The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 26,491 new cases of coronavirus across the state Wednesday with 160 new deaths. The Lawrence County Health Department reported 66 positives Wednesday in the county. There were 110 new cases reported Wednesday in Knox County Indiana. Overall, since the pandemic began, there have been a total of 2,709,474 cases of the disease with 29,510 deaths across Illinois. A total of 20,110,501 vaccinations have been administered at sites across the state since the vaccine rollout began with over 3.6 million booster doses. The latest IDPH figures show that vaccination numbers in Lawrence County are slowly ticking upward. 37.82% of the total population is now fully vaccinated with 42% now having received at least 1 dose. There have now been 2,205 booster doses given in the county. There is cautious optimism among Illinois state health officials as the statewide numbers of cases and hospitalizations show a decline from the recent surge. They still urge residents to get vaccinated and wear masks in public settings.