Illinois COVID Update: IL reports 2,413 cases, 30 deaths

BySarah Schulte and ABC7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Saturday, October 16, 2021
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CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois Department of Public Health officials reported 2,413 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 30 related deaths Friday.



There have been 1,665,777 total COVID cases, including 25,407 deaths in the state since the pandemic began.



The seven-day statewide test positivity rate from Oct. 8-14 is at 2.5 percent.



Please note: The video in the player above is from a previous report



In the past seven days, Illinois' COVID metrics have trended downward across the board, with new COVID cases down 19% compared to the week before. Coronavirus deaths are also trending down in the last week, though at a slower pace than new cases.



Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported testing 147,978 specimens for a total of 33,718,267 since the pandemic began.



As of Thursday night, 1,550 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19, the fewest since August 9. Of those, 341 patients were in the ICU and 172 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.



A total of 14,994,065 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of Wednesday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 27,051. State data shows 56% of the population in Illinois has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.



According to the CDC, Illinois the majority of Illinois counties are in the "high transmission" level, even though total case numbers have been trending down.


The CDC director has added frontline workers to the list of those eligible for booster shots, which also includes people 65 and older, nursing home residents and those 50 and above with chronic health care problems should get boosters 6 months after their first dose. The CDC said younger people with underlying health issues can decide for themselves.



With the CDC's recommendation, millions of Americans will now eligible for the booster shot, but the head of Pfizer said he believes there is enough supply to handle those people and those still awaiting their initial vaccination.

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