Second COVID-19 wave rolls on, with 10,009 more cases Sunday

The second wave of COVID-19 continued to pound Illinois over the weekend, as state health authorities reported 10,009 new cases of the coronavirus Sunday, a day after a record 12,438 cases on Saturday.

The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported 42 additional deaths, 31 of them in the Chicago region.

The state now has recorded 487,987 cases since the outbreak began, along with 10,196 deaths.

While the case total Sunday declined, the case positivity rate continues to soar, reaching 10.6% for the week of Nov. 1 to Nov. 7. That's up from 10.3% on Saturday and 9.6% Friday.

As of Saturday night, 4,303 people were hospitalized in Illinois with COVID-19, up from 4,250 Friday night. Of those hospitalized Saturday, 833 were in an intensive-care unit 368 patients were on ventilators.

State health authorities also reported a test positivity rate of 12% for the week of Nov. 1 - Nov. 7. Officials said both case positivity and test positivity rates are relevant to the bigger COVID-19 picture.

Case positivity helps determine whether changes in the number of confirmed cases is due to more testing or more infections. Test positivity accounts for repeated testing and helps to understand how the virus is spreading over time, according to the IDPH.

Also Sunday, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced a member of her staff tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member was last in the Cook County Building on Friday, she said.

While she is not experiencing symptoms, Preckwinkle said she will take a precautionary COVID-19 test and self-isolate until the results return.