The seven-day average of new coronavirus cases in Illinois topped 2,000 on Tuesday for the first time since early May.

       The 2,682 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases state health officials reported Tuesday brought the average number of daily cases over the past week to 2,059. That’s the highest seven-day average since the week ending May 10, when the state was recording 2,088 cases per day.

       There were 1,107 coronavirus patients in hospitals statewide as of Monday Night, the first time since June 1 that more than 1,000 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in Illinois. Over the past week, there has been an average of 938 COVID-19 patients in hospitals per day, more than double the average of 423 patients during the week ending July 2.

       As the delta variant contributes to a nationwide surge, there also has been a dramatic rise in the number of people in Illinois with severe cases, requiring treatment in intensive care units and with ventilators.

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       The state was averaging 194 COVID-19 patients in ICUs per day as of Monday, up from an average of 100 during the week ending July 2, an increase of 94%. An average of 74 patients were on ventilators, up from an average of 40 during the week ending July 2, an 85% increase.

       While cases and hospitalizations continue to rise, the number deaths per day has remained in single digits since late June, with the exception of the week ending July 12, when the state averaged 10 deaths per day.

       Deaths from COVID-19 lag behind cases and hospitalizations, so it remains to be seen how the prevalence of vaccinations helps prevent a wave of deaths from the latest spike in infections.

       Signage signals free tests at an Illinois Department of Health COVID-19 testing site at 6959 West Forest Preserve Road Monday, July 26, 2021, in Harwood Heights, Illinois. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

       During the third wave of cases this spring, when a smaller portion of the population had been vaccinated, the average number of deaths hit 32 per day for the week ending May 15. The average number of daily fatalities peaked at 155 in early December.

       The state reported eight more fatalities Tuesday, bringing the overall death toll to 23,458 since the start of the pandemic. In all, there have been 1,427,901 known cases of COVID-19 statewide.

       With the state now undergoing another wave of the virus, vaccinations are on the rise once again after falling off dramatically throughout July.

       The state has averaged 28,250 vaccine doses administered per day during the week ending Monday, the highest level since an average of 34,324 during the week ending July 2. The average dipped as low as 16,423 per day around Fourth of July weekend.

       But with just under 59% of the eligible population fully vaccinated, the vaccination effort remains far from its April peak, when more than 100,000 shots were being administered each day.

       dpetrella@chicagotribune.com

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