Illinois Reports Record 4,015 New Cases Of COVID-19; Average Positivity Rate Up To 4.9%
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting a record 4,015 new coronavirus cases in the past day, as well as 53 additional confirmed deaths, the most deaths reported in a single day since late June.
The previous record for new cases in a single day in Illinois was the 4,014 cases reported on May 12. Wisconsin (3,747), Indiana (1,945), Ohio (2,178), and Michigan (2,030) also set single-day records on Thursday.
While the state reported 5,368 new cases of COVID-19 on Sept. 4, that total included cases from several previous days, after the state cleared a backlog of cases caused by a slowdown in the public reporting of results.
The 4,015 new cases announced by IDPH is the most Illinois has reported from a single day of testing, and account for nearly 6% of the 67,086 new tests reported on Thursday. The statewide seven-day average positivity rate in Illinois is up to 4.9%, the highest it's been since June 8, when that metric was at 5%, while Illinois was still in Phase 3 of its reopening plan.
Hospital cases of COVID-19 also have been trending upward this month, with 1,932 people hospitalized with the virus in Illinois as of Tuesday night. Over the first two weeks of October, Illinois has averaged 1,742 virus patients hospitalized per day, compared to 1,545 per day for the first two weeks of September.
Since the start of the pandemic, Illinois has reported a total of 331,620 cases of COVID-19, including 9,127 deaths.
So far, the vast majority of coronavirus patients in Illinois have recovered from the disease, with a 96% statewide recovery rate as of Thursday. The state's recovery rate calculates the number of people who have tested positive for the virus, and have survived at least 42 days after their test.