Covid-19 Numbers Continue Lowers Trends in Illinois, Nursing Home Deaths Remain High

Tim Vander Tuuk, WLIP News (4-26-21)

(Chicago, IL)  Coronavirus cases continue their downward trend when looking at week by week numbers. Illinois Health officials announced just over 2-thousand new cases on Sunday, down about 600 from the previous Sunday. In Lake County there were 83 cases, and no deaths for the 3rd straight day. Statewide hospitalizations fell for the 2nd straight day, though they were up in the Lake and McHenry County area, known as Region 9. The area’s positivity rate continues to fall, down to 4.1%…though Lake County alone is one percentage point lower than the Regional rate.

(Chicago, IL)  Nursing homes in Illinois no longer make up a majority of Covid-19 deaths, but those numbers change in Lake County. Illinois Health officials say while Coronavirus in nursing homes make up just 5.9% of all cases, they account for over 48% of the recorded deaths statewide. In Lake County, long term care facilities make up around 6.4% of all cases, but over 57% of county fatalities from the disease.