Illinois COVID cases: IL reports record-high 30,386 new cases, 87 deaths

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois public health officials reported 30,386 new COVID-19 cases and 87 related deaths Thursday.

The number of new cases reported Thursday is the highest in a single day in Illinois, topping the previous record of 21,131 reported on December 24.

There have been 2,149,548 total COVID cases, including 27,821 deaths in the state since the pandemic began.

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The seven-day statewide test positivity rate is 14.4%.

Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported testing 196,449 new specimens for a total of 44,469,630 since the pandemic began.

As of Wednesday night, 5,689 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 1,010 patients were in the ICU and 565 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

A total of 19,176,277 vaccine doses have been administered in Illinois as of Wednesday, and 60.49% of the state's population is fully vaccinated. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 46,046.

Illinois adopts CDC quarantine guidelines

IDPH announced Thursday that it is adopting the CDC's updated guidance to shorten the isolation period for positive COVID cases and exposure.

The new guidance decreases isolation for people who test positive from 10 days to 5 days if they do not have symptoms. The guidelines also call for reducing quarantine from 10 days to five days for people in close contact with a COVID-19 case.

Additionally, Gov. JB Pritzker asked hospitals to postpone non-emergency surgeries and procedures Thursday.

The Illinois Health and Hospital Association is also making the request, saying it expects a surge of omicron COVID cases after the holidays and wants to keep hospital beds free.