Illinois' average number of new coronavirus cases in recent weeks has climbed steadily enough to reverse more than half the progress made after the pandemic appeared to peak in the state in early May, public health data shows.
When the coronavirus pandemic reached an apparent peak in Illinois in early May, the state saw a record high daily average of cases of 2,565 cases on both May 4 and May 7.
That average is calculated as a seven-day moving average, which is the average of the number of cases on a given day, plus the previous six. Public health experts say that figure is considered the norm to calculate and examine any trendline.
After a few ups and downs with the average numbers through mid-May, that daily average began to drop steadily starting on May 24, signaling that the pandemic's peak in the state was coming to an end.
The daily average number of cases on May 24 was 2,299, before it fell quickly and steeply in just 25 days to reach 596 average daily cases on June 18. That 596 figure was 1,969 fewer daily average cases than the record high seen on May 4 and May 7.
But in the days since reaching that low on June 18, Illinois has seen a steady rise in new cases, to the point where, as of Tuesday, the state was back up to an average of 1,748 new cases each day. That marks an increase in the average of 1,152 cases from that low of just 596 average daily cases in June.
That increase of 1,152 cases is more than 58% of the 1,969-case drop in the daily average that Illinois saw from its record high through mid-June, meaning the state has lost more than half of the overall downward progress made after the virus peaked in early May.
