To date, there have been 98,030 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Illinois and 4,379 total deaths. A total of 621,684 coronavirus tests have been conducted throughout the state, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Tuesday’s daily positivity rate was just 8%, according to IDPH Director Ngozi Ezike. The results of 18,443 coronavirus tests were reported in the 24 hours leading up to Tuesday afternoon, she said.

"Hear me clearly: the virus is still out there," Ezike said. "…Keeping your distance from other people is still the way to stop and minimize the spread."

All four health regions remain on track to proceed to phase three of the Restore Illinois plan on May 29.

As of Tuesday, there were 4,002 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Illinois. Of these people, 993 were in Intensive Care Units and 576 were on ventilator support, according to Ezike.

Ezike stressed the importance of continuing to comply with the governor’s modified stay-at-home order.

She compared social distancing to a row of dominoes, which would normally topple each other over in a chain reaction but have no effect on each other when spaced apart a bit farther.

"The deaths would have been significantly increased if we had not implemented a stay-at-home order," Ezike said. "We could have been seeing tens of thousands of deaths."

As the state prepares to move into phase three, Pritzker said further improvements to testing and contact tracing measures will be essential to ensuring a smooth transition.

New deaths announced include:

– Coles County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 90s

– Cook County: 3 females 30s, 2 males 40s, 2 females 50s, 5 males 50s, 4 females 60s, 12 males 60s, 1 unknown 60s, 8 females 70s, 17 males 70s, 9 females 80s, 15 males 80s, 9 females 90s, 6 males 90s, 1 female 100+, 1 male 100+

– DeKalb County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s

– DuPage County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s, 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 4 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s, 1 female 100+

– Iroquois County: 1 male 60s

– Kane County: 1 male 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 100+

– Kankakee County: 2 males 60s, 1 female 70s

– Kendall County: 1 male 80s

– Lake County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s

– Madison County: 2 females 80s, 1 female 90s

– McDonough County: 1 male 80s

– McHenry County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s

– Rock Island County: 1 male 30s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 90

– St. Clair County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s

– Whiteside County: 1 female 100+

– Will County: 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s

– Winnebago County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s