IL Sees Record COVID Cases, Hospitalizations For 3rd Day In A Row

ILLINOIS — Twelve-thousand seven-hundred and two: yet another new record for daily coronavirus cases, and the third consecutive day the state has reported more than 12,000 new infections. That record was first broken Saturday, then again on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Forty-three more Illinoisans are dead from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, officials said Thursday. More than half a million Illinoisans have now caught the virus, more than 10,000 have died, and hospitalizations have rocketed past 5,200.

The latest deaths include:

• Adams County: 1 male 80s
• Brown County: 1 male 90s
• Bureau County: 1 male 90s
• Clinton County: 1 male 50s, 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
• Cook County: 1 female 50s, 2 males 50s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
• DeKalb County: 1 male 50s
• DuPage County: 1 male 70s, 2 males 80s
• Edwards County: 1 male 70s
• Fulton County: 1 male 70s
• Knox County: 1 male 80s
• Lake County: 1 male 70s, 2 females 80s
• LaSalle County: 1 male 80s
• Macon County: 1 male 80s
• Montgomery County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s
• Morgan County: 1 male 50s
• Peoria County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
• St. Clair County: 1 male 80s
• Tazewell County: 1 male 80s
• Vermilion County: 1 female 90s
• Wayne County: 1 male 80s
• Whiteside County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
• Will County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s

State health officials on Wednesday asked residents to "stay at home as much as possible" over the next three weeks, but stopped short of issuing any orders to that effect.

"The virus is winning the war right now. The situation has worsened considerably in some areas of the state," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said earlier this week, announcing new restrictions on Regions 5, 7 and 8 — region 9 may follow as soon as this weekend.

The statewide totals stand at 536,542 infections, 10,477 confirmed deaths and 318 probable deaths. Hospitalizations have jumped 4.3 percent from Wednesday. As of Wednesday night, 5,258 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 across Illinois, including 956 in intensive care and 438 on ventilators.

In his briefing on Tuesday, the governor said the majority of the state's regions are seeing more hospitalizations than they did last spring. Only 4 regions — 8, 9, 10 and 11 — have yet to surpass their previous records.

The statewide case positivity rate — a rolling, seven-day average — is now 12.6 percent, 0.2 percentage points higher than the previous day. (That's the number the state has reported since the start of the pandemic and is calculated by dividing total cases detected by total tests performed. Another way to calculate the positivity rate is to divide the number of positive tests by total tests performed. By that calculation, the test positivity rate is 13.9 percent.)

"Case positivity and test positivity rate are both relevant and offer insight into the bigger COVID-19 picture, according to state health officials. "Case positivity helps us understand whether changes in the number of confirmed cases is due to more testing or due to more infections. Whereas, test positivity accounts for repeated testing and helps us understand how the virus is spreading in the population over time."

According to Johns Hopkins University, a positivity rate of less than 5 percent is a good measure of whether enough tests are being conducted, and state officials have said a rate higher than 8 percent will trigger new restrictions in a given region.

See how your region is doing here.

The United States now has more than 10.4 million confirmed coronavirus infections, and at least 242,248 Americans have died from COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. Based on the latest predictions by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 250,000 to 266,000 Americans could be dead from the disease by Nov. 28.

Globally, more than 53 million people have been infected and more than 1.2 million are known to have died.

Illinois Patch Local Business Information Center

As local and state economies slowly emerge from pandemic lockdowns, it's often hard for customers to know the conditions under which local businesses are open. The business center contains easily accessible and up-to-date information about scores of local businesses, including everything from operating hours to the availability of by-appointment services, quick website links and other contact information. It's free to use and free for businesses to join.

Here's what's happening with the coronavirus in Illinois:

Pritzker: Stay-At-Home Order 'Seems Like Where We Are Headed'

"More people will die because you've failed to do your job," Pritzker told elected officials who aren't enforcing coronavirus restrictions.

Chicago Announces Coronavirus "Stay At Home" Advisory For 30 Days

Mayor Lori Lightfoot says Chicagoans shouldn't invite guests into their homes and must cancel Thanksgiving plans as coronavirus cases spike.

