IDPH reports new 2021 high for COVID-19 cases

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 11,858 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest single-day number in over a year.

Thursday’s number is the highest since Dec. 1, 2020, and surpasses 2021’s previous high of 11,524 cases reported on Dec. 2. The new cases bring the state total to 1,933,291.

The seven-day average for new cases is 8,011, up 912 from a week ago. It’s the first time the state has averaged over 8,000 daily cases since Dec. 16, 2020.

The death toll is 27,065 after 52 more deaths were reported Thursday. The seven-day average for daily deaths is 43, up five from the prior week.

As of Wednesday, 3,725 Illinoisans were in the hospital with COVID-19, up 111 from Tuesday and up 547 from the prior week. It’s the highest number of hospitalizations since 3,777 were reported on Jan. 7.

Of the patients in the hospital, 772 were in the ICU, up 13 from Tuesday and up 100 from the prior week. There were 391 patients on ventilators, up nine from Tuesday and up 92 from 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 5.9 percent.

About 75.6 percent of eligible Illinoisans ages 5 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 67.5 percent are fully vaccinated.

Illinois vaccinators have administered 18,403,106 COVID-19 vaccines, per state data. The seven-day average of doses administered is 67,956.