Illinois records 1,467 new COVID-19 cases, 14 more deaths

Illinois on Sunday notched its 12th straight day with a four-digit daily coronavirus caseload as health officials announced 1,467 new COVID-19 cases.

The new infections, which brings the state’s total to 181,943 cases, account for roughly 3.8% of the 38,945 tests results reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health in the last 24 hours, keeping the state’s testing positivity rate over the last week at 3.9%.

Illinois averaged 1,503 new cases a day over the last week. The last time the state averaged that many cases over a seven-day span was the last week in the peak month of May.

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For weeks, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been worrying about what he has called a “mild uptick” in COVID-19 cases could be a sign the state is “heading the wrong direction.”

Pritzker sounded the alarm Thursday, saying Illinois was at a “danger point” as cases continue to trend upward. And one day later, health officials put 11 of the state’s 102 counties on notice for being at a “warning level” after a series of outbreaks — mostly among young people — tied to risky activities, including large gatherings and crowded bars, churches and restaurants where social distancing guidelines weren’t enforced.

While cases continue to climb, coronavirus-related deaths have remained relatively low in Illinois over the last month. Officials announced another 14 deaths were attributed to the virus, including six reported in Cook County, increasing Illinois’ pandemic toll to 7,517.

That number is slightly below the daily death count average over the last 30 days of 17.

As of Saturday night, 1,407 coronavirus patients were hospitalized in Illinois, with 339 of those patients in intensive care units and 126 on ventilators, officials said.