Illinois Shows No Indication Of Post-Thanksgiving COVID-19 Surge

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, delivers the latest numbers for the COVID-19 pandemic during Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s daily press briefing on COVID-19 in his office at the Illinois State Capitol, Thursday, May 21, 2020, in Springfield, Ill. (Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP, Pool)

Illinois health officials say there has been no indication of a post-Thanksgiving COVID-19 surge in the state. Officials say Illinois has seen a drop in new infections on average, though the average number of deaths is increasing. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced over 71-hundred new cases of the virus yesterday, along with 146 additional deaths. The CDC ranks the state eighth in the nation in the number of COVID-19 deaths reported per 100-thousand residents over the past seven days. COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to decline.