BREAKING: Illinois Marks Worst Day For Covid Since January, New Mask Mandates Coming?
BREAKING NEWS: The latest surge of covid-19 delta variant infections has roared through Illinois, pushing the state to its highest one-day total in covid cases since late January and its highest week for infections in months.
This comes the same day that new indoor mask mandates go into effect throughout the entirety of Cook County, requiring everyone over the age of two to be masked in indoor public spaces, regardless of whether they’re vaccinated. Businesses also must post signs on all entrances telling customers about the rule.
Given that the new, wider mask mandates into Cook County come a week after Chicago began the trend towards a return to mask mandates, there’s speculation that the mandates could spread throughout the state, returning other areas to masking rules.
In regard to the numbers, last week’s seven-day average of new covid cases was the largest since spring. Illinois reported 4,904 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases Friday, the largest day since late January.
Over the past week, the state has averaged 3,526 new cases per day. Last week the average was 3,390 cases daily. Both numbers are up dramatically from late July, when the average was around 800 daily cases.
The news comes the same day that the FDA announced that they have approved the Pfizer vaccine and declared it safe for use, and the Chicago Department of Health issued the following statement:
“After more than a year of studying the effects of the vaccine, NO long-term side effects have been found. If you or someone you know is hesitant, encourage them to talk to a medical professional about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. More info on chi.gov/covidvax.”