Illinois announces 43 coronavirus deaths, 867 new cases

The Sunday update brings the state’s pandemic case count to 127,757, although the rate has slowed significantly.

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A health worker takes a swab sample for a coronavirus test last month in Harwood Heights.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Illinois recorded another 43 deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the state’s pandemic death toll to 5,904.

The Illinois Department of Public Health also announced an additional 867 people have tested positive for coronavirus.

That brings the state’s case total to 127,757 since Illinois’ first case was reported more than four months ago, although the vast majority have now recovered.

State officials found the new cases among 20,700 tests processed.

More than 1 million people have been tested overall across the state, and the state’s rolling positivity rate over the past week is just 5%.

According to a Friday report, nursing homes have accounted for slightly more than half of Illinois’ COVID-19 deaths — but only about 15% of its cases. While the majority of victims have been older, Sunday’s deaths included two men in their 30s.

With every region of the state now well into Phase 3 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan, hospitalization and testing numbers are currently hitting benchmarks that would allow the state to progress to Phase 4 as soon as June 26.

The state reported 720 coronavirus patients occupied ICU beds, with 438 on ventilators, as of Saturday.

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