12,623 Coronavirus Cases Reported Tuesday: New Illinois Record

ILLINOIS — As the coronavirus surges across the state, Illinois on Tuesday topped the record it set on Saturday, reporting 12,623 new infections. More than half a million Illinoisans have now caught the virus, and another 79 are dead from COVID-19, as hospitalizations skyrocket.

The statewide totals stand at 511,183 infections, 10,289 confirmed deaths and 318 probable deaths.

The latest deaths include:

• Adams County: 1 male 70s
• Bureau County: 1 male 70s
• Cass County: 1 male 70s
• Champaign County: 1 female 70s, 2 males 80s, 1 male 90s
• Clinton County: 1 female 90s
• Coles County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
• Cook County: 1 female 40s, 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s, 2 females 70s, 3 males 70s, 4 females 80s, 3 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 2 males 90s
• DeWitt County: 1 female 90s
• DuPage County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
• Effingham County: 1 male 70s
• Franklin County: 1 female 50s
• Fulton County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
• Grundy County: 1 male 70s
• Jackson County: 1 male 40s
• Kane County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
• Knox County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
• Lake County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
• LaSalle County: 1 male 70s, 2 males 80s, 2 males 90s
• Macon County: 1 male 70s, 2 females 80, 1 male over 100
• Madison County: 1 male 60s
• McDonough County: 1 female 70s
• Ogle County: 1 male 80s
• Peoria County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
• Piatt County: 1 male 80s
• Pike County: 1 female 80s
• Rock Island County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 70s
• Saline County: 1 female 90s
• St. Clair County: 1 male 90s
• Stephenson County: 1 male 70s, 2 males 80s
• Vermilion County: 1 male 70s
• Wayne County: 1 male 80s
• Whiteside County: 1 female 80s
• Will County: 1 male 30s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s
• Williamson County: 1 female 80s
• Winnebago County: 1 male 60s
• Woodford County: 1 male 80s

"The virus is winning the war right now. The situation has worsened considerably in some areas of the state," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday, announcing new restrictions on Regions 5, 7 and 8.

Region 9 may follow as soon as this weekend.

Seventy-five Illinois counties, plus Chicago, are now at a "warning level" for a surge in coronavirus cases. They include: Adams, Alexander, Bond, Boone, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Chicago, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Effingham, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Madison, Marion, Mason, Massac, McHenry, Mercer, Monroe, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Rock Island, Saline, Sangamon, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago and Woodford.

Hospitalizations continued to rise across the state on Monday, jumping nearly 7.5 percent from Monday. As of Monday night, 4,742 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 across Illinois, including 911 in intensive care and 399 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 percent, 1.4 percentage points higher than Monday. That is 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 13.1 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 10.1 million confirmed coronavirus infections, and at least 239,002 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 51.2 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:

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%.

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.

Sam's Of Arlington Closes After 34 Years In Arlington Heights

The owner blames a second shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic for the decision.

Positivity Rate Explodes In Region 8 After Weeks Of Restrictions

Region 8 could soon see new restrictions, with trends quickly going the wrong way despite two weeks of increased mitigations.

Coronavirus Positivity Rate Rises To 11.3% In Cook County Suburbs

The number of people newly hospitalized every day with COVID-19 symptoms in suburban Cook County rose by over 37 percent in a week.

Kendall County: Highest Number of Single-Day cases Since March

RaeAnn VanGundy, health department executive director, told the Kendall County Board that the cases "are outnumbering our staff right now."

New Coronavirus Test Site At Aurora Mall To Offer Quicker Results

QuestCap is set to open a new coronavirus testing site at the Chicago Premium Outlets that can provide results within a day.

Added Rules 'Strong Possibility' For Region 9: Health Officials

The coronavirus positivity rate has hit 11.1 percent in Lake and McHenry counties as hospitalizations continue to rise.

Coronavirus Cases Double In 2 Weeks At St. Charles Schools

St. Charles District 303 reported 135 total cases Monday, up from 64 on Oct. 20. A hundred of those cases were students.

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: 511,183
• Confirmed Deaths: 10,289
• People tested: 8,571,019
• Recovered: Illinois does not provide exact numbers of recovered cases, but says the recovery rate is 97 percent.

Nationwide:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 10,180,798
• Deaths:239,002
• People tested: 154,056,176
• Recovered: 3,928,845

Global:

• Total number of coronavirus cases: 51,248,841
• Deaths: 1,268,452
• People tested: No data available
• Recovered: 33,459,967

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.