Three counties at ‘high’ community risk of COVID-19

Three Illinois counties are at the level where federal health officials urge masking in indoor public spaces due to COVID-19 trends, according to Thursday data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Knox, Saline. and Warren counties are at a “high” community level of COVID-19 spread. It’s the first time in a month that any Illinois county has been at that level.

Twenty-three counties are now at a “medium” risk level, up seven from the prior week.

As of Wednesday, 1,001 Illinoisans were in the hospital with COVID-19, up 35 from Tuesday and up five from the prior week. It’s the first time hospitalizations have surpassed 1,000 since Sept. 23.

The Department of Public Health reported 5,925 new COVID-19 cases and eight deaths on Thursday. The new cases bring the state total to 3,796,096, while the death toll is at 35,160.

The seven-day average for new cases on Thursday was 1,978, up 477 from the prior week. The seven-day average for daily deaths is seven, the same as the prior week.

The seven-day case rate per 100,000 people is 15.5, up 3.7 from the prior week.

About 74.4 percent of Illinoisans over the age of 5 are fully vaccinated. There have been 4,959,168 total booster doses administered, with the seven-day average for daily COVID-19 doses administered at 32,747.