The state of Illinois reported its fewest new COVID cases in more than a month as metrics continue to plummet in several key areas.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state reported 6,654 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID in the last 24 hours, the lowest single-day number of cases reported since Dec. 13.
The state is now averaging 11,873 new cases of COVID per day, continuing a dramatic decline in that number. According to IDPH data, that number marks a decline of 63.5% in new daily cases since the Illinois peaked on Jan. 12, and the average number is the lowest it has been since Dec. 21.
Officials are also reporting a slow decline in the number of deaths the state has seen due to COVID, with 28 new fatalities reported in the last 24 hours. The state is now averaging 108 fatalities per day due to the virus.
In all, 30,913 Illinois residents have died due to complications from COVID-19, with another 3,791 deaths currently listed as “probable” COVID fatalities.
The state’s testing numbers are also on the decline, with 105,727 new tests in the last 24 hours. In all, Illinois is averaging 164,204 new tests per day, and has performed more than 51.2 million tests during the pandemic.
The positivity rate is also rapidly declining on Illinois COVID tests, falling to 7.2% on all tests and 9.1% on all individuals tested.
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Finally, hospitalizations are continuing to decline quickly, with 3,870 hospitalized patients currently positive for COVID in the state. That is the lowest number since December, with a decline of 47.6% in hospitalizations in just the last two weeks.
Of those patients, 684 are in intensive care units, representing a 41.8% decrease in ICU admissions since the state saw a peak on Jan. 13.
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Nearly 3.9 million Illinois residents have received their COVID booster shots, with more than 20.5 million doses of the vaccine administered.
Of the state’s eligible population, 70.3%, or 8.4 million residents, are fully vaccinated against the virus, according to officials.
