CHICAGO (CBS) — Illinois has once again set new records for COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, as new infections continue to surge statewide.
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 44,089 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, by far the most reported in a single day. The previous record was the 32,279 new cases reported on Wednesday. It’s the fourth time in the past eight days Illinois has set a new record for daily COVID-19 infections.
Illinois is averaging 27,141 new cases per day over the past week, a 280% increase over the past month.
The state also set another new record for COVID-19 hospitalizations, with 7,098 people being treated fro COVID-19 at Illinois hospitals as of Wednesday night. It’s the first time Illinois has surpassed 7,000 hospitalizations, and the fourth day in a row the state has set a new record for hospitalizations.
Illinois also reported 104 new deaths today, the first time the state has seen 100 deaths or more in a day in nearly 11 months. Illinois is now averaging 63 deaths per day over the past week, up 91% over the past month.
The statewide average case positivity rate is up to 14.7%, higher than at any point during the fall surge of 2020, when the rate reached as high as 13.7%. The state’s infection rate peaked at 24.2% during the early days of the pandemic on April 6, 2020.
