More than 1,500 people have now died in Illinois nursing homes as a result of the coronavirus, state officials reported this week.
According to data provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health, at least 1,553 people have passed away at long-term care facilities during the ongoing pandemic. That number accounts for 48 percent of all coronavirus deaths in the state.
The data, released each Friday, reports 471 new deaths at nursing homes statewide. More than 11,400 cases of the virus have been reported in long-term care facilities since the pandemic began.
More than 50 nursing homes throughout the state have reported 10 or more deaths due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
Cook County has been hardest hit by the virus, with 6,369 cases of coronavirus reported in nursing homes. A total of 863 deaths have also been reported in the county, the highest of any county in the state.
DuPage County has reported at least 203 deaths in assisted living facilities, with 111 deaths in Will County and 107 deaths in Lake County.
