Chicago Police Department announces 27 new COVID-19 cases

(Photo by Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images)

Chicago police announced Friday 27 more confirmed cases of COVID-19, raising the total number of cases in the department to 288.

Of the cases, 299 are officers and 16 are civilian employees, Chicago police said.

A total of 344 employees have reported positive test results, but the department’s medical section has only confirmed 315 of those cases, police said.

A third Chicago Police officer died of the coronavirus, the department announced Friday. Ronald Newman, 59, was described as a “fixture” of the South Chicago district.

On Friday, officials announced 62 more coronavirus deaths statewide and a record-high number of 1,842 new cases.