IDPH reports highest single-day number of COVID-19 cases in over a year

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 11,542 new COVID-19 on Thursday, the highest single-day total of 2021.

The reported cases are the highest since 12,542 were reported on Dec. 1, 2020. Thursday was the first time new cases have cracked five figures since 11,101 were reported on Dec. 10 of last year.

The new cases bring the state’s total to 1,827,518. The death toll is 26,499 after 40 more deaths were reported Thursday.

The seven-day average for new cases is 5,313, up 715 from a week ago. The seven-day average for daily deaths is 22, the same as the prior week.

As of Wednesday, 2,537 Illinoisans were in the hospital with COVID-19, up 79 from Tuesday and up 545 from the prior week. Of the patients in the hospital, 505 were in the ICU, up 35 from Tuesday and up 132 from the prior week. There were 214 patients on ventilators, up three from Tuesday and up 58 as the prior week.

The seven-day statewide positivity rate for cases as a percent of total tests is 4.7 percent. The seven-day statewide test positivity using the number of COVID-19 positive tests over total tests is 5.7 percent.

About 73.9 percent of eligible Illinoisans ages 5 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 65.7 percent are fully vaccinated.

Illinois vaccinators have administered 17,408,457 COVID-19 vaccines, per state data. The seven-day average of doses administered is 44,992.