Illinois COVID-19 Update: IL reports 8,691 cases, 90 coronavirus deaths

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois public health officials reported 8,691 COVID-19 cases and 90 related deaths Monday.

The total number of cases in Illinois now stands at 796,264, with a total of 13,343 deaths.

WATCH: Gov. Pritzker gives COVID-19 update Monday

Governor JB Pritzker gave a COVID-19 update as the state reported 8,691 new coronavirus cases and 90 deaths Monday, and as winter holiday celebrations loomed.

Over a 24-hour period, officials said the state processed 77,569 specimens. In total there have been 11,178,783 specimens tested since the start of the pandemic in Illinois.

RELATED: Illinois coronavirus testing: Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Illinois, Chicago area

The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from Nov. 30 - Dec. 6 is 11.9%.

The test positivity rate is a metric the state began providing in late October. It is calculated by using the total number of positive tests over the total number of tests. This is the metric being used to by state health officials to make decisions about mitigations.

As of Sunday night, 5,190 people in Illinois were reported to be hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 1,123 patients were in the ICU with COVID-19 and 648 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

Hospitalizations have fallen about 16% in the last couple weeks, but officials are still bracing for the possibility of a post-Thanksgiving surge.

"We still need more time," IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike explained. "It's too early to say. We will know more at the end of this week. That will be two weeks out, and then, for sure, maybe in the third week we can see what's happening and the extent of the rise."

Officials are keeping a close eye on the test positivity rate, which has essentially been level for the past week or so. Any rise in the coming days could signal an impact from Thanksgiving.

LaSalle Veterans Home administrator fired amid COVID outbreak investigation

Officials announced that LaSalle Veterans Home administrator Angela Mehlbrech had been fired. She will be replaced by Acting Assistant Director Anthony Vaughn as interim administrator, pending a search for a permanent replacement.

RELATED: Illinois losing battle to save veterans from COVID-19 at state care facilities

Gov. JB Pritzker said Monday that 39 of 96 residents at the facility have tested positive, along with 21 staff members.

"Since the moment that we found out there was an outbreak, there's been a lot of effort that been made to evaluate the problems at the home and to mitigate those problems. This is another way for us to keep the people at that home safe," the governor said.

The deaths reported Monday include:

- Champaign County: 1 female 90s

- Cook County: 1 female 30s, 2 males 40s, 4 females 50s, 5 males 50s, 3 females 60s, 3 males 60s, 10 females 70s, 8 males 70s, 7 females 80s, 13 males 80s, 2 females 90s, 5 males 90s

- DuPage County: 1 male 60s

- Fayette County: 1 male 90s

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

- Kane County: 1 female 20s, 1 male 50s

- Lake County: 1 female youth, 1 male 80s

- Madison County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s

- Marion County: 1 female 70s

- Mason County: 1 female 60s

- Massac County: 1 male 80s

- McHenry County: 1 female 70s

- McLean County: 1 female 80s

- Mercer County: 1 male 70s

- Peoria County: 1 female 70s

- St. Clair County: 1 male 50s

- Tazewell County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s

- Warren County: 1 female 50s

- Will County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s

- Woodford County: 1 female 100+