Illinois reported more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases on Friday, setting a new one-day record for the second day in a row as the state's positivity rate continues to climb.
The state reported 10,376 new coronavirus cases and 49 additional deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to the latest data released Friday by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The latest figures bring Illinois' total to 465,540 cases and 10,079 deaths across the state since the pandemic began. The total number of cases increased by more than 18,000 (well above the 10,000 confirmed cases reported Friday) from the figures released the day before due to a change in the way probable cases are being reported moving forward, officials said.
IDPH said beginning Friday, officials will "report confirmed cases and probable cases combined" under guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"A confirmed case is laboratory confirmed via molecular test. A probable case meets clinical criteria AND is epidemiologically linked, or has a positive antigen test," IDPH said in announcing the new cases and change in reporting. "If a probable case is later confirmed, the case will be deduplicated and will only be counted once. Probable deaths and confirmed deaths will continue to be reported separately."
The state said Friday that 98,401 test results were returned to state labs in the last 24 hours, with 8,215,129 total tests performed during the pandemic.
The new cases lifted Illinois' rolling seven-day positivity rate rise from 9.1% to 9.6%, 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.
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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 data, 4,090 residents are currently hospitalized because of the virus. Of those patients, 786 are currently in intensive care units and 339 are on ventilators.
State health officials also announced Friday that 75 counties in Illinois are now at a warning level for the spread of coronavirus. Those counties include: Adams, Alexander, Bond, Boone, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Chicago, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Effingham, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Madison, Marion, Mason, Massac, McHenry, Mercer, Monroe, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Rock Island, Saline, Sangamon, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago, and Woodford.
