Illinois health officials reported another 3,629 cases of coronavirus on Saturday as the state’s seven-day positivity rate continues to inch higher.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Saturday’s new coronavirus cases bring the statewide total to 339,803 since the pandemic began.
Officials also reported 27 additional deaths over the last 24 hours, bringing the state’s total number of COVID-19-related fatalities to 9,192.
Over the last 24 hours, 77,489 new tests have been turned in to state laboratories, bringing the total number of tests performed during the pandemic to 6,696,257.
The seven-day positivity rate now stands at 5.2%, the highest that number has been since all the way back on June 7. That rate has been on a steady upward trajectory since early October, worrying state health officials who have warned about the dangers of a surge in coronavirus cases as cooler weather begins to take hold.
As of midnight, there are 2,073 patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Illinois, the highest number of hospitalizations in the state since mid-June. 422 of those patients are currently in intensive care unit beds, with 165 on ventilators.
