More Than 16,700 New Illinois COVID-19 Cases Reported This Week

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Illinois state health officials announced more than 3,000 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, which represents a significant jump in cases in a week in which more than 16,700 new cases were announced.

In addition to the jump in positive cases, the Illinois Department of Public Health said that 64 COVID-19 related deaths have taken place over the past week. Friday's new case load of 3,040 confirmed cases marked the second straight day that more 3,000 cases were reported by the state.

Hospitalizations also rose dramatically over the past week as 1,200 patients are in the hospitals with COVID-19 as of Thursday night with 246 reported in intensive care. Hospitalizations are up 33 percent over the past week while new confirmed cases are up 43 percent from just a week ago, state health officials said.

On Friday, state health officials and the Illinois Department of Agriculture that attendees at the upcoming Illinois State Fair will be required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status.

In addition, all grandstand concert attendees will be required to wear masks to all performances. Ticket-holders in the grandstand track area will be required to provide a print or digital copy of personal vaccine care of a negative COVID-19 test within the 72 hours preceding the concert.

Masks will be provided at the grandstand upon entrance as well as in other locations throughout the fairgrounds and must be worn over the nose and mouth indoors and for the duration of all grandstand performances, officials said. The Illinois State Fairgrounds are located in Sangamon County, which is currently experiencing high transmission rates of COVID-19.

Much of the southern half of the state is designated as high transmission areas, according to state health officials, but more locally, Will County has also jumped into the red zone as well.

Health officials said that more than 120 new cases per 100,000 residents have been reported in Will County, which now has a 5.41 percent positivity rate. That compares to a 3.42 percent positivity rate in Cook County, which is averaging 76.23 cases per 100,000 residents over the past week.

Over the past three weeks, the state’s seven-day rolling positivity rate has jumped to 4.6 percent, which is the highest since May. Much of the jump has taken place because a surge in positive cases involving the delta variant, especially among the unvaccinated. According to state data, there are currently 11,012 positive cases involving the variant.

“The overwhelming majority of cases, the hospitalizations and the deaths are among those who are not vaccinated,” Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said at a news conference this week. “But the key is that we actually have the tools to turn the tide on the next wave. And that next wave wants to threaten us if we don’t avail ourselves of these tools.”

According to state health officials, 59 percent of Illinois residents ages 12 and up have been fully vaccinated while 67.3 percent have received at least one dose of the vaccines.

Much of Northern Illinois remains in the substantial case load level with the exception of Winnebago County (7.65 percent positivity rate) and Carroll County, where the positivity rate has reached.

As of Friday, 1.43 cases of the coronavirus have been reported in Illinois since the start of the pandemic and 23,503 people have died.