CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Illinois health officials announced Tuesday another 29 people have died from the coronavirus, raising the state's death toll to 9,026.
"More than 9,000 Illinoisans — our mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, family, friends, and neighbors — have had their lives cut short by COVID-19, leaving tens of thousands more to grieve loved ones lost too soon," said Governor JB Pritzker, in a statement. "As we pause today to mourn these individual and collective losses, may we find strength in the tools we have to protect our communities: wearing a mask, watching our distance, and respecting public health and each other. My heart breaks for all those who have lost a loved one in this battle we never asked to fight – may their memories be for a blessing."
The Illinois Department of Public Health also announced Tuesday another 2,851 people have tested positive for the coronavirus, bumping up the state's weekly testing positivity rate to 4.5 percent.
The new cases were among 55,993 test results submitted to the state. So far, a total of 6,411,254 tests have be completed.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 324,743 cases, including 9,026 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years.
As of Monday night, 1,848 people in Illinois were hospitalized with COVID-19, with 406 in the ICU and 160 on ventilators.
"After nine months of battling this virus and hearing the updates each day, many of us forget that the hospitalizations and deaths are more than just numbers," said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, in a statement. "They are our family, friends, and loved ones who have been directly impacted by COVID-19, which continues to spread. You can help slow the spread and reduce the number of people who become sick with COVID-19 by wearing your mask, washing your hands, and watching your distance."
