Health officials in Illinois reported the state’s first case of the omicron variant in a Chicago resident Tuesday.
Illinois and Indiana are among the six states that have accounted for more than half of the United States' recent COVID-19 hospitalizations, a new report shows.
Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York round out the list of six states, which made up 60 percent of added hospital beds, according to an NBC News analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data.
Data recorded between Nov. 10 and Dec. 5 showed Illinois added 1,187 COVID hospitalizations and Indiana added 1,095.
Data from the Illinois Department of Public Health showed that on Monday, the state had 3,029 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. That number had climbed from 2,842 one day earlier.
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NBC Chicago research showed the number of COVID cases in Illinois continued its steady upward trend on Monday, with 8,700 new cases of the virus reported over the previous 24 hours.
According to IDPH, the state’s number of new COVID cases per day has continued to rise rapidly following the Thanksgiving holiday. On average, the state is seeing 7,146 new cases of COVID per day, the highest the average has risen since Dec. 20, 2020.
On Saturday, the state reported 6,374 new probable and confirmed cases of the virus, with another 4,036 cases reported on Sunday.
Those new case numbers are also coinciding with increased testing across the state, with Illinois reporting more new COVID tests per day than it has at any point during the pandemic. On Thursday, the state set a new record by reporting 231,876 new COVID test results, and while ensuing days have fallen short of that mark, they are still at high levels, with 148,527 results returned on Monday alone.
Health officials in Illinois reported the state's first case of the omicron variant in a Chicago resident Tuesday.
The case was reported in a fully vaccinated city resident who had also received a booster dose but was visited by an out-of-state traveler who also tested positive for the variant. The resident did not require hospitalization, is improving and has been self-isolating since their symptoms began, officials said.
“While unsurprising, this news should remind Chicagoans of the ongoing threat from COVID-19, especially as families prepare to come together over the holidays,” Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said in a statement. “We know how to slow the spread of this virus: get vaccinated, get boosted, get tested if you have symptoms or have been in contact with someone with COVID-19, and stay away from others if you test positive. Wear a mask indoors, avoid poorly ventilated spaces, practice social distancing, and wash your hands.”
