Coronavirus In Illinois: 1,466 New COVID-19 Cases, 20 Additional Deaths; Positivity Rate Continues Decline

CHICAGO (CBS) -- As public health officials announced more than 1,400 new COVID-19 cases in Illinois on Tuesday, the state's seven-day average positivity rate again came in at 3.6%, the lowest it's been since late July.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 1,466 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, including 20 additional deaths.

Since the start of the pandemic, IDPH has announced a total of 264,210 cases of COVID-19, including 8,332 deaths.

The new cases reported Monday came as the state reported 39,031 new tests, for a one-day positive test rate of 3.75%. The statewide average positivity rate for the past week is 3.6% for the second day in a row. Until Monday, that metric, which experts rely on most to determine the spread of the virus, hadn't been that low since July 25, according to data from IDPH.

As of Monday night, 1,584 virus patients were being treated in Illinois hospitals, including 373 people in intensive care, and 144 on ventilators. The state's coronavirus hospitalization figures have been relatively flat this summer, even as overall cases were steadily rising for most of July and August.

So far, the vast majority of COVID-19 patients have recovered from the disease, with a 96% statewide recovery rate as of Tuesday. The state's recovery rate calculates the number of people who have tested positive for the virus, and have survived at least 42 days after their test.