Illinois COVID-19 Update: IL reports 8,828 cases, 181 coronavirus deaths
More than 100 people have died from COVID-19 in Illinois each day for the last 10 days
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois public health officials reported 8,828 COVID-19 cases and 181 related deaths Wednesday.
The total number of cases in Illinois now stands at 879,428, with a total of 14,835 deaths.
WATCH: Gov. Pritzker gives COVID-19 update on Dec. 17, 2020
The number of COVID-19 deaths is still breaking records in Illinois. For the last 10 days straight, more than 100 people have died every day.
"It really seems worse to have someone get infected now and succumb to this virus when we're really close to having a way to have that not be the eventuality," Illinois Director of Public Health Dr. Ngozi Ezike said.
And that's because of the vaccine. Pfizer doses are now being administered across Illinois. Each vial was expected to provide five doses, but the FDA is updating its recommendation to use every full dose from each bottle.
"What people have seen here in Illinois and across other states, a sixth dose can be extracted from that vial and, in some cases, even a 7th dose," Dr. Ezike said.
RAW VIDEO: First COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Illinois
It's unclear how many more doses that means in our state, but it comes on the heels of a holiday warning. For the last two months, Dr. Ezike said the highest number of cases has been people ages 20 to 29 years old.
"While these younger people are much less likely to suffer severe illness, we still see that those younger individuals can expose our older family, older friends who could suffer illness if they were to gather for the holidays," Dr. Ezike said.
Like Thanksgiving, state officials recommending you only celebrate with people you live with.
"The best way we can protect our frontline workers and slow the spread of this virus is to double-down on mask wearing, social distancing, washing hands frequently," Gov. JB Pritzker said.
Over a 24-hour period, officials said the state processed 92,015 specimens. In total there have been 12,147,3093 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 Dec. 10-16 is 10.0%.
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 Wednesday night, 4,751 people in Illinois were reported to be hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 1,056 patients were in the ICU with COVID-19 and 575 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The deaths reported Thursday include:
- Boone County: 1 male 90s
- Bureau County: 1 female 90s
- Carroll County: 1 female 60s
- Champaign County: 1 female 70s
- Christian County: 1 female 80s
- Clinton County: 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
- Coles County: 1 female 80s
- Cook County: 1 male 20s, 3 males 40s, 6 males 50s, 3 females 60s, 5 males 60s, 10 females 70s, 18 males 70s, 5 females 80s, 6 males 80s, 5 females 90s, 4 males 90s, 1 female 100+
- Crawford County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Dewitt County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- DuPage County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s, 1 female 100+
- Edwards County: 1 female 80s
- Effingham County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s
- Fayette County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- Ford County: 1 female 80s
- Franklin County: 1 male 80s
- Grundy County: 1 female 100+
- Hardin County: 1 male 80s
- Henry County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 female 100+
- Iroquois County: 1 male 80s
- Jackson County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Kane County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Kankakee County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- Knox County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Lake County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- LaSalle County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Livingston County: 1 female 60s
- Macoupin County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- Madison County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 90s, 1 male 90s
- Marshall County: 1 male 70s
- Mason County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Massac County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- McHenry County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 60s
- McLean County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 3 males 80s, 1 male 90s
- Mercer County: 1 female 80s
- Peoria County: 1 female 90s
- Perry County: 1 female 90s
- Randolph County: 1 male 50s
- Richland County: 1 female 60s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Shelby County: 1 female 90s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s
- Stark County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 80s, 3 males 80s
- Vermilion County: 1 male 60s
- White County: 2 males 80s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 90s
- Will County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s
- Williamson County: 2 males 70s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
