Illinois reports 2,257 new COVID-19 cases, 30 deaths

The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday announced another 2,257 people had tested positive for COVID-19 and 30 more deaths from the virus.

The state’s test positivity rate — the number used to gauge how quickly the virus is spreading — between Sept. 17 and 23 remains at 3.5%, the lowest rate since late July.

Of the 30 new coronavirus-related deaths, seven were in Cook County, with the deceased ranging in age from their 50s to their 90s. More than 5,100 people have died of the virus in Cook County, according to the IDPH and the county medical examiner’s office.

IDPH data show that, over the past two weeks, Chicago’s seven-day positivity rate has fallen from 5.3% to 4.6%. In suburban Cook County, the positivity rate has dropped from 6% to 4.6% in that same period.

More than 8,500 people in Illinois have died of COVID-19 since the outbreak took hold earlier this year. The state has reported more than 281,000 positive cases out of nearly 5.3 million coronavirus tests administered.

On Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker praised the state’s testing efforts, saying: “At this point, we are by far the best testing state in the Midwest, and the best testing state between the two coasts.”

As of Wednesday night, more than 1,700 people were hospitalized statewide because of COVID-19, with 400 being treated in an ICU and 155 patients on ventilators, according to IDPH.

Illinois coronavirus patients have a recovery rate of 96%, and most people who contract the virus show mild or no symptoms.