Cook County Medical Examiner prepares for possibility of increasing COVID-19 deaths
CHICAGO - The Cook County Medical Examiner is preparing for the worst-case scenario during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Officials confirmed Tuesday they now have a refrigerator truck outside the morgue that can hold 30 bodies. On top of that, the coroner's office is looking for off-site refrigerator space.
The morgue capacity, in terms of inside the building, is 285. Officials say this does not mean that many people will die. They just want to be prepared and not caught off guard if deaths do surge.
On Tuesday, Illinois health officials announced 250 new cases of COVID-19 and four additional deaths related to the virus.
There are now 16 people who have died in Illinois from COVID-19, and a total of 1,535 cases across 32 counties. Health officials announced that Grundy County was reporting its first case of the disease.
Governor JB Pritzker also announced Monday that Illinois is ramping up production of masks and hand sanitizer, among other personal protection equipment, to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in the state.