Counties at ‘high’ community levels of COVID-19 stay level

The number of Illinois counties at the level where masks are recommended in indoor public spaces has stayed the same, according to data released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Forty-two counties are at a “high” community level of COVID-19. Thirty-nine counties are at a “medium” level, a decline of nine.

As of Wednesday, 1,437 Illinoisans were in the hospital with COVID-19, up 13 from Tuesday and down 69 from the prior week.

Of the patients in the hospital, 160 were in intensive care units, down eight from Tuesday and down six from the prior week. Twenty percent of Illinois’ ICU beds were available, up 1 percentage point from the prior week.

There were 56 patients on ventilators, down six from Tuesday and down 26 from the prior week.

IDPH reported 5,020 new COVID-19 cases and 14 deaths on Thursday.

The new cases bring the state total to 3,641,081, while the death toll is at 34,578.

The seven-day average for new cases on Thursday was 3,420, down 721 from the prior week. The seven-day average for daily deaths is nine, down five from the prior week.

The seven-day case rate per 100,000 people is 26.8, down 5.7 from the prior week.

Illinois vaccinators have administered 23,157,840 COVID-19 vaccines, including 4,731,599 booster doses. The seven-day average for doses administered is 8,125.