Illinois’ dramatic turnaround from the Omicron surge saw new COVID-19 cases drop more than 50% in a single week, leaving Gov. J.B. Pritzker “hopeful” about possibly loosening his indoor masking mandate — but stopping short of any firm commitment.
The state Department of Public Health on Friday reported 60,389 coronavirus cases for the past week, or an average of 8,627 per day. That’s the smallest weekly caseload since the latest highly contagious variant emerged in Illinois, a 51% nosedive compared to the previous week — and a 71% free fall from the peak of the Omicron surge shortly after New Year’s Day.
