Illinois Reports 1,832 COVID-19 Cases And 27 Deaths
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 1,832 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 27 deaths. The number of confirmed cases on Thursday come from the state conducting 51,612 tests in the previous 24 hours. The state now has reported 213,721 cases and 7,833 fatalities. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Public health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike says the statewide positivity rate over the last week was 4.4%. She says that number has increased over the last four weeks even as the nationwide rate has gone down. – Associated Press
COVID-19 Exposure Closes Local Health Department
SULLIVAN – The Moultrie County Health Department offices in downtown Sullivan are closed to the public for the next week, after the facility was exposed to COVID-19. A statement on the health department website says the decision was made after getting notice of a COVID-19 exposure in their office. Administrator Angela Hogan says the health department office will be partially staffed during the one-week shutdown. She says they’ll continue to provide services “as feasible” by phone. Public Health officials have placed Moultrie County at its “warning level”, after it surpassed crucial thresholds for its seven-day positivity rate and number of new cases in relation to the population. On Thursday, Moultrie County reported three new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 127 cases. The county has less than 15,000 residents. – Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom
Duckworth Calls Trump ‘Coward-In-Chief’ During DNC
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) criticized President Donald J. Trump’s military record in her time speaking at the Democratic National Convention. The Iraq War veteran made her remarks on the same night Joe Biden gave his speech accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination to be president. Speaking from Washington, D.C., Duckworth ridiculed Trump and accused him of not understanding the risks service members take. “Instead, they have a Coward-in-Chief, who won’t stand up to Vladmir Putin, read his daily intelligence briefings, or even publicly admonish adversaries for reportedly putting bounties on our troops’ heads,” said Duckworth. She was a finalist to be former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate. – Tony Arnold, WBEZ News
One Person Reported Killed In Plane Crash And Ensuing Fire
ROCKFORD — One person was killed when a private plane veered off a runway and caught fire at Chicago Rockford International Airport in Rockford, Illinois. Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz did not identify the victim of the Thursday accident. The FAA says the plane that caught fire was a Beechcraft King Air twin-engine plane that can carry between seven and 13 passengers, depending on the variant. Authorities say it is believed the aircraft was taxiing when it ran off a runway and caught fire. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating to determine the cause of the accident. – Associated Press