Illinois reports no new COVID-19 deaths for first time since March 2020

DJ Kevin Burns and Footwork Folks dancers perform for people in the observation area at a COVID-19 vaccination site at Kennedy-King College last month. Illinois reported no new COVID-19 deaths Monday for the first time in almost 16 months. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported no new COVID-19 fatalities Monday, which hadn’t happened previously since March 16, 2020, a span of 476 days.

For the first time in nearly 16 months, Illinois has gone a full day without losing a resident to COVID-19.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported no new COVID-19 fatalities Monday, which hadn’t happened previously since March 16, 2020, a few days before Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered residents to stay inside their homes as much as possible to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Since then, the virus has claimed at least 23,272 lives statewide, and probably 2,455 more, according to public health officials.

That’s an average of about 49 viral fatalities every day over a 476-day span, or about two per hour.

It’s still possible one or more fatalities could eventually be added to Monday’s rare zero-total. Officials often adjust daily figures based on delayed reports.

The state reported 16 new deaths Tuesday, and 11 were reported over the weekend.

New COVID-19 deaths by day

Graphic by Jesse Howe and Caroline Hurley | Sun-Times

Source: Illinois Department of Public Health

Graph not displaying properly? Click here.

Chicago hasn’t reported any coronavirus deaths for a full week, though that too could change because those figures are generally delayed, especially after a long holiday weekend.

Before June 20, the city reported only three days without a COVID-19 death, according to Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, who called the decline “good news.”

Still, with concerns growing about the more infectious Delta variant of the virus, Illinois’ average case positivity rate has risen to 1.1%, up from an all-time low of 0.6% on June 25.

Fewer people have been getting tested, though. The state reported 1,221 new cases were diagnosed over the Fourth of July weekend.

About 70% of eligible residents have gotten at least one vaccine dose. Nearly 1.4 million people have been infected since March 2020.

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