By Neil Doyle
SPRINGFIELD – A fifth case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Cook County, according to state health officials.
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Thursday the fifth patient is a Cook County resident in his 20s who flew into O’Hare Airport earlier this month after traveling to Italy. The IDPH said the man acquired the infection while in Italy and is hospitalized at Rush University Medical Center in isolation.
A fourth person was diagnosed with the virus in the Chicago area on Monday. Illinois’ patient number four is a woman in her 70s who tested positive for COVID-19. She is now under home isolation and in good condition, according to health officials.
“While we expect to see additional cases, we are not seeing widespread transmission of the virus in Illinois and we believe the risk to the general public remains low,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “We understand people are concerned, but we want to reassure residents that we have been working with local health departments, hospitals, clinicians, the CDC, and other state agencies around the clock and are using every resource at our disposal to prepare.”
Illinois’ two previously confirmed cases have both recovered. Public health officials say they continue to monitor individuals throughout Illinois who have a history of travel to an affected area or who have had close contact with a confirmed case.
Illinois was the first state to be able to test for COVID-19 and IDPH continues to test for the virus in all three of its laboratories – Chicago, Springfield, and Carbondale.
Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]
