State records 2,121 virus cases, but positivity test rate drops
Public health officials on Saturday announced another 2,121 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Illinois, the second straight day the state logged 2,000 or more cases.
But they were confirmed among 56,594 tests, lowering the statewide testing positivity rate over the last week to 3.7%. That’s the number experts focus on to gauge how rapidly the virus is spreading.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also announced 22 more COVID-19 patients have died, raising the state’s pandemic death toll to 8,295. The latest victims included a Cook County man in his 30s and another in his 40s.
Of nearly 4.7 million COVID-19 tests administered statewide over the last six months, 259,909 people have tested positive.
Illinois’ positivity rate dipped below 4% this week for the first time since July 31, leaving Gov. J.B. Pritzker “pleased” with the way numbers have trended following a mid-summer resurgence — but officials warn the virus is still here for the long haul, especially if residents don’t take precautions seriously.
Saturday’s caseload marked the 13th time Illinois has logged 2,000 or more cases in a single day since Aug. 7, following a two-month stretch without topping that mark. But the state has also seen a dramatic increase in testing capacity.
As a result, Chicago’s positivity rate has held steady at 5.1%, while suburban Cook County is at 5.8%. The McHenry-Lake county region is at 6.4%, DuPage-Kane region at 5.6% and Will-Kankakee at 7.3%.
As of Friday night, 1,509 Illinois coronavirus patients were hospitalized, with 344 in intensive care units and 170 on ventilators.