COVID cases jump nearly 20% in Illinois over the past week
CHICAGO - Coronavirus cases in Illinois have jumped nearly 20% over the past week.
State health officials reported there were 17,462 new cases of coronavirus from Oct. 29-Nov. 5 compared to 14,616 cases the week before, marking a 19.5 percent bump.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the uptick could largely be due to the colder weather.
Last week's cold temperatures sent many people indoors with Chicago reporting the first freeze of the season.
According to Arwady, just like the cold and flu, we should expect an uptick of COVID-19 cases as we move into the winter months.
Illinois health officials have reported 1,720,345 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 25,986 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
Arwady and the state Department of Public Health are recommending anyone who is eligible to get the COVID vaccination and their flu shot to do so as soon as possible.
Over 77 percent of Illinoisans ages 12 and up have received at least one vaccination while 71 percent are fully vaccinated, per state data.