Illinois COVID Update Today: IL reports 5,955 new cases, 15 deaths – WLS-TV

CHICAGO (WLS) — Illinois reported 5,955 new COVID cases and 15 related deaths Friday, marking the largest single-day increase in cases since February 4.

There have been at least 3,138,682 total COVID cases, including at least 33,614 related deaths in the state since the pandemic began.

SEE ALSO | Moderna seeks emergency use authorization for Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 5 years

As of Thursday night, 732 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 75 patients were in the ICU, and 32 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

A total of 21,871,464 vaccine doses have been administered in Illinois as of Thursday, and 64.70% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 1,913.

Friday, the suburban Cook County moved to a “medium” level of COVID transmission risk due to the increased number of positive cases, according to the Cook County Department of Public Health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 Community Levels Framework defines “Medium” transmission as higher than 200 cases per 100,000 residents, and as of Thursday, suburban Cook County is reporting 210 cases per 100,000 residents in the last 7 days, health officials said.

Based on the current CDC guidance, CCDPH recommends:

wearing a mask indoors to protect those at high risk for severe illness from a COVID infection including adults over the age of 50, those with underlying medical conditions, and the immunocompromised,

socializing outdoors if possible and avoiding poorly ventilated indoor settings,

getting tested before attending a family or public event. Home tests are ideal for this purpose,

contacting your doctor right away to get treatment for COVID if you are diagnosed, and

getting any COVID-19 vaccine boosters that you are eligible for.

In suburban Cook County, more than 1.9 million residents (86% of the population) have received at least one dose of the vaccine and almost 1.5 million (65% are fully vaccinated, according to health officials.

Moderna’s request for FDA authorization for a COVID vaccine for children aged 6 months to 5 years old could be a game-changer for parents of the 18 million U.S. children who remain unvaccinated. The company has asked for emergency authorization for a two dose vaccine, with shots given four weeks apart.

Pediatricians say the data shows the Moderna vaccine to be very effective at keeping children out of the hospital and dying. They say side effects are no different than other pediatric vaccines

SEE ALSO | Long COVID symptoms plague sufferers, but new studies could lead to treatments and relief

The seven-day average case rate was reported to be 24.6 cases per 100,000.