Illinois COVID-19 fatalities at 7,954, with 37 new cases

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Wednesday 37 more Illinois residents have died from COVID-19, the most in a single day in seven weeks.

The confirmed fatalities bring to 7,954 confirmed deaths due to COVID-19. The department also reported 2,157 confirmed cases, the seventh day this month the number of cases surpassed the 2,000 threshold.

Since March, about 3.8 million people have been tested in Illinois for COVID-19, with nearly 226,000 testing positive. Wednesday's cases were diagnosed among 50,362 tests, placing Illinois' seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate at 4%.

The health department's numbers come a day after Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a new statewide restaurant and bar policy requiring all patrons to wear a mask while interacting with wait staff and other employees, when food and beverages are brought to the table and when picking up carry-out orders.

State-imposed restrictions, including a ban on indoor dining, went into effect Wednesday in Will and Kankakee counties, where the average regional positivtiy rate is at 8.3%.

Less stringent measures have been in place for a week in Metro East, in southern Illinois, where the positivity rate is at 9.7%.