By Jim Hagerty
Reporter

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois health professionals, on Friday, reported that a family cat has been infected with COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

“The cat was in a home with people who had tested positive,” the Illinois Department of Public Health said in a release. “This is the first animal to test positive for the virus in Illinois.  There is no evidence COVID-19 is transmitted from animal to humans.  However, if you are sick, you should distance yourself from pets as well as people.”

Officials say the cat was infected in mid-May and has recovered.

The IDPH reported 1,156 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, including 59 additional confirmed deaths. Friday’s statistics induce five deaths in Winnebago County and 33 in Cook.

Statewide, there have been 125,915 cases of coronavirus disease, including 5,795 deaths, in 101 counties. In the past 24 hours, laboratories processed 18,903 COVID-19 tests for a total of 1,000,919.  The seven-day infection rate from May 29 to June 4 is 6%.