Illinois health officials reported the state's highest number of daily coronavirus cases of the entire coronavirus pandemic so far on Thursday.
According to data released by the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state saw 6,363 new cases, a number higher than even daily totals reported during the coronavirus peak earlier this year.
There were also an additional 56 deaths reported in the state Thursday.
Thursday's new cases mark only the third time the state has reported a single-day total above 6,000. The new numbers bring the statewide total to 395,458 coronavirus cases since the pandemic began.
The new fatalities bring the state’s death toll to 9,675, according to state data.
A total of 83,056 new tests were performed over the last 24 hours, with 7,542,098 performed during the pandemic.
The state’s seven-day positivity rate, on a steady rise for nearly all of October, increased from 6.7% to 6.9% Thursday, marking the highest it has been since at least early June.
News
Hospitalizations increased again as well, health officials said, with 3,030 patients currently hospitalized due to COVID-19. Of those patients, 643 are in intensive care units, while 269 are currently on ventilators.
Thursday's metrics were announced as several counties - making up eight of the state's 11 healthcare regions- are set for enhanced mitigations, many of which took effect this week or will begin this weekend across the Chicago area.
Those mitigations include the shutdown of indoor dining and bar service as well as the limiting of group sizes to 25 people, among other changes.
