Illinois COVID Update: IL reports 4,267 cases, 29 deaths

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois public health officials reported 4,267 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 29 related deaths Thursday.

There have been 1,710,044 total COVID cases, including 25,926 deaths in the state since the pandemic began.

The seven-day statewide test positivity rate from Oct. 28-Nov. 3 is 2.4%.

RELATED: Chicago children under 12 begin getting COVID-19 vaccines

Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported testing 150,390 specimens for a total of 35,935,515 since the pandemic began.

As of Wednesday night, 1,246 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 278 patients were in the ICU and 146 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

A total of 15,858,720 vaccine doses have been administered in Illinois as of Thursday, and 57.38% of the state's population is fully vaccinated. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 54,013.

On Tuesday, the CDC approved vaccines for children ages 5-11. Several children under 12 in the Chicago area began receiving their vaccine doses on Wednesday.

Still, some adults remain hesitant about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Jose Contreras admitted it took a while, but the 30-year-old Blue Island resident finally received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Thursday.

"I had COVID before. I don't want to experience that. I don't want anyone else to experience it. So I'm doing my due diligence and getting shot," Contreras said.

Contreras got the shot at a Cook County Department of Public Health mobile clinic. While boosters and kid vaccines are available, the county continues to focus its main efforts on the first doses, especially in the south suburbs, where vaccination rates are much lower than the north suburbs.

"Really, we are having to up our game with education and outreach and that is what we are trying to do working with trusted community members," said Dr. Jacqueline Korpisc, CCDPH medical director of COVID response.

While access to the vaccine is no longer an issue, the effort is changing individual minds. It's been an uphill battle in Sauk Village. Trustee Debbie Williams and the mayor have strongly pushed for residents to get vaccinated.

"We've given opportunity over and over," Williams said. "It's a personal choice that people are not ready to make the decision yet."

Sauk Village ranks in the bottom five of Cook County municipalities with the lowest vaccination rates for one dose and the completed series. Only 31% of the south suburb is fully vaccinated. The village will continue to work with CCDPH to increase the numbers.

"I think the county has done above and beyond," Williams said. "They have contacted us. We have contacted them. They have been here every time we ask them to come."

The county will be back on Nov. 11 when the county's department of public health will hold a three-day vaccination clinic at the community center.