Illinois COVID Update: IL reports 5,748 new cases, 14 deaths

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois reported 5,748 new COVID cases and 14 deaths Wednesday.

There have been at least 3,157,458 total COVID cases, including at least 33,643 related deaths in the state since the pandemic began.

As of Tuesday night, 820 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 87 patients were in the ICU, and 22 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators. IDPH reports 25% of ICU beds across the state are available.

A total of 21,984,552 vaccine doses have been administered in Illinois as of Tuesday, and 64.74% of the state's population is fully vaccinated. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 14,479.

DuPage County and suburban Cook County have moved to a "medium" level of COVID transmission risk due to the increased number of positive cases, according to health officials.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 Community Levels Framework defines "medium" transmission as higher than 200 cases per 100,000 residents, and as of Thursday, suburban Cook County is reporting 210 cases per 100,000 residents in the last 7 days, health officials said.

Case numbers, new hospital admission and beds occupied by COVID patients are the three metrics used by the CDC to determine if a county is low, medium or high risk. Hospitalizations in Cook and DuPage counties remain low.

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On Tuesday, Chicago Dept. of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady announced the city's distinction of "low" for COVID transmission will be upgraded in coming days.

"We probably will turn from low to medium risk," Arwady said. "However, we are currently only planning to put mask requirements in place at a high risk level."

Walgreens said they are monitoring the situation and currently keeping up with demand for testing in store and with over-the-counter tests. CVS said they also have tests and testing available.

With COVID is on the rise across the Chicago area, Wellness Home on Halsted said they have seen more people looking for COVID testing recently.

"There's kids being exposed at school, people being exposed at events, there are people who are being exposed by family members," nurse practitioner Debbie Conti said.

While Conti is hopeful, she and the rest of the staff are preparing for even more patients seeking testing if they were exposed or unwell, and again when they are better, to show proof of a negative COVID test to employers or schools in order to return.

"I hope we are able to control it and reduce the effects on society and reduces deaths," Conti said, "because there are complex outcomes and there's long-term COVID. You want to avoid all that."