IL Reports Most COVID-19 Cases Of The Year: 11,858 In Single Day

ILLINOIS — Public health officials on Thursday reported 11,858 new cases of the coronavirus, the most new cases reported in a single day this year. Another 52 Illinoisans have died of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, bringing the statewide death toll to 27,065.

Daily new cases fell to a low of just over 100 in mid-June, and rose again in the early fall before falling back to around 1,500 daily cases in late October. Since then, they have spiked dramatically. Officials worry the new, more transmissible omicron variant of the virus could overwhelm hospitals this winter, even if most of the illnesses prove to be milder than with previous variants, as some studies indicate.

"We're concerned that people are dismissing omicron as mild," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Tuesday. "Surely, we have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril. Even if omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems."

Chicago reported its first case of omicron last week, followed by suburban Cook County on Wednesday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it likely already makes up about 2 percent of cases in the Great Lakes region, which includes Illinois.

As of Friday, 3,725 Illinoisans were hospitalized with COVID-19, including 772 in intensive care and 391 on ventilators. In every region of the state, hospitals were nearing capacity, with 17 percent of hospital beds available statewide and just 9 percent of ICU beds open.

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"It's very important that people just take extra precautions, especially now because, yes, our hospitals are filling up — with unvaccinated people, I might add," Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday.

Health officials said the omicron variant likely evades some protection afforded by the vaccines, but a third booster shot was able to neutralize omicron in laboratory tests, according to drugmakers. The CDC now recommends boosters for all adults.

State health officials say more than 18.4 million doses of the vaccines have now gone into arms statewide since the rollout began a year ago this week. That number includes more than 2.5 million booster shots. About 59.7 percent of the state's population is fully vaccinated, but that number varies widely by county — from 82.3 percent in DuPage to just 23.7 percent in Alexander.

Daily coronavirus cases reported in Illinois:

“One year and 18 million doses later, the COVID-19 vaccine has saved countless lives across Illinois,” the governor said in a statement. “I am incredibly grateful for the scientists, researchers and public health professionals who made this historic effort possible, allowing us to reunite with loved ones, return to small businesses, and engage with our communities once again. As we recognize the progress we’ve made, I urge all eligible Illinoisans to receive their vaccine or booster and protect themselves and their families this holiday season.”

Despite vaccination efforts and other public health measures, 27,065 Illinoisans have now died from COVID-19, not including another 3,070 deaths likely caused by the virus.

Nationwide, more than 803,765 Americans have lost their lives — more than died in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Korea, and the Afghanistan and Iraq wars combined.