Highest number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois #pandemic

[VIDEO] Dr. Ngozi Ezike is the director of the Illinois Dept of Public Health who is often at these press conferences with Gov. J.B. Pritzker as part of this state's response to the coronavirus pandemic. She makes the announcement yesterday of the largest one day total of new cases for this virus at 2,754 in a one day period coupled with the largest number of tests in a one day period which is 16,316 tests.

It's heralded as a step in the right direction by the Governor, it may explain the high numbers of new cases over the past week or two. The main thing about getting out of this crisis is to insure people are tested, especially if knowing have been exposed to the virus or otherwise experiencing symptoms. It's one of the criteria to eventually end the lockdowns throughout the country as a few states are set to ease some restrictions such as Florida, Texas and Georgia.

In Illinois, however, on Thursday it was reported that the governor plans to extend the stay-at-home order through the month of May. It's also been reported that this order isn't completely written and he doesn't plan to sign it until next work. The original order from last month and was extended through April 30, 2020.

The main thing to bear in mind with this new order is that it mandate the usage of facemasks in public and allows some businesses to reopen only for pick-up outside by customers for both online and telephone orders.

Is Chicago bending the curve?

[VIDEO] While Mayor Lori Lightfoot seemed to remain doubtful that the stay-at-home order of Gov. JB Pritzker may be lifted. At a press conference yesterday she noted that the curve as far as coronavirus cases are beginning to bend. This was also indicated by Gov. Pritzker during his press conference on Monday noting the same for the rest of the state.

Instead of coronavirus cases doubling every two or three days back in March as Mayor Lightfoot stated in the above video. According to this graph from the city of Chicago COVID-19 data page cases are currently beginning to double every twelve days.

Will the stay-at-home order be lifted after April 30, 2020? #Pandemic

This was addressed at yesterday's press conference regarding the updates to the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic. It was reported yesterday that there are 1,173 new cases of coronavirus with 74 deaths with a total of 22,025 cases in 87 counties throughout the state.

Pritzker said he envisons the Trump Administration offering "advice," with individual governors determining how to lift their respective state orders.

"It’s up to the governors to make decisions about the executive orders that we've put in place," Pritzker said at his daily media briefing on the novel coronavirus.

He would not say whether his stay-at-home order would be extended from April 30, the current end date, but said any return to normalcy could come in phases rather than all at once. Earlier Monday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she thinks it's likely people will need to continue staying home beyond April 30.

Pritzker said data will determine whether the stay-at-home mandate is extended and also whether students go back to physical classrooms before the end of the academic year.

Mayor Lightfoot was at an unrelated press conference and discussed whether or not she thinks the stay-at-home order will be extended beyond the end of the month.

Lightfoot was asked at an unrelated news conference whether April 30 looks like the last day of the stay-at-home order in Chicago. “I think that’s going to be difficult for us to say, April 30, everything comes up, I don’t expect that to happen,” Lightfoot said. “I think it will extend beyond that.”

During a Sunday appearance on the CBS program “Face the Nation,” Lightfoot was asked about a statement from the United States’ top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, that the economy might begin reopening on a rolling basis in May and whether that would be true in Chicago.

“We cannot open up the economy until we make sure that we’ve got all the health care controls in place,” Lightfoot said. “That means widespread testing, contact tracing, and we’ve got to see not just a flattening of the curve but a bending down.”
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The city’s “trending in the right direction,” Lightfoot said. Cases had been doubling every one to two days and now are roughly every nine to 10 days.

“But we’ve got to see a lot more progress on the heath care front before we can even start talking about reopening the economy,” Lightfoot said.

Pritzker said Monday that “it’s likely adjustments will be made” as the state starts to see slower growth in number of cases of the coronavirus.

“It’s not like we’re anywhere near herd immunity, and there isn’t a treatment,” Pritzker said at his daily news conference. “And in order for you to get to a point where you want to start moving significantly back to normalcy, you need widespread testing. We don’t have anywhere near widespread.”

I'm all in favor of an adjustment or a gradual end of the stay-at-home order. It's great that the numbers for the coronavirus in the city and state are going in the right direction. Im sure those stats will be used to determine whether or not to extend or adjust the stay-at-home order which is scheduled to expire at the end of themonth. 

Daily numbers #Pandemic

These numbers are from the Illinois Dept. of Public Health with further information available in the links to the press releases for that specific day. Since my last post on Tuesday.

Wednesday, April 8, 2020 - 1,529 new cases of coronavirus with 82 additional deaths

Thursday, April 9, 2020 - 1,344 new cases with 66 deaths

Friday, April 10, 2020 - 1,465 new cases with 68 deaths

Saturday, April 11, 2020 - 1,293 new cases with 81 deaths

Sunday, April 12, 2020 - 1,672 new cases with 43 deaths

As of Sunday afternoon the totals in Illinois are 20,852 cases of positive coronavirus infeections with a total of 720 deaths. Cases of coronavirus are in 86 Illinois counties.

