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Illinois reports fewest COVID-19 patients in the hospital since Oct. 30 as two regions advance to increases in indoor dining

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 4,979 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 123 additional deaths Thursday, and a total of 120,944 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered.

The seven-day rolling average of Illinois’ positivity rate decreased from 5.5% to 5.4%. The state received the results of 99,036 COVID-19 tests in the 24 hours leading up to Thursday afternoon.

Illinois has seen 1,086,333 total cases of the virus, and 18,520 people have died. The state has conducted a total of 15,083,685 tests since the start of the pandemic.

As of late Wednesday, Illinois had 3,281 COVID-19 patients in the hospital, the fewest since Oct. 30. Of those, 662 were in intensive care units, the fewest since Oct. 28, and 358 were on ventilators.

To see definitions of key terms used in our COVID-19 updates, read this article titled, “Feeling lost in keeping up with the news?”

Vaccine update: As of Thursday, IDPH reported a total of 1,425,075 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been distributed statewide, with 572,389 vaccines administered.

As of the time this story was published, 120,944 of the population of Illinois have been fully vaccinated, or 0.95%. Illinois has a population of 12,741,080 people.

There can be as much as a 72-hour delay in reporting from healthcare providers on vaccines administered.

In northern Illinois, here is the percentage of the population fully vaccinated by county:

Chicago: 1.03%

Suburban Cook: 1.00%

Lake: 0.88%

McHenry: 0.68%

DuPage: 1.51%

Kane: 0.84%

Will: 1.09%

Kendall: 1.14%

La Salle: 0.74%

Grundy: 0.56%

DeKalb: 0.52%

Ogle: 0.95%

Lee: 0.57%

Whiteside: 0.70%

Regional update: As of Thursday, the state’s 11 health care regions are in one of four varied restricted mitigations. Phase 4, Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3. Phase 4 is the least restrictive of the mitigations, and allows for among other things, indoor dining and most high school sports. Tier 3 is the most restrictive, and does not allow for indoor dining or high school sports.

Region 7 advanced to Tier 1 on Thursday, opening up limited indoor dining, while Region 6 (Champaign area) advanced to Phase 4. Region 4 (St. Louis area) will advance to Tier 2 on Friday “if all the mitigation metrics continue to improve,” according to a news release from IDPH.

Phase 4: Regions 3, 5 and 6

Tier 1: Regions 1, 2 and 7

Tier 2: Regions 8, 9, 10 and 11

Tier 3: Region 4

Click here for a definition of each phase and tier, and what is open/available.

Regional data from the IDPH remains on a three-day lag.

How can a region advance a tier?

In order to move to Tier 1 mitigations, a region must meet the following metrics:

• A test positivity rate between 6.5 and 8% for three consecutive days, as measured by the 7-day rolling average; AND

• ≥20% available staffed ICU hospital beds for three consecutive days, on a 7-day rolling average; AND

• No sustained increase in the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 for seven out of 10 days, on a 7-day average.

In order to move to Phase 4, a region must meet the following metrics:

• A test positivity rate less ≤6.5% for three consecutive days, as measured by the 7-day rolling average; AND

• ≥20% available staffed ICU hospital beds for three consecutive days, on a 7-day rolling average; AND

• No sustained increase in the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 for seven out of 10 days, on a 7-day average.

The North Suburban region (McHenry and Lake counties) has seen zero days at or under 8% for its COVID-19 test positivity rate. The region’s positivity rate decreased to 8.1%. Currently, 25% of ICU beds are available.

The region has 11 consecutive days over the 20% threshold for ICU bed availability.

Within this region, McHenry County’s seven-day positivity rate average increased to 10.2%. Lake County, which does about two-thirds of the testing in the region, is reporting a rolling average of 7.4%.

Hospitalizations have decreased 5 out of the past 10 days in this region.

The West Suburban region (DuPage and Kane counties) has seen one day at or under 8%. The region’s positivity rate decreased to 7.9%. Currently, 30% of ICU beds are available.

