New COVID-19 cases reported Friday in Illinois continued to reach levels not seen in two months as state officials warned that COVID-19 variants, public gatherings and a lack of mask-wearing were fueling increases even as vaccinations against coronavirus expand.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said 3,235 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases were reported, along with 24 additional deaths. The state has recorded 1.25 million COVID-19 cases and 21,349 related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic a year ago.
Increases in COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations in recent weeks have slowed the state's progress toward Gov. JB Pritzker’s “Bridge Phase” of economic reopening before Phase 5, or a full reopening.