Illinois COVID-19 metrics rise

After a dip in mid-July, Illinois’ COVID-19 metrics saw another increase last week, according to recent data from the Department of Public Health.

There were 35,371 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 reported last week by IDPH, a 9.6 percent increase from the prior week. Forty-eight more Illinoisans died.

The new cases bring the state’s total to 3,563,653. There have been 34,357 deaths.

The seven-day average for new cases on Friday was 5,053, up 443 from the prior week. The seven-day average for daily deaths is seven, the same as the prior week.

The seven-day rolling average case rate per 100,000 people is 39.7, up 3.5 from the prior week.

As of Thursday, 1,459 Illinoisans were in the hospital with COVID-19, down 17 from Wednesday and up six from the prior week.

Of the patients in the hospital, 153 were in intensive care units, down 18 from Wednesday and up eight from the prior week. Nineteen percent of Illinois’ ICU beds were available, down 1 percentage point from the prior week.

There were 43 patients on ventilators, the same as Wednesday and down three from the prior week.

Sixty-six 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-one counties are at a “medium” risk level.

Cook County, which is in its third week at a “high” community level, has seen a gradual increase in its COVID-19 trends, said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.

“The COVID-19 story remains largely unchanged from last week: The highly contagious omicron subvariants BA.4/BA.5 are leading to significant transmission and cases in Chicago, but because of vaccination, our hospitalization rate and serious illness and deaths continue to remain low,” she said Friday.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, nearly 95 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 22,985,407 COVID-19 vaccines, including 4,681,721 booster doses. The seven-day average for doses administered is 12,671.

About 60.7 percent of total doses administered went to white Illinoisans, while 15.2 went to Latinx residents, 11.3 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.”