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 The resurgence plan recognizes that the state is
in its strongest position to combat the virus since the pandemic
began, with a robust testing operation regularly yielding more than
30,000 tests per day, expanded tracing operations with 1,450 contact
tracers, a growing stockpile of personal protective equipment, and
hospital surge capacity. The plan also accounts for months of
additional data and research as public health experts reach a
greater scientific understanding of this virus and how it spreads.
“Illinois now has the lowest infection rates among all our
neighboring states and one of the lowest positivity rates in the
country – and it’s because of the individual actions of millions of
our residents,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Opening up our economy
does not have to come with a spike in cases. Other countries have
done it successfully while reducing cases and infection rates. But
that requires vigilance on the part of all of us. It’s imperative
that individuals, families, workers and businesses follow the
recommendations doctors have given about vital mitigations and that
we act quickly if we see any outbreaks and upticks, signs that could
lead to a surge of coronavirus infections.”
“This plan ensures we are looking at all available data to make
timely decisions to protect the health of our communities,” said
IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “By assessing key metrics that
indicate both the disease burden and the capacity of each COVID-19
region to respond, we can then take targeted actions within specific
regions to help mitigate the spread of this deadly disease while
keeping as much of our state open as possible.”
The resurgence prevention plan developed by IDPH outlines three
tiers of general and industry-specific mitigations that can be acted
upon to prevent a renewed spread of COVID-19. To provide for a more
granular approach, the mitigations outlined will be applied on a
regional basis based on the 11 Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
regions that have traditionally guided IDPH in its statewide public
health work.
METRICS AND MITIGATIONS
The administration has relied on science and data to guide its
approach to battling COVID-19 from the very beginning and will
continue to do so when determining the metrics and mitigations
necessary to prevent a resurgence of cases in Illinois.
The following metrics will be used to determine when the spread
of the virus in a region requires additional mitigations:
Sustained increase in 7-day rolling average (7 out of 10 days) in
the positivity rate and one of the following severity indicators:
Sustained 7-day increase in hospital admissions for a COVID-19 like
illness
Reduction in hospital capacity threatening surge capabilities (ICU
capacity or medical/surgical beds < 20%)
OR three consecutive days averaging ≥ 8% positivity rate
The updated guidance from IDPH establishes three tiers of
mitigations that can be implemented should a region meet the
resurgence metrics.
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Some mitigation strategies in higher risk settings,
like indoor bars and restaurants, will be automatically applied in a
region that meets resurgence criteria to prevent rapid spread of
COVID-19. A larger list of mitigation strategies relating to
settings like retail, fitness, and salons and personal care will be
available if testing and contact tracing data at the local level
indicate those mitigations to be prudent.
The list of optional measures included in the updated
guidance is not exhaustive. Other industries could require
additional mitigation if indicated by the region’s data.
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PLAN REGIONS
Mitigations will be applied on a regional basis based on the
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Regions that have traditionally
guided IDPH in its statewide public health work. Expanding to 11
regions allows for a more granular approach in this phase of the
response to COVID-19. The new regions follow county lines to account
for counties that are in more than one region of the EMS system.
The new regions are:
NORTH: Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle,
Stephenson, Whiteside, Winnebago
NORTH-CENTRAL: Bureau, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry,
Kendall, Knox, La Salle, Livingston, Marshall, McDonough, McLean,
Mercer, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Tazewell, Warren,
Woodford
WEST-CENTRAL: Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Christian, Greene,
Hancock, Jersey, Logan, Macoupin, Mason, Mason, Menard,
Montgomery, Morgan, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott
METRO EAST: Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, St.
Clair, Washington
SOUTHERN: Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton,
Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Marion, Massac, Perry, Pope,
Pulaski, Saline, Union, Wabash, Wayne, White, Williamson
EAST-CENTRAL: Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford,
Cumberland, De Witt, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford,
Iroquois, Jasper, Lawrence, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, Richland,
Shelby, Vermillion
SOUTH SUBURBAN: Kankakee, Will
WEST SUBURBAN: DuPage, Kane
NORTH SUBURBAN: Lake, McHenry
SUBURBAN COOK: Suburban Cook
CHICAGO: City of Chicago
A map of the resurgence plan regions will be available on the
state’s coronavirus website: www.coronavirus.illinois.gov.
COVID-19 TESTING AND TRACING
Since March, the Pritzker administration has implemented policies
and programming to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Measures have
included issuing a stay at home order to prevent hospitals from
becoming overwhelmed, expanding the state’s contact tracing program,
and building upon testing availability across Illinois.
The administration has been proactive in expanding testing access
since the onset of the pandemic. Illinois was the first state to
establish COVID-19 testing capabilities to reduce reliance on the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Today, the state is currently
experiencing a weekly average of more than 33,000 tests per day,
recently surpassing 2 million tests total. This expanded testing
programming contributed to a significant decrease in the state’s
seven-day rolling average positivity rate, now averaging just over
3.0 percent.
The state has also worked to expand its contact tracing operation,
with approximately 1,450 contact tracers now working across
Illinois. Over the next week, 26 local health departments will
receive additional funding from the state, representing over $127
million of available grant funds for contact tracing. With these
funds, local health departments will hire approximately 1,330
contact tracers over the next few months and significantly expand
their contact tracing efforts.
ACTIONS TO
COMBAT A RESURGENCE OF COVID-19 - see page three - PDF
[Office of the Governor JB Pritzker] |
