As of Thursday night, 475 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 49 patients were in the ICU, the first time the state has been under 50 COVID-19 patients in the ICU since the start of the pandemic.

Both IDPH and the Illinois Department on Aging have endorsed action this week by both the FDA and the CDC to simplify their recommendations for COVID-19 vaccinations

As of Thursday night, 568 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19, the fewest since April 19, 2022

Weekly COVID-19 deaths as reported by the IDPH are at their lowest since the beginning of the pandemic. But wastewater surveillance suggests COVID-19 is back on the rise after months of decline.

The counties at medium COVID-19 risk in northern Illinois are: Ogle, Lee, Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago and Boone.

The continuous enrollment program ends March 31, meaning Medicaid users must renew or risk being uninsured. In Illinois, the first notices go out in May for people with coverage due for renewal in June.

The one county in the state at “high” risk is Clay County in southeastern Illinois. None of the eight counties at “medium” risk are in northern Illinois.

IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra warned that cases of group A strep throat leading to severe complications are on the rise in Illinois, with more cases reported in 2023 than in any of the past five years.

As of Thursday night, 921 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 113 patients were in the ICU and 41 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators