Spring spike in COVID-19 cases continues

The early spring spike in COVID-19 cases in Illinois continues, as state health authorities on Sunday reported 2,449 new confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus — the highest total for a Sunday since mid-January.

The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported 14 additional deaths from the illness, bringing the state's total to 21,373 since the outbreak began more than a year ago. Among those who died were 10 Cook County residents. The remainder lived downstate.

Sunday marked the 11th time in the last 12 days the daily case total has topped 2,000. The total exceeded 2,000 only four times in the month before that.

On Saturday, Cook County health officials warned that rising COVID-19 test positivity rates in the suburbs are highest among people under age 20, and urged people to gather safely over the holiday weekend. Because of the increase, officials are evaluating whether to roll back the recent loosening of some restrictions.

In another sign of the rising cases, health officials reported that 1,491 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized Saturday, up from 1,426 on Friday and 1,337 a week ago. Of those in the hospital Saturday, 336 patients were in intensive care and 143 were on ventilators, officials said.

Another 102,215 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were reported administered in Illinois on Saturday, just below the rolling seven-day average of 108,914. In all, nearly 6.3 million shows have been given, and about 2,368,041 state residents — more than 18.5% of the total population — are now filly vaccinated, according to the IDPH.