May 10 to May 16 was first week where Illinois COVID-19 deaths were lower than previous week
CHICAGO - Illinois health officials on Tuesday announced 1,178 new cases of the coronavirus, raising the state’s case total to more than 113,195.
There were also another 39 deaths from the disease in the last 24 hours, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The statewide death toll is now at 4,923.
Tuesday marked the fourth consecutive day with fewer than 100 deaths reported. But more than half of the total COVID-19 deaths have been in May.
Within the past 24 hours in Illinois, laboratories have processed 17,230 virus tests. In total, the state has administered 786,794 tests.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, who is the director of IDPH, also announced that for the week of May 10 to May 16, the state reported 780 deaths and that it was the first week where there were fewer deaths reported than the previous week.
"I am hopeful that this fact is the beginning of a downward trend. But of course that also depends on all of us and making sure we're doing all that we can to decrease the transmission of this virus," she said.
The virus has been reported in at least 100 of the state's 102 counties. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years.