Illinois is marking the two year anniversary of the first case of Covid-19 reported in Illinois.
That initial case in January of 2020 was a Chicago woman who had returned from a trip to Wuhan, China. Since then more than 2.8-million people have tested positive for the virus and over 30,000 have died.
Cases and hospitalizations reached record levels this month, although the surge seems to have peaked. But Governor JB Pritzker is reminding everyone how serious the pandemic remains.
“Despite the recent indications of fewer new infections and fewer hospital admissions ahead, it breaks my heart to know that in the coming weeks hundreds more may die among the thousands who are already seriously ill.”
The Governor says those that are most sick continue to be the unvaccinated. At most recent count, over 5200 patients were in the hospital with Covid-19.
Illinois milestones:
- January 24, 2020 –First confirmed Illinois case of COVID-19 reported in a Chicago resident, a woman in her 60s who returned from Wuhan, China on January 13, 2020.
- January 30, 2020 – second confirmed case of COVID-19 in Illinois reported in a man in his 60s and the spouse of the first confirmed case in Illinois. This was the first person-to-person spread of the virus in the United States.
- February 11, 2020 – IDPH announces it is able to conduct testing for SARS-CoV-2 making Illinois the first state to be able to perform in-state testing.
- March 17, 2020 – IDPH announces the first COVID-19 death in Illinois.
- December 15, 2020 – First COVID-19 vaccines administered in Illinois.
