State reports 127 more COVID-19 deaths, 11,891 more positive tests
While the state reported high COVID-19 case and death numbers again on Saturday, there were small signs that the current surge in cases may have peaked.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 11,891 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease, including 127 additional deaths.
After rising for weeks, the seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total tests has been coming down in recent days and held stable in the period from Nov. 14-20 at 11.5%.
The number of people hospitalized as of Friday night was up 64 to 6,111, but the number of people in intensive care fell 23 to 1,196 and the number of people on ventilators fell 9 to 604.
The dead included 50 in Cook County, 4 in DuPage County, 6 in Kane County, 1 in McHenry County and 7 in Will County.
Friday ushered in stricter rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Those include reducing capacity to 50% at grocery stores and 25% at other stores, suspending indoor group sports, closing casinos and gaming terminals, and banning events at banquet halls, party venues and clubs.
Currently, the state is reporting a total of 646,286 cases, including 11,430 deaths. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 120,284 specimens for a total 9,708,982.