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Gov. JB Pritzker rejected any suggestion the virus outbreak "is just a Chicago or a Cook County problem, and that downstate Illinois is immune, or doesn't need restrictions."
"I encourage people to remain vigilant. We will get through this. We will do that by staying at home, by wearing masks when outside."
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said Thursday that using swimming pools during the coronavirus pandemic is not a good idea – with a gross-out reason as to why.
As of Monday night, 4,776 people in Illinois were hospitalized with COVID-19; including 1,226 patients in intensive care, and 781 patients on ventilators.
Nursing home patients in Illinois are dying at an alarming rate due to COVID-19, and families want answers and help from the state.
"At the beginning of this pandemic, our doubling rates were very low, and since we put all our executive orders in place, Illinois has seen our doubling rates increase substantially; that is a very good thing," he said.
"There is even some evidence that we may be moving toward a flatter curve, but we need to keep watching the data on a daily basis," Pritzker said at his daily coronavirus briefing on Thursday.
"The buck stops with me, and we are still not where we need to be on the testing front," the governor said.
Illinois public health officials on Sunday announced 1,105 new cases of COVID-19 in Illinois in one day.
"As we expected, and as we have feared, the greatest number of hospitalizations is among individuals older than 65 years of age, and approximately 86% of those with COVID-19 who have died here in Illinois are over the age of 60," Dr. Ngozi Ezike said.
The Illinois Department of Public Health opened a drive-up testing facility in the Dunning neighborhood, at the site of an old vehicle emissions testing facility at 6959 Forest Preserve Drive.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said there have been a total of 585 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Illinois since the start of the outbreak, up from 105 on Monday, and just 46 one week ago.
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday announced 12 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 105.
"Anybody that walks in through this green door has to wear a mask."
The cleanup continued at Vaughn Occupational High School on Sunday as students and staff got tested for coronavirus.
The phones are ringing off at the State of Illinois' coronavirus hotline.
The IDPH said there are currently 286 people in the state undergoing monitoring and twice daily testing who may have been exposed.
"Our top priority is keeping Illinoisans safe and we are using every tool and resource at our disposal to prepare for this virus and contain any spread."
The Illinois State Board of Education said there have been intense discussions between schools and state and local health departments. And that ultimately, the schools are following their lead.
Illinois health officials announced the second confirmed case of coronavirus in the U.S. was located in Chicago.
DuPage County officials announced Saturday that they are investigating three cases of Legionnaires' disease that have occurred since May of last year in a Carol Stream retirement community.
"Meadowbrook Manor has been taking a proactive approach to follow IDPH policies and requests that are made when any facility has a health care-associated Legionnaires' disease case."
Nationwide, there have been more than 2,000 cases and at least 40 people have died.
Despite its life-saving abilities, naloxone's accessibility remains scarce. But it is being distributed in an unlikely place – Cook County Jail.
The owner of George's Family Restaurant in Oak Park says business has dropped 30% since the start of the water and sewer pipe construction.
Nearly 80 NBA hopefuls are sweating in the South Loop at the NBA combine, with only 60 spots in next month's draft.
Democratic National Committee officials wrapped up a three-day visit to Chicago on Wednesday as the city seeks to host the party's national convention again in 2028, and local leaders said the stakes might be even higher this time around.
One in 12 accused criminals in Cook County's electronic monitoring program are currently AWOL, according to a new report from the county's chief judge.
The band said that Friday's concert will blend Filipino music and history into a one-of-a-kind experience.
Mayor Brandon Johnson is marking three years in office, a term filled with a mix of wins and losses for the man in the chair on the 5th floor at City Hall.
President Trump said Americans' financial situation isn't motivating him to make a deal, "Not even a little bit," and that he is only focused on preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
A month after Mayor Brandon Johnson vetoed an attempt to halt any future scheduled pay hikes for tipped workers in Chicago, the City Council advanced a compromise to instead pause those raises for two years.
The operator of the Dali, a container ship that lost power and slammed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024, killing six people, is facing federal charges.
Democratic National Committee officials visited Chicago on Monday as the city made its official bid to host the party's 2028 convention – a rare move after having just hosted the event in 2024.
Chatham residents say they're losing a vital resource as Walgreen's prepares to close its store near 86th and Cottage Grove.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company customers are likely to see minor credits on their bills for the next three years, thanks to a $125 million settlement agreement announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Chicago gas prices are spiking as the war with Iran drags on, with regular gas nearing $6 in some spots and premium already selling for more than $7 in some places.
