New COVID-19 infections down 38%, and deaths decline nearly 28%
Average new caseloads of COVID-19 in the state shrunk by 38.6%, in a week with hospitalization and death rates also steadily declining by about 28%, Illinois Department of Public Health data showed Thursday.
The seven-day average for new infections was 2,020 Thursday compared to 3,289 on Feb. 24. The seven-day average for people dying from COVID-19 was 47 on Thursday contrasted with 65 a week ago, a decrease of 27.7%.
COVID-19 patient averages dipped from 1,879 on Feb. 16 to 1,351 on Wednesday, a 28.1% decrease.
New cases numbered 1,979 Thursday, with 63 more deaths, the IDPH reported.
Illinois hospitals were treating 1,183 COVID-19 patients Wednesday night.
The state's seven-day average case positivity rate is 2%.
Total cases statewide stand at 3,024,663, and 32,580 Illinoisans have died since the pandemic began.
On Wednesday, 15,141 more COVID-19 vaccinations were administered. The seven-day average is 17,450.
So far, 8,526,505 people have been fully vaccinated, which is about 67.3% of Illinois' 12.7 million residents, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The CDC defines fully vaccinated as two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson's.
Among those fully vaccinated, 48.9% have received a booster shot.
The federal government has delivered 23,777,965 doses of vaccine to Illinois since distribution began in mid-December 2020, and 21,057,410 shots have been administered.
Labs processed 132,055 virus tests in the last 24 hours.