7-year-old girl battling leukemia among reported COVID-19 deaths

As Illinois closes in on a full reopening date set for Friday, the state’s health department on Monday reported 244 new COVID-19 cases and 14 additional deaths.

Evelyn Cervantes, a seven-year-old girl from west suburban Stone Park who was battling leukemia, was among the COVID-related deaths, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

She died Thursday at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.

Despite the tragic loss of life, the overall numbers, including a statewide positivity rate of 1.1%, continue a trend in the right direction. The positivity rate is the lowest on record and the case total is the fewest since mid-March of 2020.

That comes as vaccinations among adults in Illinois who’ve received at least one dose hit 68% and the number of fully vaccinated adults hit 51%, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

On Friday, the state is removing social distancing requirements and capacity limits. Chicago has adopted the same reopening timeline.

The day will mark the first time since the beginning of the pandemic that Illinoisans will not be under state mandated social distancing and capacity orders.

Illinois, which has a population of 12.67 million, has recorded a total of 1,385,489 cases and 22,963 deaths.