In the legal venue of anti-trust enforcement, the state is not taking on the Trump administration, but rather filling a void that state officials say the Trump administration has vacated.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday announced an expansion to the city's CARE Program, a specialized team that responds to mental health crises without police.
A Texas couple is filing a lawsuit accusing the AI company of guiding their teenage son in using drugs, resulting in a fatal overdose.
An American on the repatriation flight began showing symptoms of hantavirus and another "tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus," the Department of Health and Human Services says.
More than 100 people from a cruise ship dealing with an outbreak of the rare and deadly hantavirus are set to be disembarked.
The largest U.S. health insurer said it will eliminate approval requirements for some treatments, including select outpatient surgeries and other procedures.
Flight attendants at Chicago-based United Airlines have approved a new labor contract, marking their first pay increases in six years.
The Chicago Fire FC announced Wednesday morning that its new stadium in the South Loop will be named McDonald's Park.
U.S. prosecutors allege a man with multiple aliases used the name of the famed Astor family to scam a Mexican billionaire out of $450 million.
Thousands of people marched from the West Loop to Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago on Friday for May Day, with activists calling for workers' rights, stronger labor protections, and increased school funding.
A $170 million-plus plan announced this week will redevelop the Water Tower Place mall on the Magnificent Mile.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Matt DeCaro, an actor who was a familiar face on the Chicago stage for many years, died this weekend.
Jake was at the funeral for one of his closest friends when he learned of his parents' deaths, he said.
Tickets for the 2026 Ravinia Festival season went on sale Thursday morning.
A couple of college stars with local ties like their chances to make it to the league.
Breakfast is served with a side of nostalgia at George's Family Restaurant in Oak Park, but longtime customers have noticed the comforts of home face competition—from construction.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will be flying to Rome later in May to meet with Pope Leo XIV, his office confirmed.
More sunshine is expected Thursday before a few scattered showers return to the forecast Friday. Chief Meteorologist Albert Ramon has the latest in First Alert Weather.
This as 18 Americans are in quarantine in the U.S., including 16 in Nebraska.
The man who was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Chicago's Southwest Side on Tuesday night was identified.
A CTA bus was hijacked and the driver held at knifepoint and made to drive for miles overnight, Chicago police said.
Mayor Brandon Johnson is marking three years in office, a term filled with a mix of wins and losses for the man in the chair on the 5th floor at City Hall.
More cuts may be ahead for Chicago Public Schools, as early budget plans show the district is facing a budget gap of $732 million next school year.
The owner of George's Family Restaurant in Oak Park says business has dropped 30% since the start of the water and sewer pipe construction.
People in Lincoln Park and Lakeview have rallied against a plan to build a new industrial ComEd electrical substation in their neighborhoods, pushing local and state leaders to get involved.
Monday marks one year since Illinois enacted Karina's Law — legislation aimed at taking firearms out of the hands of people accused of domestic abuse.
Tenants at a South Shore apartment building said they've noticed their rent fluctuating by hundreds of dollars a month due to a change in how their utility billing system is set up.
A man from the Chicago suburbs lost $69,000 of his savings to a scam by a thief using an AI-generated U.S. Marshals badge to intimidate him.
Illinois lawmakers are trying to decide what should happen when artificial intelligence leads to serious destruction or even death, and two of the most influential AI companies in the world are backing opposing state bills trying to answer that question.
Nearly 80 NBA hopefuls are sweating in the South Loop at the NBA combine, with only 60 spots in next month's draft.
The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox will face off in the first Crosstown Classic series of this summer with three games at Rate Field this weekend.
The Atlanta Braves beat the Chicago Cubs 5-2 on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game set between the National League's top teams.
Chicago has come from behind in nine of its 20 wins. Kansas City has lost four of six following a five-game winning streak.
One of the best high school softball pitchers in the state takes the mound of a small school just south of Chicago.
A Chicago-area man who ran a business helping people apply for asylum and immigrant visas was recently sentenced to nine years in prison for fraud and child pornography.
Alex Murdaugh was convicted of his killing his wife and his son at the family's home in 2021.
Chicago police on Wednesday morning were looking for two people who broke into a restaurant in Printer's Row in the South Loop.
One person was killed and two others were seriously wounded in a shooting late Friday morning in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.
Police across Chicago and the northern suburbs were investigating a string of overnight smash-and-grab burglaries targeting businesses.
