Twenty counties at high COVID-19 community levels

The number of Illinois counties where masks are recommended in indoor public spaces due to COVID-19 trends fell on Thursday, according to data recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Twenty counties are at a “high” community level of COVID-19, down eight from last week. Forty-six counties are at a “medium” risk level.

As of Wednesday, 1,190 Illinoisans were in the hospital with COVID-19, down 98 from Tuesday and down 132 from the prior week.

The Department of Public Health reported 3,111 new COVID-19 cases and 19 new deaths on Thursday. The new cases bring the state total to 3,731,410, while the death toll is at 34,875.

The seven-day average for new cases on Thursday was 2,629, down 353 from the prior week. The seven-day average for daily deaths is 12, up four from the prior week.

The seven-day case rate

per 100,000 people is 20.6, down 2.8 from the prior week.