Rate of positive virus tests up in Illinois, 31 more dead
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois authorities reported 2,905 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Saturday and 31 people who have died.
The update brings Illinois' total number of COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic to 316,423 and 8,975 deaths.
Out of all tests performed in Illinois during the last seven days, 4% have been confirmed positive. A week ago, the state reported a test positivity rate of 3.4%.
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Friday listed 26 counties in the state at a warning level for the virus due to an increase in cases. The warning does not trigger any policy changes but is intended to help residents and local officials make decisions.
The total is down slightly from a week earlier, when 28 counties were at a warning level.
The state also eased restrictions on activities in the Metro East region on Friday after seeing progress limiting the virus' spread. The change allowed indoor dining and bar service and gatherings of up to 50 people to resume.
The region outside St. Louis was the first in Illinois to see a scaled back reopening in August after it passed a state-set threshold of an 8% positivity rate for three consecutive days.