Illinois COVID-19 Update

May 20, 2020

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 2,388 new COVID-19 cases and 147 deaths. The total number of cases in the state is 100,418 in 100 counties, with a total of 4,525 deaths. IDPH says that in the past 24 hours, 21,029 specimens have been processed. Statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations in the past 24 hours have decreased from 4,002 patients to 3,914 patients. Of that figure, 1,005 patients are in ICU with 554 patients on ventilators. The statewide seven-day rolling COVID-19 positivity rate is 14%.

Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced the state's plan to enable 1.8 million SNAP recipients to purchase food from participating grocery retailers online has been approved by the federal government. This new purchasing option will begin on June 2. All Link customers will be alerted when they can use their card to make food orders online. This change was developed due in-person grocery shopping difficulties brought on by COVID-19 restrictions.

IDPH and the Chicago Department of Public Health will provide an overview of the EmResource system and updates to definitions as it relates to bed availability and capacity reporting on Tues., May 26 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Register here.