Illinois sees lowest number of new coronavirus infections in more than two and a half months

Illinois logged another 19 coronavirus deaths Monday, and an additional 473 new cases of the deadly virus — the lowest daily number of new infections since the early days under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order.

Those new cases bring the state’s total to 133,016 cases and 6,326 deaths in 101 counties in the state.

The 473 new cases is the lowest daily tally since March 30, which saw 461 cases. It also marks the first day with fewer than 500 new cases since late March. Pritzker’s initial stay-at-home order came on March 21, a day that saw 168 new cases. The state appeared to hit its peak for new infections on May 12, when 4,014 were announced.
A little more than a week ago, Illinois Public Health Department officials reported 1,156 new cases on June 5.

Monday’s new cases were among the 18,627 new processed tests. The state’s preliminary seven-day positivity rate for cases remains at 3%.

The 19 deaths mirror the fatality count for Sunday, the lowest in months, and continues a downward trend for the month of June.

The deaths announced Monday were all in Cook County.

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The toll is made up of one man in his 50’s, another in his 60’s, three men in their 70’s and one man in his 80’s. One woman in her 60’s, as well as four women in their 70’s, three women in their 80’s and 5 women in their 90’s.

On Sunday, Illinois also recorded a day with 19 deaths from COVID-19. It was the first time that the state saw fewer than 20 deaths on any given day in the previous two months.

Although numbers are usually lower on weekends due to a lack of reporting, Monday’s and Sunday’s fatality counts are still the lowest the state has seen since April 2, when 16 deaths were announced.

Statewide, 1,853 beds out of 3,882 beds in intensive care units were available, while 4,373 ventilators — out of a possible 5,983 — were currently available, according to figures from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

So far, June has seen only two days with more than 100 additional deaths reported, a departure from May, when the daily fatality count averaged just under 100 deaths a day.