Illinois COVID-19: IL reports 2,514 new coronavirus cases, 25 deaths

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois public health officials announced 2,514 new cases of COVID-19 and 25 additional deaths Friday.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois now stands at 283,885 with 8,563 deaths, the IDPH reported.

As of Thursday night, 1,637 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, with 371 patients in the ICU and 124 on ventilators.

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Over a 24-hour period, officials said the state processed more than 69,793 specimens for a total of 5,363,471. The seven-day positivity rate from Sept. 18 - 24 is 3.6%

The deaths include:

- Cook County: 1 male 60s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s, 1 female 100+

- Cumberland County: 1 female 80s

- Green County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s

- Jersey County: 1 male 90s

- Kane County: 1 male 50s

- Menard County: 1 male 90s

- Richland County: 1 male 80s

- Saline County: 1 male 70s

- St. Clair County: 1 female 70s

- Tazewell County: 1 female 70s

- Will County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s

- Williamson County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s

Seventeen Illinois counties are considered to be at warning level for COVID-19, including Bond, Boone, Cass, Christian, Clinton, Crawford, DeWitt, Fayette, Grundy, Hamilton, Macon, Menard, Peoria, Putnam, Washington, Wayne and Winnebago.

Although the reasons for counties reaching a warning level varies, some of the common factors for an increase in cases and outbreaks are associated with university and college parties as well as college sports teams, large gatherings and events, bars and clubs, weddings and funerals, long-term care facilities, correctional centers, schools and cases among the community at large, the state said.

Public health officials are reportedly observing people not social distancing, gathering in large groups and not using face coverings. Some communities lack access to convenient testing before people become symptomatic. In some counties, local law enforcement and states' attorneys are not enforcing important mitigation measures like social distancing and the wearing of face coverings. Additionally, some people refuse to participate in contact tracing and are not providing information on close contacts or answering the phone, the state said.