The number of people hospitalized for Covid-related illness in Illinois is now one-fifth of what it was on its worst day during the pandemic.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reports Covid-related hospitalizations have been steadily declining for nearly an entire month.
In all, 1,708 people were hospitalized with Covid-related illness on Monday, a decline of nearly 26% from the peak of the latest surge on Sept. 6. However, the number of current Covid hospitalizations is still far higher than the pandemic-era low of 380 reported on July 4, 2021.
“We have not even hit the metrics that we had when we moved to Phase 5 [and lifted most restrictions],” Gov. JB Pritzker said Monday when asked when the indoor mask mandate might be rescinded. “Even though they are moving in the right direction – the new hospitalizations are moving in the right direction – the existing people that are in the hospital is roughly speaking has been flat as of recently, and so again we’re watching to make sure we’re on a good downward trajectory.”