14,612 cases of COVID-19, 168 deaths reported in Illinois

CHICAGO (AP) — The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 14,612 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 cases in the state and 168 new deaths.

The new cases and deaths were reported a day before Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Tier 3 coronavirus mitigation plan takes effect. That means museums, theaters and casinos across Illinois will be closed in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. The plan also limits capacity at retailers to 25%, with groceries and pharmacies limited to 50% capacity.

The health department is reporting 621,383 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, including 11,178 deaths.

The latest cases reported were the result of 113,4447 administered tests.

As of late Wednesday, 6,037 people in Illinois were hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 1,192 patients were in intensive care units, with 587 on ventilators, according to health officials.