Note: Any news conferences from Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot or other officials will be streamed in the video player above.
Illinois has seen more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases each day for the past three days, staggering numbers as the state has modified the way it reports its metrics.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Department of Public Health created several more free mobile testing sites throughout the Chicago area, officials announced Sunday.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic across the state of Illinois today (Nov. 9):
Illinois Reports 10,573 New Coronavirus Cases, 14 Additional Deaths Monday
For the fourth consecutive day, Illinois has reported more than 10,000 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases, with 14 additional fatalities Monday.
In all, 10,573 new cases were reported over the last 24 hours in the state, bringing the total to 498,560 during the pandemic.
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The state also reported 14 additional deaths related to the virus on Monday, bringing the state’s total number of fatalities to 10,210. Another 353 deaths are classified as “probable” COVID-19 related deaths.
A total of 64,760 new tests performed over the last 24 hours, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. In all, 8,469,064 tests have been performed during the pandemic.
The state’s seven-day positivity rate continued to climb, jumping up to 11.4% from 10.6% one day earlier.
Still, the state saw its hospitalization numbers continue to increase on Monday, as 4,409 residents are currently in hospitals due to coronavirus-like illnesses. Of those patients, 857 are currently in intensive care units, and 376 are on ventilators.
All three statistics are the highest metrics the state has seen in their respective categories since the first peak in COVID-19 cases earlier this year.
Gov. Pritzker to Announce 3 Illinois Regions Will Soon Enter Tighter Mitigations: Sources
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to announce Monday that several Illinois regions will soon enter even tighter mitigations as coronavirus metrics continue rising statewide.
Regions 5, 7 and 8, which include Will, Kankakee, Kane and DuPage counties in Illinois, as well as the southern part of the state, are set to see the new restrictions Wednesday, sources in the governor's office said.
The governor is expected to announce the news during his 2:30 p.m. briefing Monday. (Watch live here)
Already all of Illinois is under increased mitigations imposed by the state on a region-by-region basis. The restrictions follow a three-tiered plan, the first of which eliminated indoor dining at restaurants, reduced gathering sizes and more.
Tier 2 under the plan adds further gathering size limitations and reduces table sizes for restaurants and bars to a maximum of six, among other restrictions.
Region 1 has been under Tier 2 mitigations since late last month.
Pritzker warned last week that the Illinois Department of Public Health is "looking at proposing further regional and statewide restrictions because the rise in cases and hospitalizations is unsustainable."
The governor had warned specific regions Thursday, including Region 7, which was at a 13.4% positivity rate at the time.
"We are headed down a dark, dark path toward where we were last spring," Pritzker said.
Under the state's guidelines, if a region's positivity rate averages greater than or equal to 8 percent after another 14 days, more stringent mitigations could be ordered.
Should a region reach Tier 3, elective surgeries will be suspended, gathering sizes will be restricted again, recreational spaces like gyms could be forced to close, salon and personal care services will be suspended, and nonessential retailers may be forced to shut their doors once again.
"It's the last thing I want to do, but I'm ready to do it," Pritzker said Friday.
The governor has declined to give specifics on what restrictions could be ahead and though he has previously said another stay-at-home order was not on the table, on Friday, he said he can't guarantee what might happen in the coming weeks.
"I'm not looking at the broader mitigation of stay-at-home as something I would do in the coming days or week, but I can't guarantee you what it looks like two weeks from now or three weeks from now - I just don't know. None of us, frankly, expected that the entire country would be swept with an increase in COVID-19," he said.
Pritzker added Friday that he currently has no plans of shutting down outdoor dining.
Illinois Reports 10,009 New Coronavirus Cases, 42 Additional Deaths Sunday
For the third consecutive day, Illinois reported more than 10,000 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases on Sunday, along with 42 additional fatalities.
In all, 10,009 new cases were reported over the last 24 hours in the state, bringing the total to 487,987 during the pandemic.
The state also reported 42 additional deaths related to the virus on Sunday, bringing the state’s total number of fatalities to 10,196. Another 342 deaths are classified as “probable” COVID-19 related deaths.
Testing continues to expand in the state, with 90,757 new tests performed over the last 24 hours, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. In all, 8,404,304 tests have been performed during the pandemic.
Unfortunately, the state’s seven-day positivity rate has continued to climb in recent days, with 11.9% of total tests coming back positive over the last week, according to IDPH figures.
The state also saw its hospitalization numbers continue to increase on Sunday, as more than 4,300 residents are currently in hospitals due to coronavirus-like illnesses. Of those patients, 833 are currently in intensive care units, and 368 are on ventilators.
