For the first time in more than a month, the state of Illinois has averaged more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last seven days.
According to data released by the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state’s rolling seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases stands at 1,007.7 cases per day. The last time the number was over the 1,000 mark was on June 8, when the state was at 1,025.9 new coronavirus cases per day.
That number has been on the rise since June 18, when the state hit a low water mark of 4,175 cases reported over a seven day span.
While the increase could be tied at least in part to the state’s loosening of restrictions, increased testing has also caused that number to trend upward. When Illinois last registered an average of 1,000 new cases per day over a seven-day stretch, the state had conducted 140,600 cases during that time period.
As of today, Illinois has reported 231,606 tests over the last seven days, the highest-level of testing conducted in the state since the pandemic began.
That increase in testing has also led to a decline in the state’s seven day positivity rate on tests. On June 8, Illinois’ seven day positivity rate was at 5.1 percent. As of today, that number is just over 3 percent.
Even still, the increase in positive cases is worth noting, as other states across the country have seen dramatic increases in cases over the summer. Illinois, as one of the last states to begin loosening COVID-19 restrictions, has seen increases in positive tests, but not to the extent that states such as Florida, Texas and California have.
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The state’s Southern Region has seen case numbers and positivity rates increasing in the last week or so, with a positivity rate of 7 percent each of the last three days.
That increase in positive tests has pushed the region’s positivity rate up to five percent, more than double what it had been 14 days ago.
Meanwhile, the Northeast Region, where most of the state’s coronavirus cases had come from early in the pandemic, has remained largely flat in positivity rate, according to data from the IDPH.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has thus far declined to impose travel restrictions on the state, but Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration has said that all travelers from coronavirus hotspots will need to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving in the city.
Pritzker did say this week that he would consider closing indoor service in restaurants and bars, among other restrictions, if coronavirus numbers continue to rise.
