COVID-19 In Illinois: State Surpasses 18,000 Deaths, But Infection Rate At Lowest Point In Nearly 3 Months
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Although Illinois reached another somber landmark in the pandemic on Friday, with more than 18,000 deaths from COVID-19 so far, the state's infection rate continued its recent downward trend, reaching its lowest point since late October.
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Friday reported 6,642 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases, as well as 123 additional deaths.
Since the start of the pandemic, Illinois has reported a total of 1,059,324 virus cases, including 18,049 deaths.
Meantime, the state's seven-day average case positivity rate is down to 6.5%, the lowest it's been since Oct. 27. The state's infection rate has been dropping for seven days in a row, after climbing for nearly two weeks after Christmas.
As of Thursday night, 3,446 coronavirus patients were being treated in Illinois hospitals, including 712 in the ICU, and 386 on ventilators.
COVID hospitalizations in Illinois have now been below 4,000 per day for 15 days in a row. Coronavirus hospitalizations in Illinois peaked 6,175 on Nov. 20, although there are still far more COVID-19 patients in the hospital now than at the start of the fall surge in early October, when the state was averaging about 1,500 hospitalizations per day.
IDPH also said a total of 995,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been delivered statewide as of Thursday night. A total of 447,348 doses have been administered so far, including 56,624 at long-term care facilities.
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