The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidelines on isolation for symptom-free COVID patients and for those exposed to the virus, prompting many experts and residents to question the decision and to urge those who have tested positive for COVID to remain cautious. NBC 5’s Chris Coffey has more.
Illinois’ surge in COVID cases and hospitalizations continued unabated on Wednesday, with more than 21,000 new cases and nearly 5,500 COVID-positive patients currently hospitalized throughout the state.
The state broke the 20,000-case barrier for the third time in six days on Wednesday, with 21,098 cases diagnosed in the last 24 hours.
That falls just short of the all-time record for cases in a single day, with Christmas Eve still holding the record at 21,131 new cases, according to IDPH data.
In all, 2,119,162 cases of COVID have been confirmed in the state since the pandemic began.
The average number of new COVID cases per day also continued its climb to record-highs on Wednesday, rising to an average of 16,686 new cases per day, according to IDPH.
Previously, the state had seen a high watermark of 12,384 cases per day on Nov. 16, 2020.
Over the last 24 hours, a total of 50 deaths were reported as being linked to COVID cases. In all, 27,734 deaths have been confirmed as COVID fatalities, while another 3,174 are currently listed as “probable” COVID deaths.
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In the last day, 220,841 test results were returned to state laboratories, bringing the daily average to nearly 184,000 tests results. In all, 44,273,181 tests have been performed statewide since the pandemic began.
The state’s positivity rates continued their ascent on Wednesday, with the positivity rate on all tests rising to 9.1% and the positivity rate on individuals tested rose again to 13.2%.
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As of midnight, there were 5,471 patients hospitalized with COVID in the state of Illinois. That marks the highest number of admissions the state has seen since dec. 1, 2020, when more than 5,700 people were hospitalized after being diagnosed with the virus.
Of those patients, there are 984 currently admitted to ICU beds in the state. That is the highest number recorded since Dec. 19, 2020, according to IDPH officials.
Over the last two weeks, cases and hospitalizations have both grown by significant amounts:
-Hospitalizations have gone up 50.8%
-ICU admissions have gone up 32.4%
-The daily average of new COVID cases has gone up 133.3%
According to state data, just 10% of the state’s ICU beds are currently open, with 33% currently occupied by severely ill patients who have COVID-19.
A total of 18% of the state’s hospital beds are currently open, with more than 20% of the state’s total hospital bed capacity being used by COVID patients as of midnight.
