CHICAGO — Nearly 8,500 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Illinois since the beginning of the pandemic, as the death toll in the United States passes the grim milestone of 200,000 lost Tuesday.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said 1,531 new cases of COVID-19 and 30 additional coronavirus-related deaths were confirmed over the past day Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 8,486 reported deaths to date.

Deaths in the U.S. are running at a rate of close to 770 a day on average, according to Johns Hopkins, and a widely cited model from the University of Washington predicts the overall U.S. toll will double to 400,000 by the end of the year. Only Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Spain and Brazil rank higher in confirmed COVID-19 deaths per capita.

While it is the 6th most populous state in the U.S., Illinois ranks 7th in the country in total COVID-19 related deaths and 10th in total deaths over the past week, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The statewide positivity rate from September 15-21 in Illinois remains at 3.5 percent, while the 7-day testing average remains around 53,000 as well, data compiled by WGN shows. Health officials estimate 96 percent of confirmed cases have recovered to date.

Governor JB Pritzker touted Illinois’ testing numbers Monday, saying the state is leading the Midwest and is tied for third place in the country, behind New York and California, with more than 52,000 tests performed each day on average.

Illinois ranks 8th in the country and above other Midwestern states with 4.2 daily tests per 1,000 people as of Monday, according to Johns Hopkins, while the state ranked 18th in the country in terms of its positivity rate.

Data from September 9-12 found 24 counties— mostly in central and downstate Illinois— met at least one of the state’s COVID-19 “warning” levels based on metrics like the number of new cases, cases per residents and test positivity rate.

Additional coronavirus mitigation measures remain in effect in the Metro East region outside St. Louis, although the 7-day positivity rate there has declined below the state’s 8 percent limit which triggered the new restrictions. After declining steadily for two weeks, the 7-day positivity rate in the region came in at 7.3 percent as of September 19.

Hospital resources and coronavirus hospitalizations remain well within state guidelines across the state, with 1,455 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Monday, including 367 in intensive care and 153 on ventilators.

Chicago reported 187 new cases of COVID-19 and two additional deaths according to preliminary state data released Tuesday, while the city’s positivity rate remains at 4.7 percent as of September 19.

The City of Chicago released new guidelines for outdoor dining in the fall and winter Monday as well, showing what restaurants and bars could look like in the city in the coming months. The city recently organized a design contest for outdoor dining concepts, although no winning concepts have officially been selected yet.

Hundreds of students and parents also attended the latest event calling for a return to in-person learning in Chicago, Wheaton, Barrington, Crystal Lake and other suburban schools Monday.

Indiana health officials reported 652 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nine new deaths Tuesday, while the statewide positivity rate from September 9-15 came in at 4 percent.

New guidance from the Centers for Disease Control warns against door-to-door trick-or-treating and crowded events of any kind this Halloween.

Some seasonal activities were identified as “moderate risk,” including open-air parades, socially-distanced costume parties and visiting pumpkin patches or apple orchards.