Trump Megadonors Contract Coronavirus, Joining Fellow Billionaire

"I thought we'd never get it," Liz Uihlein, an outspoken critic of COVID-19 restrictions, told Uline employees Wednesday.

'Superspreader' Sites Drive Spread Of Coronavirus, Model Finds

Shoppers at grocery stores in poorer neighborhoods face twice the risk of those in richer ones, Northwestern and Stanford researchers found.

Region 9 Hits 14.5% Positivity Rate; Hospitalizations Spike

Lake and McHenry counties saw a huge jump in people testing positivity for COVID-19 in recent days.

IL Hospitalizations Surpasses Spring Peaks In Several Regions

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the majority of the state's regions are seeing higher rates of hospitalizations than they did last spring.

Region 9 On Track To Hit Tier 2 Restrictions Saturday

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-like illnesses also continues to rise.

Regions 5, 7 And 8 To See Stricter Mitigations Starting Wednesday

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said during a Monday news conference that coronavirus positivity in these regions has kept going up after crossing 8%.

Deerfield Community Rallies Around Mailman With Coronavirus

A GoFundMe has been set up for the local man, who is in critical condition and has been sick since Oct. 2.

Kane Co. Nonprofits To Share About $3M In Coronavirus Relief

The Kane County Board on Tuesday allocated an additional $1.05 million in federal funding to support nonprofits amid the pandemic.

Drive-Thru Holiday Light Show Free For First Responders Saturday

'Let It Shine' launches this weekend at Northbrook Court.

FoxFire Loses Restraining Order Against Indoor Dining Ban

"Simply put, (FoxFire) has neither pled nor presented evidence that the cure is worse than the disease," an Illinois appellate court said.

Death Threat, Racial Slurs Disrupt Online Class In Batavia D101

That threat prompted District 101 officials to call police, unlike in other incidents they've dealt with during remote learning.

Indefinite Delay In D202 Students' Return To In-Person Learning

The district has also decided to not allow students to participate in basketball, although IHSA said schools could do so starting Nov. 16.

Illinois Coronavirus Helpline:

Illinois officials say a state helpline has been set up to provide emotional support and quick answers to questions about the coronavirus pandemic. Illinoisans can test "TALK" to 55-2020 (or "HABLAR" for Spanish), and within 24 hours they will receive a call from a counselor. Residents can also text keywords such as "UNEMPLOYMENT," "FOOD" or "SHELTER," to the same number to receive additional information about those topics.

Coronavirus by the numbers:

Illinois:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 536,542
• Confirmed Deaths: 10,477
• People tested: 8,765,100
• Recovered: Illinois does not provide exact numbers of recovered cases, but says the recovery rate is 97 percent.

Nationwide:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 10,457,240
• Deaths: 242,248
• People tested: 156,618,421
• Recovered: 3,997,175

Global:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 53,001,867
• Deaths: 1,289,231
• People tested: No data available
• Recovered: 33,972,417

Sources: Johns Hopkins University and IDPH

Tips from the CDC on dealing with coronavirus:

While the best way to prevent illness is to avoid virus exposure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention generally recommends taking these actions to prevent the spread of viruses:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.

What to do if you're sick:

Call head if you're planning to visit your doctor:

• If you have a medical appointment, call the health care provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the health care provider's office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.

Stay home unless you must see a doctor:

• Stay home: People who are mildly ill with COVID-19 are able to isolate at home during their illness. You should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care.
• Avoid public areas: Do not go to work, school, or public areas.
• Avoid public transportation: Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing or taxis.

Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home:

• Stay away from others: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.
• Limit contact with pets and animals: You should restrict contact with pets and other animals while you are sick with COVID-19, just as you would around other people. Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus.
• When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick. If you are sick with COVID-19, avoid contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked and sharing food. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with pets and wear a face mask. See COVID-19 and Animals for more information.

Avoid sharing personal household items:

• Do not share: You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home.
• Wash thoroughly after use: After using these items, they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.

Masks:

• CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.
• Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
• The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.
• Face mask instructions — sew- and no-sew masks

To donate personal protective equipment (PPE), email PPE.donations@illinois.gov. For health questions about COVID-19, call the state coronavirus hotline at 800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.