Three more COVID-19 deaths in Illinois

Three more people in Illinois have died from the new coronavirus, bringing the state’s total to four, officials announced Thursday.

The individuals were a Will County resident in their 50s, a Cook County resident in their 80s and a Florida woman in her 70s who was visiting Sangamon County when hospitalized.

“My heart goes out to the family and the friends of these patients,” Gov. JB Pritzker said during his Thursday press conference. “I feel I can speak for all Illinoisans when I say we offer them our collective strengths at this time.”

The state reported its first death Tuesday, a Chicago woman in her 60s.

There are now 422 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Illinois as of Thursday, including the four deaths. A total of 3,151 individuals have been tested.

“Understand that our report of case counts will not abate anytime soon,” Pritzker said. He added that Illinois now has the capacity to test more than 1,000 individuals daily, with plans to at least double that in the coming days.

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