COVID-19 In Illinois: Lowest Daily Case Count In Nearly Six Weeks; More Than A Third Of Population Fully Vaccinated
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Illinois reported its lowest daily COVID-19 case count since the end of March on Thursday, as more than a third of the state's population has now been fully vaccinated, even as the average number of shots administered per day continues to fall.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,778 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, as well as 40 more deaths. It's the lowest daily coronavirus caseload since March 29, when the state reported 1,761 new cases.
Illinois is averaging 2,333 new cases per day over the past week, down 23% from four weeks ago.
Since the start of the pandemic, Illinois has reported a total of 1,348,176 cases, including 22,136 deaths.
The statewide seven-day average case positivity rate is down to 3.0%, the lowest it's been since March 27.
As of Wednesday night, a total of 2,055 coronavirus patients were hospitalized in Illinois, including 483 in the ICU and 243 on ventilators.
Hospitalizations are down slightly the past couple weeks in Illinois. Illinois is averaging 2,013 hospitalizations per day over the past week, down 4% in the past week, and down 7% in the past two weeks.
Meantime, more than a third of the state's population -- a total of 4,282,681 people -- has now been fully vaccinated. However, daily vaccinations have been dropping sharply in recent weeks.
Illinois is averaging 70,063 shots per day over the past week, down 28% from one week ago, 43% from two weeks ago, and 47% from the peak of 132,979 per day on April 12. The current daily vaccination average is the lowest it's been since Feb. 26.