Also it's been discussed in the news nationally that Blacks are falling victim to this disease increasingly. The disease itself and its effects are affecting a number of families around the nation unfortunately. With this said I want to share this PSA that is directed towards the Black community. The message here is to do all that's possible to protect those in our family who are vulnerable. [VIDEO]

Daily numbers #COVID19

Sunday - 899 new cases of infections with 31 additional deaths

Monday - 1,006 new cases with 33 additional deaths

Tuesday - 1,287 new cases with 73 additional deaths

Totals in Illinois are 13,549 cases of coronavirus with a total of 380 deaths.

In today's press conference the Tuesday death total was referred to as the largest single day death total. As I hoped we wouldn't anymore 1,000 cases days, I'd rather hope we wouldn't keep seeing largest single day total. That's not the first time I've heard that since I've started following the news as far as what the daily numbers are.

10,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in Illinois #COVID19

The numbers of the past two days of confirmed coronavirus infections.

Friday - 1,209 confirmed new cases with 53 deaths

DeWitt, Effingham, and Jersey counties are reporting cases

In Cook County "1 male 30s, 1 female 50s, 4 male 50s, 4 females 60s, 6 males 60s, 1 unknown 60s, 2 females 70s, 6 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 4 females 90s, 1 female 100s". Which makes 33 new cases in Cook yesterday.

Saturday - 1,453 confirmed new cases with 33 deaths

Jasper, Lee, Mason, and Pike are now reporting cases there are now cases in 68 Illinois counties

In Cook County "1 male 20s, 1 male 30s, 1 female 40s, 2 males 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 3 females 70s, 6 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s" 23 new cases in Cook County reported today.

FORGOT TO ADD total as of today Saturday, April 4, 2020 10,357 cases of coronavirus with 243 deaths.

Yesterday we saw a press conference at McCormick Place with Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot. McCormick Place will be a field hospital. My understanding is that if you're seriously ill you will be sent to a hospital and the field hospital at McCormick will be for those who have mild symptoms . If you want to know more about what was said I'll share this story from CBS Chicago [VIDEO]

While grocery stores (Jewel, Mariano's, Whole Foods for example) and pharmacies (CVS or Walgreens for example) are making further strides to insure social distancing in their establishments. You may hear more announcements about this over the PA system. These stores aren't even going to allow you to use your reusable bags - and I do have to ask about that 7 cent bag tax. More from CBS Chicago again though it aired late last month. [VIDEO]

#COVID19 update and a police officer dies of the virus...

Click for larger resolution

I found this graph in the comments at Capitol Fax on Thursday. It's within a post that contains portions of a IL Dept. of Public Health press release reporting 715 new cases of coronavirus with 16 additional deaths. The totals so far is 7,695 cases and 157 deaths.

12 of those 16 deaths came from Cook County according to the press release.

Further Logan, Macoupin, Mercer, Moultrie, and Piatt are now reporting cases and that makes  61 Illinois counties reporting cases of coronavirus.

The above graph is self-explanatory. Solid lines are cumulative or total cases and deaths from coronavirus the bottom dotted lines are the daily cases and deaths from coronavirus.

I want to give you this somber news from today it was announced that a Chicago Police Officer died from coronavirus. While many of us shelter in place in our homes the first responders police and fire aren't as able to do so. They still have to protect the public and remain the first line of defense in this pandemic. They don't treat the people who have the disease, however, they're the ones who crack down on the gatherings of more than 10 people. They're the ones who help to insure that this dreaded disease won't spread. I appreciate the fact that they're at risk in this pandemic especially.

Condolences to the family of narcotics detective Marco DiFranco.

In addition to the late Det. DiFranco 62 other police officers and 2 civilian police employees have been infected by coronavirus.

A hotel in downtown Chicago, Hotel Essex on Michigan Avenue is offering their rooms to those first responders concerned that they may transmit coronavirus to their families.

#tbt Riding the CTA green line through Englewood

[VIDEO] Let's take our mind off this coronavirus pandemic for second and look at video from over a decade ago in much warmer weather. I uploaded the above video to our YouTube channel a ride from 63rd & Ashland through 63rd & Halsted crossing the Dan Ryan Expressway/CTA Red Line through to State Street and then heading north along Prairie Avenue to the normal routing to Harlem & Lake in Oak Park, Illinois.

The most interesting part of this video is the changes that took place along the former Englewood branch of the L. We see the new 7th Englewood district police HQ being built. The lot which was then vacant where the shopping center that contains Whole Foods Market now. Then yet another lot in front of the former Englewood High School which now contains a St. Bernard Hospital Ambulatory Center.

It's interesting how many vacant lots there were built upon in recent years and how many old buildings have since been torn down.

I must add that you've seen a similar video to this before on this blog.

#COVID19 Update

I didn't share yesterday's numbers I will do so today from CapFax with a press release from the IL Dept. of Public Health

937 new cases of infections with 26 additional deaths. With 17 deaths in Cook County reported yesterday.

Yesterday Ford & Ogle counties are reportings cases now 54 of Illinois' 102 counties.

Also yesterday in his daily coronavirus press conference Gov. Pritzker has extended the stay-at-home order through the end of April. It was originally set to expire April 7, 2020, hopefully we'll have better news by the end of the month. [VIDEO]

Meanwhile here are today's numbers: