Health & Fitness

68 Deaths, 29 Active COVID-19 Cases: Evanston Coronavirus Update

Compared to nearby communities, Evanston has lower infection rate but a higher fatality rate.

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The city held its first community COVID-19 testing event June 22 in James Park, with a second even planned for Monday.
The city held its first community COVID-19 testing event June 22 in James Park, with a second even planned for Monday. (City of Evanston)

EVANSTON, IL — As Illinois enters the next phase of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's "Restore Illinois" coronavirus reopening plan, there are fewer than 30 Evanston residents with active cases of the coronavirus, according to public health officials. As of Friday afternoon, the deaths of 68 residents have been linked to COVID-19, the infectious respiratory disease caused by the virus.

Another 682 Evanstonians have recovered, according to the city's health and human services department, which classifies anyone who has tested positive for the virus and is not hospitalized or in isolation as recovery. And the rate of new cases of the coronavirus has slowed in June, according to the city's health department. Fewer than 10 new infections have been reported every day since May 29.

Hospital admission rates are also headed downward. According to city staff, there are fewer people hospitalized at Evanston Hospital, St. Francis Hospital and Glenbrook Hospital than at any point in the nearly three months the city has been tracking the data. Nearly half the beds in the intensive care units in local hospitals are now available.

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Find more Evanston coronavirus data on the city's coronavirus case dashboard. (City of Evanston)

Mayor Steve Hagerty noted Evanston has a significantly higher coronavirus fatality rate than any of its neighbors, with nearly 9 percent of people who test positive having died — compared to less than 4 percent in both Wilmette and Skokie.

The mayor attributed the discrepancy to the relatively high number of nursing homes located in Evanston. The infection rate of 102 cases per 10,000 residents remains lower than that of either Chicago or any other north suburban Cook County municipality.

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On Monday, Evanston is hosting a second COVID-19 community health screening and testing event at James Park. A week earlier, 75 people were tested at the first such event.

Evanston's Health and Human Services Department partnered with St. Francis Hospital management to offer a pair of COVID-19 testing to Evanston residents who might not otherwise have access to screening or telemedicine.(City of Evanston)

And then on Tuesday, Hagerty and city staff are set to hold a coronavirus question and answer session to be broadcast live at noon on public access television and social media.

Community members can submit questions in advance via an online form or view past videos.

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