The region has 11 consecutive days over the 20% threshold for ICU bed availability.

Within this region, Kane County’s seven-day positivity average is at 8.8%, and DuPage County is at 7.4%.

Hospitalizations have decreased five out of the past 10 days in this region.

The South Suburban region (Will and Kankakee counties) has seen zero days at or under 6.5%. The region’s positivity rate increased to 7.6%. Currently, 26% of ICU beds are available.

The region has 11 consecutive above the 20% threshold for ICU bed availability.

Hospitalizations have decreased two out of the past 10 days in this region.

The North region (Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago counties) has seen two days at or under the 6.5% positivity rate to advance to Phase 4. The region’s positivity rate decreased to 6.3%. Currently, 27% of ICU beds are available.

The region has 11 consecutive days above the 20% threshold for ICU bed availability.

Within this region, DeKalb County’s positivity rate decreased to 10.4%, Lee County’s rate stayed flat at 1.3%, and Whiteside County’s rate decreased to 5.6%.

Hospitalizations have decreased eight out of the past 10 days in this region.

The North-Central region (Bureau, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Kendall, Knox, La Salle, Livingston, Marshall, McDonough, McLean, Mercer, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Tazewell, Warren and Woodford counties) has seen zero days at or under 6.5% to advance to Phase 4. The region’s positivity rate decreased to 6.6%.

Currently, 29% of ICU beds are available.

The region has 11 consecutive days above the 20% threshold for ICU bed availability.

Hospitalizations have decreased 10 out of the past 10 days in this region.

Within this region, La Salle County’s seven-day positivity rate decreased to 6.9%.

Chicago has seen one day of positivity rates under 8%. The region’s positivity rate decreased to 7.8%. Currently, 28% of ICU beds are available.

The region has 11 consecutive days over the 20% threshold for ICU bed availability.

Hospitalizations have decreased 10 out of the past 10 days in this region.

Chicago has hit all of the metrics to advance to Tier 1 mitigations, which would open up indoor dining, but as of when this article was published, no official announcement has come from the city or state on moving tiers.

Suburban Cook County has seen one day of positivity rates under 8%. The region’s positivity rate decreased slightly to 7.9%. Currently, 21% of ICU beds are available.

The region has 11 consecutive days under the 20% threshold for ICU bed availability.

Hospitalizations have decreased 10 out of the past 10 days in this region.

To see how other regions across the state are doing, see the full IDPH dashboard here.

Newly reported deaths include:

• Adams County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s

• Bond County: 1 male 80s

• Boone County: 1 male 80s

• Christian County: 1 male 60s

• Coles County: 1 female 20s

• Cook County: 1 male 50s, 2 females 60s, 8 males 60s, 3 females 70s, 9 males 70s, 9 females 80s, 4 males 80s, 5 females 90s, 4 males 90s 1 female 100+

• Douglas County: 1 male 80s

• DuPage County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s

• Effingham County: 1 male 80s

• Henry County: 1 male 80s

• Iroquois County: 1 male 70s

• Jackson County: 1 male 80s

• Jersey County: 1 female 70s

• Kane County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 2 females 70s, 2 males 70s, 3 females 80s

• Kankakee County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s

• Knox County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s

• Lake County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s

• Lee County: 1 male 80s

• Livingston County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s

• Macoupin County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s

• Madison County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 90s

• Marion County: 1 male 60s

• Massac County: 1 female 80s

• McHenry County: 1 male 90s

• McLean County: 2 females 80s

• Montgomery County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s

• Peoria County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s

• Pike County: 2 females 80s

• Pope County: 1 male 90s

• Randolph County: 2 females 80s

• Saline County: 1 male 70s

• St. Clair County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s

• Tazewell County: 1 female 80s

• Will County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s

• Winnebago County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s

• Woodford County: 1 male 70s

Source: The Daily Chronicle

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