COVID update: Illinois reports 4,902 new cases, 16 new deaths

Omicron-specific COVID vaccine booster shots arrive in Chicago

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Thursday, September 8, 2022
FDA clears updated COVID booster vaccines targeting newest omicron variant strain
The hope is that the modified boosters will blunt yet another winter surge.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois reported 2,653 new COVID cases and 18 new deaths Thursday.

The Illinois Dept. of Public Health says "daily deaths reported on weekends and at the beginning of the week may be low" and "those deaths will be captured in subsequent days."

The video from the player above is from a previous report.

There have been at least 3,713,008 total COVID cases in the state since the start of the pandemic and at least 34,793 related deaths.

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As of Wednesday night, 1,322 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 168 patients were in the ICU, and 44 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

The daily case rate per 100,000 population is at 23.4.

A total of 23,264,977 vaccine doses have been administered in Illinois as of Wednesday and 65.56% of the state's population is fully vaccinated. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 2,972.

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A tweaked vaccine aimed at the latest COVID variant has arrived in Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Tuesday.