COVID-19 In Illinois: State Receives 4 Millionth Dose Of Vaccine, Reaches New Low In Coronavirus Hospitalizations
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As registration opened Thursday for a new mass vaccination site at the United Center, Illinois marked two encouraging new milestones in the pandemic, with more than 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine delivered to the state so far, while Illinois also reached a new low for coronavirus hospitalizations.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported a total of 4,007,475 vaccine doses have been delivered so far, and 2,993,543 doses have been administered statewide as of Wednesday night.
A total of 93,302 doses went into arms in Illinois on Wednesday, the fourth highest daily total so far. Illinois is averaging 78,942 vaccinations per day over the past week, compared to 66,274 doses per day one week ago. So far, 952,141 people in Illinois have been fully vaccinated, accounting for 7.47% of the state's population.
Meantime, Illinois reported 1,740 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, as well as 42 new deaths. Since the start of the pandemic, the state has reported a total of 1,193,260 cases, including 20,668 deaths.
As of Wednesday night, 1,200 coronavirus patients were being treated in Illinois hospitals, including 260 in the ICU and 128 on ventilators. That's the fewest statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations since the state began tracking them in April.
The state's seven-day average case positivity rate remains at 2.4% for the sixth day in a row, tied for the lowest it's been since June 23. The state's average case positivity rate has been below 3% for 18 days in a row, the longest such stretch reported so far during the pandemic.