COVID-19 case numbers dip slightly, but hospitalizations continue to rise

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 10,631 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, a small dip from previous days, but still evidence of an massive ongoing surge in infections.

The IDPH also reported 72 deaths, including 21 in Cook County, four in DuPage County, three in Kane County, two in Lake County. one in McHenry County and one in Will County.

To comply with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, the number of new cases reported by IDPH each day now also includes an unknown number of "probable cases" that have to be confirmed through testing.

Hospitalizations also continue to rise. As of Saturday night, 5,474 people were receiving treatment for COVID-19 in an Illinois hospital, 1,045 of them in an intensive-care unit. That's up from 5,362 in the hospital and 990 in intensive care just two days ago.

Among those in the hospital Saturday night, 490 were on ventilators, officials said.

The new figures bring the state's totals to 573,616 cases - about twice as many as there were on Sept. 26 - and 10,742 deaths.

Within the past 24 hours, health officials recorded 84,831 tests, bringing the state's total over 9 million since the outbreak began.

Testing was shut down Sunday at facilities in Arlington Heights, Waukegan, South Holland, and Aurora due to high winds, but is scheduled to resume Monday, the IDPH said.

The preliminary seven-day statewide case positivity for Nov. 8 to Nov. 14 is 12.8%, while the test positivity rate is 14.8%, officials said.