IDPH reports highest number of new COVID-19 cases since February

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 3,931 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the highest single-day total in over two months.

It’s the most since 5,311 cases were reported on Feb. 11.

The seven-day average for new cases on Wednesday was 2,560, up 832 from the prior week. The seven-day case rate per 100,000 people is 20.1, up 6.5 from the prior week.

The city of Chicago has seen similar trends. Dr. Allison Arwady, the city’s public health commissioner, said this week they remain in good control of the virus.

​​“The steady, gradual increase in cases does not suggest that we will see a large spike like we saw with the original omicron variant,” she said. “Even more important – and very different from the beginning of the pandemic – very few cases are resulting in severe illness, thanks to widespread vaccination.”

IDPH reported nine deaths on Wednesday. The seven-day average for daily deaths at seven, down one from the prior week.

As of Tuesday, 568 Illinoisans were in the hospital with COVID-19, up two from Monday and up 49 from the prior week.

Of the patients in the hospital, 61 were in intensive care units, down 12 from Monday and down four from the prior week. Twenty-four percent of Illinois’ ICU beds were available, up one from the prior week.

There were 29 patients on ventilators, down seven from Monday and down six from the prior week.

About 81.2 percent of eligible Illinoisans ages 5 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 72.8 percent are fully vaccinated.

Illinois vaccinators have administered 21,719,853 COVID-19 vaccines, including 4,360,407 booster doses. The seven-day average for doses administered is 18,128.