Cook County Exceeds 13,000 COVID-19 Deaths
Medical Examiner confirms grim milestone amid surge of cases
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO) marked another grim pandemic milestone today. The MEO confirmed the County’s 13,000th death due to COVID-19 infection just six weeks after the County marked its 12,000th death from the virus.
The Office noted that more than three and a half months passed between the County’s 11,000th and 12,000th COVID-19 death. The latest milestone comes during a surge in COVID-19 cases across the County and the nation. The Office confirmed 254 COVID-19 deaths for the week of December 27, 2021. Those are the highest totals the MEO has seen since December of 2020, months before the COVID-19 vaccine was widely available to residents.
The County’s Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security has begun to deploy trailers to area hospitals to help decompress their morgues if necessary.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 6,271 COVID-19 deaths have occurred in the City of Chicago, accounting for approximately 48% of deaths throughout Cook County. Males account for 57% of the County’s COVID-19 deaths.
|
Race/Ethnicity |
% of Deaths |
|
White (non-Latino) |
43.3% |
|
Black (non-Latino) |
29.6% |
|
Latino |
20.3% |
|
Asian |
3.8% |
|
Native American |
<1% |
|
Other/Unknown |
2.2% |
More than 80% of the deaths occurred in individuals over the age of 60. The oldest Cook County COVID-19 death was 109 years old. The youngest was 9 months old.
|
Age |
% of Deaths |
|
0-9 |
<1% |
|
10-19 |
<1% |
|
20-29 |
<1% |
|
30-39 |
2% |
|
40-49 |
4.7% |
|
50-59 |
10% |
|
60-69 |
20% |
|
70-79 |
25% |
|
80+ |
37% |
On January 3, a mitigation order was issued for suburban Cook County by the County’s Department of Public Health requiring anyone over the age of 5 to provide proof of vaccination when visiting restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and gyms.
All Cook County residents 5 years or older are encouraged to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines are free, regardless of insurance or immigration status. Find a vaccine location in Cook County by visiting www.MyShotCookCounty.com/locations.
Booster shots provide important protection against COVID-19, especially the omicron variant. Individuals age 16 and older who received the Pfizer vaccine can get their booster five months after their second dose. Individuals age 18 and older who received the Moderna vaccine can get their booster six months after their second dose. Those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are recommended to get a Pfizer or Moderna booster shot two months after their initial dose.
For data regarding COVID-19 deaths in Cook County, visit maps.cookcountyil.gov/medexamcovid19/.