CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — State health officials on Sunday reported 6,980 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Illinois, including 35 additional confirmed deaths. More than 78,000 COVID-19 tests were reported in the past 24 hours, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Illinois’ daily coronavirus caseload has surpassed 6,000 for most of the past 10 days, with the 7,899 infected reported for Saturday setting a record. To date, the state has a total of 417,280 cases, including 9,792 deaths, according to the IDPH.
Laboratories have reported 78,458 tests over the past 24 hours for a total 7,808,303. A reported 3,294 people in Illinois were in the hospital with COVID-19 as of Saturday night. Of those, 692 patients were in the intensive care unit and 284 with COVID-19 were on ventilators, according to the IDPH.
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“People can look at the numbers however they want to and make their own calculations, insert their hypotheses, but we aren’t going to deny that hospital beds are being used at a higher rate. Please ask any hospital executive across the state,” IDPH director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said during Friday’s daily press briefing when there were 19 fewer patients in the ICU compared to Sunday.
The increased infection rates have prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker to retighten coronavirus restrictions across the state.
The governor has called for a temporary ban on indoor bar and restaurant service in Chicago and several counties, including Cook, Lake and DuPage, over the past week. He’s also prohibited gatherings with more than 25 people.
Despite these mitigations, several municipalities and counties said they wouldn't enforce the rollbacks because they hurt local businesses while some restaurant and bar owners are challenging Pritzker in court.