Illinois COVID-19 Update

April 28, 2020

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 2,219 new COVID-19 cases and 144 deaths—the highest 24-hour death toll thus far. The total number of cases in the state is 48,102 in 96 counties, with a total of 1,983 deaths. IDPH says that in the past 24 hours, 14,561 specimens have been processed. IDPH Director Ngozi Ezike, M.D., said that in the past 24 hours, COVID-19 hospitalizations increased from 4,672 to 4,738. Of that figure, 1,245 patients (25%) are in ICU with 778 patients on ventilators.

At his daily press briefing, Governor J.B. Pritzker addressed the Clay County Circuit Court ruling that granted a restraining order to temporarily block the extended stay-at-home restrictions that are set to go in effect on May 1. The Governor stated that the ruling is limited and only applies to state Representative Darren Bailey (R-109th District). The Governor noted that the state is appealing immediately due to the public health safety threat this court order poses.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will hold a Virtual Town Hall on April 28 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. CT to discuss Cook Count's rapid response to COVID-19 and answer questions from residents. This event will be broadcast via Microsoft Teams Live Event, with live subtitles and a moderated Q&A chat. Questions can be submitted in advance of the event by completing this form. Viewers can participate through the Microsoft Team app or desktop version on their computer.