Illinois reports 1,848 new coronavirus cases, 22 more deaths
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - APRIL 13: A laboratory technician holds test tubes containing saliva swabs during coronavirus (COVID-19) symptom tests at Gemotest laboratory in Moscow, Russia on April 13, 2020. (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Public health officials on Wednesday announced another 1,848 coronavirus cases statewide, keeping the state’s positivity rate steady at 3.5%.
The new cases were among 46,391 test results submitted to the state, which measures close to September’s daily average. The Illinois Department of Public Health has reported an upward trend in testing since the beginning of the pandemic.
Illinois averaged about 44,000 tests a day in August, 35,000 in July, 23,000 in June, 20,000 in May, about 8,000 in April and less than 2,000 in March.
Meanwhile, the state has averaged about new 1,900 cases of coronavirus per day in September, less than the monthly average of about 2,100 cases a day in May, when the state saw its first peak.
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The health department on Wednesday also announced another 22 deaths died to the virus.
On Tuesday night, 1,563 people in Illinois were hospitalized with COVID-19, with 351 patient sin the ICU and 144 on ventilators, well below the state’s capacity.