For the third day in a row, Illinois reported more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases, as 1,195 positive test results were returned by state labs.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, a total of 152,962 cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed statewide since the pandemic began.
The state also reported 24 additional deaths on Saturday, bringing the statewide death toll to 7,168.
Increased testing has also continued in the state, as 32,345 tests were turned in to state labs over the last 24 hours. Illinois is quickly approaching the two million mark in tests conducted during the pandemic, currently sitting at 1,944,088.
While the daily positivity rate did drop on Saturday, the seven-day positivity rate has continued its increase, jumping to 3.03 percent. This marks the first time since June 16 that the number has been over three percent, and represents an increase of nearly half a percentage point in the last five days.
Even with an increase in cases, hospitalizations for COVID-19 have continued to decline, with 321 COVID-19 patients currently occupying ICU beds in the state. A total of 139 patients are currently using ventilators in the state.
Overall hospitalization has increased slightly from a low watermark of 1,326 on July 4, with 1,398 COVID-19 patients currently admitted to Illinois hospitals, but that number is a decrease from earlier this week.
