State reports 30 more COVID-19 deaths, 1,076 infections
State health officials announced 30 COVID-19-related deaths Tuesday and 1,076 new cases of the disease were diagnosed.
That's the highest single-day death toll since 36 coronavirus deaths were reported July 8. However, COVID-19 death figures on Tuesdays routinely have been high since the beginning of the outbreak because many downstate coroners and medical examiners don't perform exams on weekends and report those deaths late.
Cook County reported 15 of the new deaths and DuPage County reported one. The other deaths occurred in nine downstate counties, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
It brings the state's death toll from COVID-19 to 7,446, with 173,731 people infected since the outbreak began.
Tuesday's seven-day average infection rate was 3.8%, which is almost one full percentage point higher than it was the previous Tuesday, July 21, according to IDPH figures.
IDPH officials reported only 28,331 test results Tuesday. That's the lowest number of test results since July 6.
The seven-day rolling average positivity rate in Lake and McHenry counties now stands at 5.1% through July 25, the most recent figures available from IDPH.
The average rate has increased for nine consecutive days in those two counties. If the average rate reaches 8% or more, the region could be subject to infection mitigation efforts that could mean limits on business operations and gatherings.
“Under this new model, we are working across county lines in collaboration with the state, allowing our public health experts to guide decisions,” said Gary Gibson, Lake County administrator. “Our goal is to keep our communities moving forward. If we continue seeing a resurgence, however, we will act quickly to save lives.”
Elsewhere, suburban Cook County has seen its average positivity rate increase for seven straight days and is now at 5.4% through July 25. In the region that contains Will and Kankakee counties, the rate stands at 5.8% and has increased for seven days, as well. The region with DuPage and Kane counties is reporting a 4.5% positivity rate that has increased for five days. Chicago's positivity rate is also 4.5%, but the city has only seen its rate increase for four days now.
Downstate, the seven-county Metro East region adjacent to St. Louis is the most at risk of seeing rollbacks of business operations and limits on gathering sizes as IDPH is now reporting a positivity rate of 7.8% there and six straight days of increases to the rate.
Hospitalizations are stable, though, according to IDPH. There were 1,383 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state at the end of the day Monday, according to state records. Of those hospitalized, 329 were in intensive care beds. Also, the state's hospitals reported that more than 45% of the ICU beds were available Tuesday.