36,843 new COVID cases reported in state
The Illinois Department of Public Health, IDPH, on Friday, May 27, reported 36,843 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 45 deaths since May 20.
According to the CDC, as of May 27, 15 Illinois counties were rated at high community level for COVID-19, an area that includes Chicago, Cook County and surrounding counties in northeastern Illinois, as well as counties around Peoria.
An additional 30 counties in Illinois were rated at medium community level, the CDC reported.
As of Friday, IDPH was reporting a total of 3,286,377 cases, including 33,806 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the beginning of the pandemic.
As of Thursday night, May 26, 1,136 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19.
Of those, 123 patients were in the ICU and 35 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The counties listed at high community level are Cook, DuPage, Lake, McHenry, Will, Grundy, Boone, Lee and Winnebago in Northern Illinois and Fulton, Knox, Henderson, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell in Central Illinois.
As of Friday, Union, Alexander and Pulaski counties were reported to be at a low community level.
Jackson, Williamson, Johnson and Massac counties were reported to be at a medium community level.
“With 45 counties in Illinois now rated at a medium or high community level, we should all be sure that we are up-to-date with vaccinations and booster shots,” IDPH acting director Amaal Tokars said in a news release.
“We should all strongly consider masking up if we are entering indoor public places and avoiding indoor crowded spaces whenever possible at this time, especially if you are at risk of a severe outcome.
“If you test positive, promptly contact a healthcare provider to discuss which treatment is right for you. The treatments are much more effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths when they are taken early in the course of the illness.”
IDPH reported that of Illinois’ total population, more than 76 percent had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, more than 69 percent of Illinois’ total population was fully vaccinated and more than 52 percent of the vaccinated population has had an initial booster according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
IDPH noted that all data are provisional and are subject to change.