A woman in intensive care in Bloomington-Normal has died of COVID-19, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The McLean County Health Department said she was in her 70s and tested positive last week. The department said the woman died late last week.
“We are deeply saddened by this loss. Within McLean County government, our hearts go out to the family and friends who are mourning the loss of their loved one. We cannot even begin to understand how they feel, and we send our sincerest condolences,” McLean County Health Department Administrator Jessica McKnight said in a statement.
McKnight said the news should remind the public of the importance of social distancing and other COVID-19 prevention recommendations. She called for the community to follow Gov. JB Pritzker’s shelter-in-place order.
The state health department Sunday announced 296 new cases of coronavirus disease in Illinois, including an infant. IDPH also announced three deaths. The deaths included a Cook County man in his 80s, a Chicago man in his 80s, and the McLean County woman.
Jo Daviess, Livingston, Rock Island, and Stephenson counties are now also reporting cases. The current total is 1,049 cases in 30 counties in Illinois.
Health officials are still learning about this new virus and information and guidance is rapidly evolving said IDPH. At this time, it is still unknown if a pregnant woman with COVID-19 can pass the virus to her fetus or baby during pregnancy or delivery. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, no infants born to mothers with COVID-19 have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. In these cases, which are a small number, the virus was not found in samples of amniotic fluid or breastmilk.
