CHICAGO, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Midwest state of Illinois reported the highest COVID-19 death toll of 957 in the past seven days by Thursday, averaging 124 per day.
And the seven-day positivity rate for COVID-19 cases as a share of total tests was 10.4 percent, Chicago Tribune reported on Thursday.
The figure was far more than the 806 fatalities reported in Texas over the same period, the local newspaper quoted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as saying.
On Thursday, the state reported 10,959 newly confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, raising the statewide total to 759,562 known and probable cases throughout the course of the pandemic; and 124 new deaths, raising total to 12,830.
Statewide, by Wednesday night, 5,653 people were in the hospital with COVID-19, with 1,170 in intensive care units and 693 on ventilators, the local media reported.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said on Thursday the state is expecting a first shipment of 109,000 doses of the vaccine between Dec. 13 and 19.
But that supply won't be enough to inoculate the top priority groups, hospital-related workers and residents of long-term care facilities, said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike. Enditem