Just over two weeks after confirming 13,000 COVID-19 deaths in Cook County, the Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO) marked another grim pandemic milestone on Friday, confirming the County’s 14,000th death due to COVID-19 infection.
The Office noted that six weeks passed between the county’s 12,000th and 13,000th COVID-19 deaths and 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 the third surge in COVID-19 cases across the County and the nation.
The Office confirmed 425 COVID-19 deaths for the week of January 10. Those are the highest totals the MEO has seen since November of 2020, months before the COVID-19 vaccine was widely available to residents.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 6,750 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.
The following chart shows the breakdown by race and ethnicity for all the County’s COVID-19 deaths.
Race/Ethnicity | % of Deaths
White (non-Latino) | 43.5%
Black (non-Latino) | 30%
Latino | 20%
Asian | 3.7%
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 | 4.6%
50-59 | 10%
60-69 | 20%
70-79 | 25%
80+ | 37%
Cook County has reopened mass vaccination sites to provide COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for residents, including one in Matteson. 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.
For data regarding COVID-19 deaths in Cook County, visit maps.cookcountyil.gov/medexamcovid19/.
