Illinois reports 1,832 COVID-19 cases and 27 deaths

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 1,832 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 27 deaths.

The number of confirmed cases come from the state conducting 51,612 tests in the previous 24 hours. The state now has reported 213,721 cases and 7,833 fatalities. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years.

Public health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike says the statewide positivity rate over the last week was 4.4%. She says that number has increased over the last four weeks even as the nationwide rate has gone down.

A 9.4% positivity rate is being reported in the Metro East region in southern Illinois. That has prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker's health team to intervene by forcing restaurants and bars to slash capacity to 25% and close by 11 p.m.

The state could soon step in with similar 'œmitigations'ť in Will and Kankakee counties in northern Illinois, a region that's now up to 7.5% positivity, just short of the 8% threshold set by the state.