File photo: Xinhua

The air traffic control tower at Chicago Midway International Airport was temporarily closed on Tuesday after three Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) technicians at the airport tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

A ground stop has been ordered, which means all inbound flights to Midway that have not taken off are held at their point of origin, local media reported.

"The airport remains open and operations will continue at a reduced rate until the situation is resolved," the FAA said in a statement.

The FAA said it is pushing to test all employees at the airport's air traffic control tower.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said on Tuesday that 55 new confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in Illinois, lifting the state's total to 160 cases in 15 counties.

Meanwhile, Illinois reported the first coronavirus-related death Tuesday. The patient was a Chicago woman in her 60s with an underlying condition.