More Than 2,300 New Coronavirus Cases Reported In Illinois With 56,000 Tests Seen In 24 Hours

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(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Keeping up with the recent streak of daily coronavirus case counts over 2,000, Illinois health officials reported another 2,356 cases Saturday and 17 deaths. 

The majority of deaths were in Cook County, with 11 in total, including one woman in her 20s. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported over 56,000 tests seen in the last 24 hours for a total of 3,649,685 tests taken in the state. 

The statewide rolling positivity rate remained at 4.3%, nearly two points higher than the level from early July.

In Chicago, over 8,000 tests have been done daily on average and the positivity rate is still 4.9%, which has been the same for most of August. Earlier in the month, the city rate crept up to 5.1%, per data from the Chicago Department of Public Health. 

On Friday, the state health agency identified 20 counties that have COVID metrics that put them at warning level: Bureau, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Henderson, Jefferson, Logan, Madison, Monroe, Moultrie, Randolph, St. Clair, Union, White, Will and Williamson.

IDPH officials attribute the surges to people gathering without taking precautions, among other factors.

As of last night, 1,488 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19.  Of those, 322 patients were in the ICU and 127 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

The state has now seen 218,285 cases, including 7,874 deaths.