Illinois Sees Steep Drop In Deaths As Coronavirus Cases Top 30K

ACROSS ILLINOIS — After two days of record high death counts, the state got a bit of a break on Sunday. Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi O. Ezike announced Sunday 33 more people have died because of the new coronavirus in the past 24 hours.

That is a steep drop compared to the two days prior when 125 new deaths were reported on both Saturday and Friday. So far, 1,290 residents across the state have died from the virus.

In addition, there were 1,197 new cases reported on Sunday, tipping the total of those infected with the virus in Illinois over 30,000.

During Sunday's daily press briefing, Ezike also shared information on the most recent statistics regarding those who have recovered. She said of the patients who'd had the virus for at least 28 days, 69 percent had recovered.

"Most people do very, very well. Most people recover after several weeks," Ezike said Sunday. "But we do have to have a special eye on those who will have a harder course."

Those, she reminded those tuning in Sunday, are people over the age of 60 or who have other specific medical conditions including COPD, hypertension, heart disease, obesity, cancer patients, and pregnant women or those who've recently been pregnant.

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Ezike also took time Sunday to urge parents to take time to talk to their children about guidelines set in place to help slow the spread of the virus. That includes discussing the importance of social distancing, cleaning surfaces, wearing masks and letting them know they should be comfortable in sharing their emotions.

"As a mother and pediatrician, we recommend that parents and guardians strive to help them feel they are understood," Ezike said on Sunday, adding that parents should be informing and therefore empowering their children as a way to "keep them safe."

The suggestions from the state's top health official comes hours after news broke that a District 214 student had died -- likely from complications associated with the virus. Another student within the school district was in the ICU fighting the sickness.

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While pediatric deaths, which includes deaths of those from birth up through 17 years old, from the virus are still low, health officials are seeing more severe illness among "older pediatric patients" compared to younger patients since their physiology is more akin to adults.

Gov. JB Pritzker also reiterated guidance he's provided in recent weeks regarding masks: residents should be wearing the protective covers over their faces when out in public, including at grocery stores and while out on trails. As the weather gets nicer, more people will be wanting to congregate outside, which means it's even more important to wear masks, he said.

He also offered some advice on what to do with supplies brought home from stores, urging residents to wipe down all grocery items before putting it away and disposing of plastic bags immediately.

And while we still need to be "all in," Prtizker said, he shared positive news, including work by University of Chicago physicians who are helping to test remdesivir. Remdesivir is an antiviral drug that is so far showing positive results in treating patients with COVID-19, according to CNN.

"I think people should feel more confident today then they did a couple weeks ago," Pritzker said.