Aurora Coronavirus Cases Triple In 3 Weeks; 56 Deaths

AURORA, IL — More than 1,600 Aurora residents have tested positive for the coronavirus since the start of May, a 204 percent increase in the city’s total number of cases, according to public health data. The city’s coronavirus dashboard shows 2,409 residents have tested positive since the outbreak began in March.

Aurora accounted for 47 percent of all new cases in Kane County over the past week, with 449 since May 13, the data shows. Of the 2,183 residents of the Kane County portion of Aurora who tested positive, as of Monday, 45 percent are under the age of 40. More than 200 Aurora residents in DuPage County have also tested positive.

Kane County Coronavirus Cases Jump Nearly 50 Percent In 1 Week

The city saw its three largest spikes at the beginning of last week, when more than 450 residents tested positive. Statistics from the Illinois Department of Public Health show 244 new cases were confirmed May 11, more than twice as many as were confirmed May 12, the city’s second-worst day in terms of new cases.

May 11 was also the city’s deadliest day, with nine deaths reported, the data shows. Coroner Rob Russell on Monday announced 153 people have died in Kane County due to the coronavirus, including 56 Aurora residents. Seventy-five percent of the city’s deaths have come since the start of May, the data shows.

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The number of confirmed cases continues to rise as testing capacity expands, with at least four testing sites now operating within Aurora.

The state of Illinois launched a drive-thru coronavirus testing site at the Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora, which can collect up to 600 samples daily, and VNA Health Care is offering free testing by appointment at its location on Highland Avenue. Residents can also access tests at the AMITA Health Mercy Medical Center, 1325 N. Highland Ave., and Physicians Immediate Care, 2853 Kirk Road, according to the Illinois Department of Health.

Kane Co. Board Rejects Effort To Withhold Coronavirus Death Data

People who test positive for the coronavirus are categorized by their residence, so the city's total case count does not include everyone who tested positive at an Aurora testing site, city officials have said.

*Editor's Note: These graphs show data for residents in the Kane County portion of Aurora. This data does not include information on Aurora residents in DuPage, Kendall or Will counties.