Another four-digit COVID-19 caseload prompts more Pritzker worries: ‘Our numbers should be going down’

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 23: Workers check in residents at a mobile COVID-19 testing site set up on a vacant lot in the Austin neighborhood on June 23, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. The site is one of four mobile testing sites, two community-based sites and two first-responder-focused sites being implemented by the city. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775526455 | Getty

State health officials on Monday announced 1,173 new coronavirus cases and six additional deaths.

It was the fifth day in the past week that public health officials reported more than 1,000 new cases.

Despite the uptick in infections, the state’s death toll from COVID-19 maintained its relatively lower level, with only six new deaths reported, the second consecutive day with that number.

The seven-day positivity rate also crept up a hair to 3%, from 2.9% over the weekend. The uptick in cases comes as Gov. J.B. Pritzker has voiced concerns that the state is moving backward — worries he repeated on Monday.

“I worry about that, I don’t think I wake up in the morning thinking ‘Today’s the day where we’re going to announce it,’” Pritzker said at a news conference in Peoria on Monday. “I worry about it because our numbers should be going down when, actually, they’re about steady. And that’s not a good development. Steady is better than up, I mean let’s face it, but what should be happening is we should continue the downward slide.”

So far in July, health officials have reported eight days with more than 1,000 new cases, compared to only two such days in all of June. The latest batch of new cases brings the daily average so far this month to 978.

The fatality rate has been a different story. So far, the state is averaging about 19 deaths a day in July, down sharply from the 100 a day in May. The state’s death toll now stands at 7,301, bringing the average to about 58 deaths a day since mid-March.

The state’s case count tally stands at 162,7148.

The new cases come from a total of 34,598 tests done in the last day. The state has performed a total of 2,279,109 tests.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks about the ongoing effort by the government to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus at Edward Coles School earlier this month.

Pritzker also hammered on the importance of wearing a face mask.

“If you are walking anywhere in public, please wear a mask. You don’t have to belittle people who aren’t wearing a mask, but they should get the idea when everyone else is wearing a mask,” Pritzker said.

“If I told you that you could take a pill that would reduce your likelihood of getting COVID-19 by 80%, wouldn’t you do it? Well, that’s what masks do, reduce your likelihood of transmitting or getting transmitted to you by 80%,” Pritzker said.

“Having a president who does not wear a mask and does not encourage everyone to wear a mask, is a problem, not to mention denying science,” he said.