CHICAGO (CBS) — As COVID-19 cases continue to surge throughout Illinois, the state has set a new record for hospitalizations from the virus.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, as of Sunday night, 6,294 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, a 144% increase from one month ago. The previous record for COVID-19 hospitalizations was 6,175, set on Nov. 20, 2020, during the second wave of the pandemic.
As of Sunday night, only 21% of the state’s hospital beds were open, including only 11% of the state’s ICU beds, according to IDPH.
The state also set a new daily COVID-19 case record on Friday, with 31,461 new confirmed and probable cases. Illinois is now averaging a record 23,069 new cases per day over the past week, up 279% from one month ago.
The state’s average case positivity rate is up to 12.8%, the highest it’s been since Nov. 14, 2020. During the fall surge in 2020, that rate reached as high as 13.2%, and surpassed 20% during the first wave of the pandemic.
Gov. JB Pritzker is scheduled to provide an update on the state’s COVID-19 surge on Monday afternoon.