Suburbs averaging 769 new COVID-19 cases a day, up from 403 a month ago
As the state announced 1,549 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, Illinois Department of Public Health records show the suburbs are now averaging 769 new cases a day over the past week.
That's up from a daily average of 403 new cases for the week ending July 11, a 366-case difference and a near 91% increase in the daily average of new cases diagnosed in suburban Cook County, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.
That translates to 13 new cases a day for every 100,000 residents in the suburbs as opposed to 7 new cases a day per 100,000 a month ago.
IDPH officials also reported 20 more COVID-19 deaths statewide Tuesday. Five were from Cook County including Chicago, five from elsewhere in the suburbs, and 10 were downstate.
That brings the state's death toll to 7,657 since the outbreak began, with 196,948 individual infections.
The respiratory disease recently has expanded more rapidly downstate than in the metro area. Chicago is averaging 38% more new cases this week compared to the week ending July 11. Meanwhile, the 96 downstate counties are averaging 140% more new cases each day this week than they were a month ago, according to IDPH figures.
The downstate counties are averaging 663 new cases a day this week. A month ago, they were averaging 276 new cases a day.
Statewide, Illinois is averaging 841 more new cases a day compared to a month ago. Currently, the state is averaging 1,748 new cases a day. The suburbs account for 44% of those, IDPH reported.
Over the past seven days, 4.1% of tests have had positive results for COVID-19. The daily positivity rate was slightly less Tuesday at 3.7%, according to IDPH figures.
The results come from a batch of 41,362 test results. State health officials won't provide the dates the tests were taken despite concerns that some might have been taken a week ago or longer.
IDPH officials also reported 1,459 COVID-19 patients are admitted to hospitals statewide and 336 of those are in intensive care beds.
Hospitalization figures have been fairly stable for the past couple of weeks despite steady inclines in the number of new cases diagnosed. Health experts say hospitalizations and deaths are lagging indicators of the disease's strength.
That means it could be weeks before the increase in new cases shows up as hospital admissions and deaths, they said.