The Illinois Department of Public Health has announced 127 additional deaths from COVID-19 related causes on Saturday, including ten in South Central Illinois.
Four of those deaths are in Marion County and at least some are likely to have been reported earlier by the Marion County Health Department. They were a male in his 60s and females in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. Five deaths are being reported in Clinton County. They include three females in their 80s, one female in her 70s, and a male in his 80s. One death was also reported in Wayne County, a female in her 70s.
There were a total of 8,737 new cases of COVID-19 reported statewide. The positivity rate has fallen again and is now at 8.9-percent. However, hospitalizations remain high. 5,048 statewide were reported to be in the hospital as of Friday night. 1,072 of those patients are in ICU and 627 were on ventilators.
The Southern Illinois Region’s positivity rate for the week ending December 9th is now at 12.1-percent, with 151 hospitalized from COVID-19 related causes. The Marion County positivity rate is 11.2-percent. The Metro East Region has a positivity rate of 14-percent. 207 are hospitalized. The East Central Illinois region has a positivity rate of 12.1-percent. 151 are hospitalized.
The number of available ICU beds is under the 20-percent threshold in both the Southern Illinois and Metro-East Region. Med-Serg bed availability is also under 20-percent in the Metro-East.
