Illinois COVID-19 metrics see downtick as counties at ‘high’ community level rises

State data show a drop in COVID-19 metrics over the past week, even though the number of Illinois counties at a “high” level of the disease ticked up.

The Department of Public Health reported 32,268 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 last week, a 2.4 percent decrease from the prior week. Fifty-two more Illinoisans died.

The new cases bring the state’s total to 3,528,282. There have been 34,309 deaths.

The seven-day average for new cases on Friday was 4,610, down 114 from the prior week. The seven-day average for daily deaths is seven, down one from the prior week.

The seven-day rolling average case rate per 100,000 people is 36.2, down 0.9 from the prior week.

As of Thursday, 1,453 Illinoisans were in the hospital with COVID-19, down 26 from Wednesday and up 29 from the prior week.

Of the patients in the hospital, 145 were in intensive care units, down 12 from Wednesday and down seven from the prior week. Twenty percent of Illinois’ ICU beds were available, the same as the prior week.

There were 46 patients on ventilators, down three from Wednesday and up four from the prior week.

Fifty-eight counties are now at a “high” community level of COVID-19, the level at which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people mask indoors in public spaces. Thirty-six counties are at a “medium” risk level.

Cook County, which is in its second week at a “high” community level, has seen omicron subvariants become “firmly rooted” in the region, said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.

“As always, it is heartening to see our hospitalization rate and serious illness and deaths continue to remain low because so many of our residents are vaccinated,” she said.

According to CDC data, nearly 91 percent of COVID-19 cases in the Midwest as of July 16 were BA.4 and BA.5 omicron variants. The region includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Illinois vaccinators have administered 22,896,870 COVID-19 vaccines, including 4,662,727 booster doses. The seven-day average for doses administered is 13,232.

About 60.6 percent of total doses administered went to white Illinoisans, while 15.2 went to Latinx residents, 11.2 percent to Black residents and 7.2 to Asian residents. About 3 percent went to those identified as “other races” while 2.1 percent are “unknown.”