The Illinois Department of Public Health has announced 79 additional deaths from COVID-19 related causes, including the death of a female in her 80s in Fayette County.
The state has also announced 6,003 new cases. The statewide positivity rate has fallen to 7.8-percent.
The Southern Illinois positivity rate increased to 12-percent for the week ending December 17th. The Marion County rate dropped to 8.9-percent. The Metro-East Region fell to 11.7-percent. The East Central Illinois Region is at 8.2-percent.
There are 131 hospitalized from COVID-19 in the Southern Illinois Region. 213 in the Metro-East Region. 200 in the East Central Illinois Region. The number hospitalized in the three Southern Illinois Regions are on a slow decline for the past week.
