor the social distancing," Hanley said. "I know that's not going on at every pub and restaurant. It's going to be devastating if they shut us down again."
The state on Tuesday also announced 1,132 probable cases of the virus and 201 probable deaths.