Gov. J.B. Pritzker says state officials believe COVID-19 variants are "coming at the population so fast" that vaccinations need to be opened up to all ages.
CHARLESTON — Seven more Coles County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, health officials said Thursday.
The new cases of the disease caused by the coronavirus brought the county’s total since the start of the pandemic to 5,601, the Coles County Health Department said.
The department said the case total includes two county residents who are currently hospitalized with the disease and 41 who are recovering.
Also, 5,464 county residents have recovered and 94 have died from the disease, officials said.
12 photos of Charleston locations from our archives
Wilb Walker Supermarket

1988: Dyalene Haworth shows the ease of using E-Z Shopper grocery cart at Wilb Walker Supermarket.
Square

1980: Charleston square.
North Park house before renovation

1986: Jean Carpenter of Charleston has received a grant to repair her home. A $350,000 grant from Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs will be used to renovate about 40 homes in the North Park neighborhood.
North Park house after renovation

1986: Jean Carpenter on porch of house after renovations.
Mother's

1988: At Mother's in Charleston grandmother winks at the patrons who come to wet their whistle. Mothers is a tavern which is known to just about every Eastern Illinois University student.
Hotel fire

1931: The Jefferies building was gutted by fire late Tuesday night. On left is the Winters' clothing store store with the Charleston Hotel office next on the north, than a vacant room recently vacated by the Huckleberry jewelry store, wit the Rogers drug store on the corner.
Golf Course

1986: Pat Kaiser plans to open his nine-hole golf course by Memorial Day weekend if Mother nature would cooperate.
Eastern Illinois Artist's Guild

1941: A permanent exhibit of Paul Turner Sargent's work has been opened by the Eastern Illinois Artists' Guild at 809 Jack St. built in 1831 by Dr. Aaron Ferguson it is said to be the oldest house in Charleston.
Downtown

1986: Downtown Charleston has been designated as part of that city's tax increment financing district within so-called blighted areas of their cities.
Coles County National Bank

1992: Coles County National Bank declared insolvent and sold to the Eagle Bank and Trust Co. The Missouri based trust company owns banks in three other Illinois towns, Sparta, Nashville and Highland.
Charleston Plaza

1978: Osco Drug and Eisner food store soon to open at Charleston Plaza Shopping Center. The two stores will occupy 40,000 square feet in the center. A 2,000 square foot Radio Shack store is already open. Another 2,000 square foot store will be occupied by the Book Emporium to open later this year. A total of 9,000 square feet remains to be leased in the center.
Celotex Corp.

1971: Yearly production estimates for the new Celotex Corp. plant north of Charleston is about 130 million square feet of insulation boards.