CHICAGO —Illinois health officials said 1,373 new cases of COVID-19 and five additional coronavirus-related deaths have been confirmed over the past day Monday.
The 7-day coronavirus test positivity rate for September 7-13 declined slightly to 3.6 percent, near where it was in late July before rising to about 4 percent. To date, 262,744 cases of COVID-19 and 8,314 deaths have been reported in Illinois. Health officials estimate 96 percent of confirmed cases have recovered.
The five deaths reported Monday are below the 14-day average which has been around 21 since late August, data compiled by WGN shows. However, the number of reported deaths typically declines on Mondays, as many offices are closed over the weekend.
The 7-day average in coronavirus cases has continued to decline since rising to a peak in late August and came in at about 1,700 as of Monday, which remains above the low of about 600 reported in mid June.
Nearly 36,000 tests were performed over the past day, according to the state, while 7-day testing averages have remained at about 46,000 since late August, WGN’s data shows.
Stricter state-imposed coronavirus mitigation measures remain in place in the South Suburban region which includes Will and Kankakee counties, and the Metro East region outside St. Louis, after the 7-day coronavirus test positivity rates there passed the state’s limit of 8 percent.
While the positivity rate in the South Suburban region came in at 7.2 percent as of September 11 and has been below the 8 percent limit since September 3, the restrictions will remain in place until the 14-day average there drops below 6.5 percent. The rate in the Metro East region remains above the limit at 9.4 percent as of Friday.
Data from August 30 – September 5 released Friday found 30 counties met at least one of the state’s “warning” levels based on a wide range of metrics including number of new cases, cases as a percent of the population, or positivity rate.
Coronavirus hospitalizations and hospital resources remain well within guidelines put forward by the state with 1,431 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Sunday, including 335 in intensive care and 131 on ventilators.
In Chicago, 257 new COVID-19 cases and no additional deaths have been reported over the past 24 hours, state data shows. The city’s 7-day positivity rate came in at 5.3 percent as of Friday, near the city’s 5 percent guideline.
Indiana health officials reported 755 new COVID-19 cases and 2 additional deaths Monday, while the statewide positivity rate from September 1-7 came in at 4.9 percent.
