The Illinois Department of Public Health Friday announced 488 new cases of the coronavirus including 8 deaths from the disease. That now brings the total number of deaths to 34. New cases were reported in Bureau, Henry and Iroquis counties with an overall state total of 3,026. There were no cases reported in Lawrence, Richland, Crawford or Wabash counties. With the weekend upon us, health officials stress the need to continue to protect against catching the virus and spreading it to others. IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike reminds Lawrence County and other area residents to clean frequently touched surfaces often, wash your hands, practice social distancing by staying at least 6 feet away from another person and cough or sneeze into a tissue and then properly discard it.