COVID-19 In Illinois: Positivity Rate Hits Three-Week Low, Hospitalizations Down Three Days In A Row
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Illinois reported its lowest COVID-19 infection rate in three weeks on Friday, as new cases continued to drop, and hospitalizations from the virus fell for the third day in a row.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 3,369 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 on Friday, as well as 22 more deaths.
Illinois is averaging 2,816 new coronavirus cases per day over the past week, a 15% decrease from one week ago. However daily case loads in April remain much higher than March, with 3,109 cases per day so far this month, up 87% over the same time period last month.
Since the start of the pandemic, Illinois has reported a total of 1,316,091 cases, including 21,777 deaths.
The statewide seven-day average case positivity rate is down to 3.6%, the lowest it's been since April 2. The case positivity rate was 4.2% one week ago.
As of Thursday night, a total of 2,112 coronavirus patients were hospitalized in Illinois, including 506 in the ICU and 230 on ventilators.
Illinois is averaging 2,178 hospitalizations per day over the past week, up 10% over the week before. So far in April, Illinois is averaging 1,910 hospitalizations per day, up 64% over the same time period in March.
However, statewide hospitalizations have dropped three days in a row now, the first time that's happened since early March.
Meantime, Illinois has received a total of 10,802,075 doses of vaccine since December, and has administered 8,610,478 doses statewide. Illinois is averaging 118,741 vaccinations per day over the past week.
A total of 3,648,936 people in Illinois are now fully vaccinated as of Thursday night, accounting for 28.64% of the population.
