Illinois COVID Update: IL reports 365 cases, 11 deaths; Chicago sees 'exponential decay'

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois public health officials reported 365 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 11 related deaths Tuesday, as the state moves toward a full reopening this week.

There have been 1,385,854 total COVID cases, including 22,974 deaths in the state since the pandemic began.

Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported testing 36,408 specimens for a total of 24,949,758 since the pandemic began.

The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from June 1 to June 7, is 1.3%.

Chicago is now averaging fewer than 100 daily COVID cases compared to more than 2,300 cases in November.

"We're seeing what we call 'exponential decay,'" explained CDPH Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady. "When an outbreak is growing really quickly, you get this exponential increase at the beginning, but then when an outbreak is coming under control you'll see this exponential decay."

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As of Monday night, 791 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 226 patients were in the ICU and 117 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

A total of 11,708,874 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of Monday night. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 42,852. There were 44,174 doses reported administered in Illinois Monday.

Officials reported Tuesday that more than 68% of adults have received a COVID vaccine and 51% are fully vaccinated.

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With the pandemic winding down, it's time to start tying the knot again. But couples are learning that love is indeed patient.

"If they're open to 2022, that's the direction that they should head to," said wedding planner Jane Himmel.

Himmel said for some Chicago venues, they should even be prepared to look to 2023.

"I was at a venue, and they are already booked every single Saturday night for 2022," she said.

Consumers are ready to spend, according to industry experts, and data from the Chicago Loop Alliance shows that as of May, pedestrian traffic is about 45% of normal 2019 levels and parking garage use is at 56% of normal. But office occupancy is just 20% of what it was two years ago.

"Now it's summer. The kids are out of school anyway, and so it's difficult to bring people back, so most of our respondents to our survey said third quarter," said Michael Edwards, president and CEO of Chicago Loop Alliance.

Officials say the bulk of new infections is occurring in communities with the lowest vaccination rates.

The deaths reported Tuesday include:

- Boone County: 1 male 60s

- Champaign County: 1 male 50s

- Cook County: 2 males 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s

- DuPage County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s

- Marion County: 1 male 60s

- Peoria County: 1 male 60s

- Will County: 1 male 50s