Illinois' average number of deaths per day and hospitalizations have roughly doubled in the last month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.
During his daily coronavirus briefing Wednesday, Pritzker said numbers for hospitalizations and positivity rates continue to rise across the state's 11 regions, which are now all under heightened mitigations amid what's been called a "second surge" of the virus.
"The virus is spreading, and every region of the state is suffering from its insidious, invisible contagion," Pritzker said. "Make no mistake: this pandemic isn't over, not by a long shot."
Pritzker said the state was averaging 23 deaths due to coronavirus per day at the start of October. That number has since risen to 45, he said.
In addition, the number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 was averaging about 1,500 cases per day and has now spiked to its current average of about 3,300.
"It’s not enough for us to just 'know more' – we have to act differently," Pritzker said. "Mitigations that limit public interactions only work if everyone takes some personal responsibility for masking, social distancing, and following the CDC and IDPH guidelines. So please: do your part and do what it takes to keep yourself and your family safe."
Illinois saw another jump in its seven-day positivity rate Wednesday, as the state reported 7,538 new cases of coronavirus and 55 deaths within 24 hours.
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The new cases, which mark the state's second-highest of the pandemic, lifted Illinois' rolling seven-day positivity rate rise from 8.2% to 8.5%, the highest mark the state has seen since at least late May when the state was on its way down from its first coronavirus cases peak.
In all, 437,556 cases of the virus have been reported statewide since the pandemic began.
According to officials with the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state also reported 55 additional deaths Wednesday, bringing the statewide total to 9,933 deaths related to the virus.
Along with the increases in cases and positivity rates, the state has also seen a continued rise in hospitalizations due to the virus. According to IDPH, 3,761 residents are currently hospitalized because of the virus, the highest number in that category since May 30. Of those patients, 776 are currently in intensive care units and 327 are on ventilators.
Data indicates Illinois will soon surpass a grim milestone, reaching 10,000 deaths statewide during the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, the state is recording its highest average daily case rate on record with 6,923 new cases per day - an increase of more than 200 cases per day in the last 24 hours alone. When tallied per 100,000 residents, Illinois is now averaging 54.6 new cases per day, soaring well above the daily case rate required to be on Chicago's travel order.
"I know that we can find a way through this," Pritzker said Wednesday. "Time and again, even when the people of Illinois are set back on our heels, we find a way to move forward. And I’m confident that when we work together, we will eradicate this virus, return to our normal way of life and help our neighbors who are struggling."
