Fifty-eight counties now at ‘high’ community level of COVID-19

Over half of Illinois’ 102 counties are now at the level where masks are recommended in indoor public spaces, according to data released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fifty-eight counties are now at a “high” community level of COVID-19. It’s an eight-county increase from the prior week.

Thirty-six counties are at a “medium” risk level, down eight from the prior week.

As of Wednesday, 1,479 Illinoisans were in the hospital with COVID-19, up 76 from Tuesday and up 103 from the prior week.

Of the patients in the hospital, 157 were in intensive care units, up six from Tuesday and up 25 from the prior week. Twenty percent of Illinois’ ICU beds were available, down 1 percentage point from the prior week.

There were 49 patients on ventilators, the same as Tuesday and up 13 from the prior week.

The Department of Public Health reported 6,636 new COVID-19 cases and 11 new deaths on Thursday. The new cases bring the state total to 3,523,006, while the death toll is at 34,302.

The seven-day average for new cases on Thursday was 4,514, down 323 from the prior week. The seven-day average for daily deaths is eight, down one from the prior week.

The seven-day case rate per 100,000 people is 35.4, down 2.6 from the prior week.

Illinois vaccinators have administered 22,881,691 COVID-19 vaccines, including 4,659,824 booster doses. The seven-day average for doses administered is 13,399.