 According to the CDC, 19 Illinois counties are now
rated at High Community Level for COVID-19, an area that includes
Chicago, Cook County and surrounding counties in northeastern
Illinois as well as counties around Bloomington, Peoria and
Springfield. An additional 31 counties in Illinois are now rated at
Medium Community Level, the CDC reports.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 3,318,982 cases, including
33,853 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the beginning of
the pandemic.
As of last night, 1,227 individuals in Illinois were reported to be
in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 114 patients were in the
ICU and 35 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators. The
preliminary seven-day statewide case rate is 256 COVID-19 cases per
100,000 Illinoisans.
The counties listed at High Community Level are Cook, DuPage, Lake,
McHenry, Will, Boone, Lee, Stephenson and Winnebago in northern
Illinois and Fulton, Knox, Logan, Mason, McLean, Menard, Peoria,
Sangamon, Tazewell and Woodford in central Illinois.
“With 50 Illinois counties now rated at a High or Medium Community
Level, we should all be paying attention to the transmission levels
and taking steps to ensure that we are up-to-date on vaccinations
and boosters,” said IDPH Acting Director Amaal Tokars. “At this
time, we are all wise to put on our masks in indoor public spaces
and avoid indoor crowded spaces as much as possible. And if you test
positive, promptly contact a healthcare provider to discuss which
treatment is right for you. The treatments are much more effective
at preventing hospitalizations and deaths when they are taken early
in the course of the illness.”
The CDC recommends the following measures for people in areas that
are rated at High Community Level for COVID-19 transmission:
• Wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public, regardless of
vaccination status (including in K-12 schools and other indoor
community settings)
• If you are immunocompromised or high risk for severe disease
o Wear a mask or respirator that provides you with greater
protection
o Consider avoiding non-essential
indoor activities in public where you could be exposed
o Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to take
other precautions
o Have a plan for rapid testing if needed (e.g.,
having home tests or access to testing)
o IF YOU TEST POSITIVE: Talk to your healthcare
provider about whether you are a candidate for treatments like oral
antivirals, and monoclonal antibodies
[to top of second column] |
• If you have household or social contact with
someone at high risk for severe disease
o consider self-testing to detect infection before contact
o consider wearing a mask when indoors with them
• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters
• Maintain improved ventilation throughout indoor spaces when
possible
• Follow CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine, including
getting tested if you are exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms of
COVID-19
At the Medium Community Level, persons who are elderly or
immunocompromised (at risk of severe outcomes) are advised to wear a
mask in indoor public places. In addition, they should make sure to
get up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines or get their 2nd booster,
if eligible.
IDPH has been supporting pharmacies and healthcare providers in
efforts to increase their inventories of the various FDA-authorized
treatments. There are over 1,200 treatment locations in Illinois -
including all the major retail pharmacies. More than 96.7% of the
state’s population is within a 10-mile radius of one of these
locations.
A total of 22,402,533 vaccines have been administered in Illinois.
The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is
12,375 doses. Since May 27, 86,626 doses were reported administered
in Illinois. Of Illinois’ total population, more than 76% has
received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, more than 69% of
Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated, and more than 52% of
the vaccinated population has an initial booster according to data
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data indicates
that the risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes from COVID-19
is much higher for unvaccinated people than for those who are up to
date on their vaccinations.
All data are provisional and are subject to change. Additional
information and COVID-19 data can be found at
https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19.html.
Vaccination is the key to ending this pandemic. To find a COVID-19
vaccination location near you, go to
www.vaccines.gov.
The federal government has established a new website that provides
an all-purpose toolkit with information on how to obtain masks,
treatment, vaccines and testing resources for all areas of the
country at: https://www.covid.gov/.
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information] |
