State reports 1,709 new COVID-19 cases, 13 more deaths as Chicago eases rules
There were 1,709 new COVID-19 cases and 13 additional deaths from the virus, officials said Monday, as Chicago eased restrictions for businesses and the northwestern Illinois region inched closer to triggering state action to reduce a surge.
Statewide, total infections rose to 289,639 with 8,614 deaths since the pandemic began in Illinois.
The average number of new infections a day has been 1,909 over the past seven days, higher than the 1,856 average over the previous week, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
At the start of a week with cooler weather forecast, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the city's infection rate and caseloads have dipped enough to allow bars that don't serve food to offer indoor service and to stay open until 1 a.m.
That later closing time also applies to restaurants, and expanded capacity has been granted for businesses such as fitness centers.
“The sacrifices made by our businesses, workers and residents have saved countless lives,” Lightfoot said in a statement.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady urged residents to continue wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands, “or we risk falling back and experiencing another rise in cases.”
In mid-July, as COVID-19 infections grew, the city banned indoor service at bars that don't have food licenses and reduced fitness class sizes to 10 people, among other measures. That's stricter than state guidelines that allow gatherings of up to 50 people, for example.
In Chicago, 4.5% of tests are showing positive results, while Illinois' test positivity rate for the virus is 3.7%, based on a seven-day average.
Labs reported 41,142 tests in the last 24 hours for a total of 5.52 million statewide.
But northwestern Illinois hit an 8% COVID-19 positivity rate last week, health officials reported Monday.
Three days of 8% or higher could trigger restrictions, such as prohibiting indoor dining.
The region is home to Rockford, Galena and Northern Illinois University and includes Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago counties.
IDPH county data also showed: Suburban Cook County's average test positivity rate was 5.1% as of Friday; Lake and McHenry's was 5%; DuPage and Kane's was 5.4%; and Will and Kankakee's was 5.4%.
As of Sunday night, 1,491 people were in the hospital, compared to the seven-day average of 1,563.
Among the 13 people who died were seven Cook County residents: one man in his 30s, a woman and a man in their 50s, a man in his 60s, a man in his 70s, and two men in their 80s.
The other six deaths were outside the Chicago area.
Typically, COVID-19 reports of cases and fatalities are lower on Mondays because not all sources, such as county coroners' offices, report data over the weekend.