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 This statewide data represents all data submitted
to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) by the 97
certified local health departments statewide that are responsible
for leading contact tracing in their counties and cities. As of late
October, 57 of the 97 local health departments are reaching out to
more than 90 percent of cases and 86 of the 97 are reaching out to
75 percent or more.
While outbreak investigators pursue reports of multiple cases
occurring in a single location, outbreak data is limited due to the
unique challenges in pinpointing the exact location of multiple,
epidemiologically linked cases. However, exposure data revealed by
contact tracing is much more robust, and the largest single category
of possible exposure to COVID-19 is restaurants and bars, a trend
that is largely consistent across state regions.
To view the newly released data, go to:
http://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19/contact-tracing
“Across the state, the majority of our 97 local health departments
are reaching out to 90 percent or more of individuals who test
positive, with 88 percent reaching out to at least 3 of every 4
cases,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Their work offers us further
insight into the most common outbreak and exposure locations across
the state – this information, in addition to broader scientific
research on COVID-19, not only guides our mitigation efforts but
should serve as a resource to residents as they work to keep
themselves and their families safe. Just like wearing a mask,
answering a contact tracer’s call is a way to help keep your family
safe and protect your community – and that’s going to be even more
important with community transmission as high as it is.”
“Contact tracing needs during this pandemic are on the order of
nothing we’ve ever seen before and it is an all hands-on-deck effort
with local health departments and community-based organizations,”
said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Public health officials are
working with millions of COVID-19-related data points every day and
we want to share this data and what it means in a responsible and
educative way to help the public make informed decisions.”
CONTACT TRACING METRICS
The state continues to work with local health departments across the
state to assist them in building out their contact tracing efforts
and expects contact tracing data reporting to improve as local
health departments continue implementation of new technology. Most
local health departments are contacting greater than 90 percent of
cases in their jurisdictions. Beginning in July, IDPH has awarded
$237 million in grants to Illinois’ 97 certified local health
departments to increase contact tracing efforts, including hiring
staff, to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The localized approach
to contact tracing ensures that health care staff are reaching out
to members of their own communities, helping to build trust and
better engagement with the program.
One of the challenges with contact tracing is the public’s
reluctance to answer a phone call from a number they don’t
recognize. To make it easier for Illinois residents to identify when
a contact tracer is attempting to make contact with them, all calls
made by contact tracers have the caller ID “IL COVID HELP.” Since
this change took effect on Thursday, October 29th, answer rates for
both calls to confirmed cases and close contacts have started to
improve.
The data available on the IDPH website is representative of
information collected by local health departments from their contact
tracers. Local health departments are continuing to build out their
operations. Metrics are available by region and by local health
department as well.
EXPOSURE AND OUTBREAK DATA
Beginning today, the state will publish data representing outbreaks
and exposure locations for cases of COVID-19 in a variety of setting
types, to be updated on a weekly basis.
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The location of an outbreak is more difficult to
identify than the location of an exposure. In this first batch of
released data, an outbreak is defined as five or more cases that are
linked to a specific setting during a 14-day period. Linked cases
must be from different households and not already connected from
other sources. While certain settings like a college campus, a
factory, or group home make it easier to determine an outbreak, most
establishments that are frequented by the public, like restaurants
or grocery stores, are harder to determine as the setting of an
outbreak.
Exposure data is gathered by contact tracers who ask individuals to
recall places and businesses they visited in the 14 days preceding
the onset of their symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test. Most
individuals will have more than one potential exposure location.
Exposure data provides Illinois residents with information regarding
where they are at the greatest risk for catching COVID-19.
In Illinois, the largest single category of exposure statewide is
restaurants and bars, a trend that is broadly consistent across
state regions. Workplaces and schools are also high on the list of
Illinois exposure locations due to the sheer number of people who
report to an office or attend in-person learning.
SCHOOL DATA
Protecting the health and safety of Illinois’s students, teachers,
and educational staff has been a high priority for the Pritzker
administration since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. To provide
further clarity into how the virus is impacting places of learning,
the state is now making school specific data collected from contact
tracing efforts publicly available online. The data is broken down
by individual schools, counties and three age groups: 5-11 years,
12-17 years, and 18-22 years. State-level data is not all inclusive
as it is limited to outbreaks reported by local health departments
and exposure data collected through contact tracing. Individual
schools and local health departments remain the most accurate and
immediate source of data, which will then get reported by local
health departments to IDPH. School districts are required to notify
guardians of potential exposure to COVID-19.
As of Friday, November 6, 10 schools across the state are currently
experiencing outbreaks. The reported outbreaks do not include
secondary cases that may occur in a household member who has not
been in school grounds; however, the data does include people who
associated with a COVID-positive student or staff during before and
after school programs, like sports. All school-related data will be
updated on a weekly basis.
To prevent the further spread of COVID-19, Illinois residents over
the age of two years are required to wear a face covering when out
in public and social distancing is not easily achievable. Anyone
exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 or who may have been in contact with
someone exhibiting symptoms or who has tested positive for the virus
should seek out testing and isolate at home.
[Office of the Governor JB Pritzker] |
