Cook County medical examiner confirms 23 more COVID-19 deaths, raising toll to 94

CHICAGO - The Cook County medical examiner’s office Wednesday confirmed 23 more deaths from COVID-19, raising the county’s toll to 94.

Five people were pronounced dead Wednesday, seven died Tuesday, one died Monday and six on Sunday, the medical examiner’s office said. Four others died March 28, 27, 25 and 23.

The youngest of the confirmed deaths was 27-year-old James Brooks, of South Shore, who died March 23, the medical examiner’s office said.

Officers responded about 12:40 p.m. to the 7800 block of South Bennett Avenue and found Brooks unresponsive inside of a home, Chicago police and the medical examiner’s office said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy found he died of COVID-19 infection with obesity as a contributing factor, the medical examiner’s office said.

June Webber, 90, the oldest victim, was pronounced dead Sunday at Trinity Hospital, the medical examiner’s office said. She died of bronchopneumonia due to COVID-19 infection. Cardiovascular disease and diabetes were listed as contributing factors.

It is the second straight day the medical examiner’s office has announced 23 deaths from the coronavirus in Cook County.

The new confirmed fatalities come as health officials on Wednesday announced an additional 968 COVID-19 cases in Illinois, bringing the state’s total to 6,980 cases. So far, 141 people have died from the disease in the state.

The virus has spread to 56 of the state’s 102 counties, officials said. About 74% of the state’s total cases have been in Cook County.