By Ted Cox

Deaths at nursing homes attributed to COVID-19 account for almost a quarter of all coronavirus deaths statewide, according to information released Sunday by the Pritzker administration.

COVID-19 deaths reported over the weekend went from tying a single-day high of 125 on Saturday to dropping to just 33 on Sunday. That brought the statewide toll to 1,290 Illinoisans who’ve died from the coronavirus.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,197 new cases Sunday, bringing the state total to 30,357 in 93 of the 102 total counties.

Of those, according to the Office of the Governor, 1,896 cases were found at long-term-care facilities, such as nursing homes, where 286 have died from the disease.

The state has targeted nursing homes for testing and treatment, much as it has for African Americans and Hispanics, who also have borne a disproportionate impact of the pandemic in Illinois.

A nursing home was where the coronavirus first gained hold in Washington state, and they’ve been susceptible to infection across the nation. Gov. Pritzker shut down visits to nursing homes in Illinois, but they’ve still been vulnerable. The Symphony of Joliet home has reported 25 deaths, including 24 residents and a staffer.

Pritzker has called for more testing across the state, especially in targeted communities, but Illinois has yet to reach his goal of 10,000 in a day. U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth blamed the Trump administration for inadequate testing across the country over the weekend, tweeting: “Illinois had its deadliest weekend from the COVID-19 pandemic and we need more tests, more contact tracing, more ventilators and more (personal protective equipment). We aren’t getting it. It’s basically criminal what Trump is doing when it comes to failing to provide the resources all of our states need.”