Of those patients, 1,131 are currently in intensive care units, one of the highest numbers recorded during the pandemic. Approximately 9% of the state’s ICU beds are currently open, according to the latest data.
In the last two weeks, the state has seen slow declines in the number of new hospital admissions, with the seven-day average of hospitalized patients slowly slowing its growth, according to IDPH data. Still, Ezike and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a series of initiatives designed to give some relief to hospital workers amid the surge of COVID cases.
The state is also stepping up its efforts to encourage individuals to receive booster shots of the COVID vaccine, saying that the booster has been proven to be an effective tool in keeping patients from becoming dangerously ill due to the omicron variant.