Cook County Reaches 12,000 COVID-19 Dead In Latest Grim Milestone

CHICAGO — The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office announced that the county this week surpassed 12,000 deaths due to COVID-19 infections in just over 20 months since its first fatality from the virus was confirmed.

More than half of the county's deaths, 52 percent, have been in the suburbs. Nearly 80 percent of those who have died from the virus have been aged 60 or older. And men accounted for 59 percent of the deaths, according to the medical examiner's office.

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According to the medical examiner's office, 43 percent of Cook County COVID-19 deaths have been white people, who make up 42 percent of the population in census data; 29 percent have been Black people, who are 24 percent of the population; 21 percent have been Latino, 26 percent of the population; and 4 percent have been Asian, who compose 8 percent of the population.

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Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle urged everyone to get vaccinated. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, nearly 60 percent of Chicago residents and more than 63 percent of suburban Cook County residents are fully vaccinated.

“The holidays are upon us which means many of us are spending time with family and friends," Preckwinkle said in a statement. "This pandemic has claimed thousands of lives in Cook County alone. Protect yourself and your loved ones by choosing to get vaccinated.”

Coronavirus vaccines are now available free to everyone aged 5 and over. Studies show they prevent 99 percent of deaths and 94 percent of hospitalizations.

Adults who have received two doses of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine are eligible for booster doses six months after their second shot, or two months after taking the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Booster shots need not be the same brand of vaccine as the initial dose.

More information about vaccines and where to obtain on is available online from the Cook County Department of Public Health.

Cook County marked its 10,000th death in late March, just as public health officials expanded eligibility of COVID-19 vaccines to essential workers in the Chicago suburbs.

The county's 12,000th death comes as the discovery of a new variant emerging in southern Africa has triggered European travel bans and economic volatility.