All three statistics are the highest metrics the state has seen in their respective categories since the first peak in COVID-19 cases earlier this year.
How Illinois Changed the Way It Reports COVID-19 Metrics
Illinois' coronavirus data will look a little different going forward as health officials have changed the way they report new cases and deaths.
IDPH said beginning Friday, officials will "report confirmed cases and probable cases combined" under guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"A confirmed case is laboratory confirmed via molecular test. A probable case meets clinical criteria AND is epidemiologically linked, or has a positive antigen test," IDPH said in announcing the new cases and change in reporting. "If a probable case is later confirmed, the case will be deduplicated and will only be counted once. Probable deaths and confirmed deaths will continue to be reported separately."
Illinois began distributing rapid antigen tests from the federal government last month, and the state's top doctor expects as more of those tests are conducted "we will get more probable cases."
"Now that we have gotten hundreds of thousands of tests from the federal government, and we've been passing those out to local health departments in different places where we're piloting its use, those are not considered when you get the positive test in that those are not considered confirmed cases, those are called probable cases," Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said. "But we are treating - I mean, that is a positive. You have COVID if you come up with a positive test on that BinaxNOW test. So that is part of our caseload in terms of people who now have been diagnosed with COVID, and that we need to identify their contacts and that they need to isolate, etc. So total will now be the combination of confirmed cases, plus probable cases."
"The antigen test, particularly the ones that the federal government has distributed to us and to many other states, are a little less sensitive than the PCR tests," Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday. "So that's why they're, you know, slightly, I don't want to say they're less accurate - I mean, they have a different sensitivity level. And the result is that that's why they've been labeled slightly differently. But if you get an antigen test done, and it tests you positive, it is very, very likely that you are a positive."
In addition, the state has added all probable cases from the pandemic so far to its total number of cases, meaning the statewide total increased by 7,600.
"If we go back, trying to remember the time where we didn't have 100,000 tests a day, there was a time when we said, if you have the symptoms, you're around somebody who has COVID, you have the fever, you have this, you have that - you have COVID. You don't need to get a test, partly because we didn't have access for everyone," Ezike said. "So those individuals that were made known to the local health department also got listed as probable cases because they were linked to someone who was known to have it, but didn't have a confirmatory test. So those probable cases had been counted, but we've never included them. Now, we're bringing all of that data back for probable cases - the antigen forms, probable cases - and putting it with our confirmed cases from the molecular test."
Several Free COVID-19 Testing Sites Open in Chicago Area
The Illinois Department of Public Health created several more free mobile testing sites throughout the Chicago area, officials announced Sunday.
IDPH and the City of Chicago have created community-based testing sites over the past several months, which are open to all regardless of symptoms, according to the website.
Residents in Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kankakee, Lake and McHenry counties can be tested for free throughout the month of November. Here are some of the mobile testing sites:
Belmont-Cragin neighborhood
Metropolitan Family Services
3249 N. Central
Nov. 13, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Blue Island
Affordable Recovery Home Campus
13636 S. Western
Nov. 14-15, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Elmhurst
Churchville Middle School
155 Victory Pkwy.
Nov. 9-10, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Glendale Heights
Glendale Heights Aquatic Center
240 Civic Center Plaza
Nov. 12, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Grayslake
College of Lake County
19351 W. Washington St.
Nov. 12, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kirkland
Hiawatha High School
410 1st St.
Nov. 14-15, 9 a.m to 5 p.m.
McHenry
Peterson Park
4300 Peterson Park Rd.
Nov. 14-15, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Melrose Park
Village of Melrose Park
2701 W. Lake St.
Nov. 14-15, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
South Loop neighborhood
Ping Tom Park
300 W. 19th St.
Nov. 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
West Town neighborhood
Bennett Day
955 W. Grand Ave.
Nov. 11, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wheaton
Wheaton College - Edman Chapel
401 E. Franklin St.
Nov. 11, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Illinois health officials have set up several other COVID-19 testing sites across Chicago and surrounding areas to ensure constant data regarding the ongoing pandemic.
Here is where to receive a coronavirus test in the Chicago area:
Arlington Heights
IDPH Arlington Heights Drive-Through
2200 W. Euclid Ave.
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Auburn Gresham neighborhood
Foreman Mills Shopping Center
112 W. 79th St.
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Note: Walk-up testing not available at this testing location
Aurora
2450 N. Fansworth Ave.
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Note: Walk-up testing not available at this testing location
Back of the Yards neighborhood
14000 W. 47th St.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Burr Ridge
Pillars Burr Ridge Middle School
15W451 91st St.
Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Fridays, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
East Side neighborhood
St. Francis de Sales High School
10155 S. Ewing Ave
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Englewood neighborhood
1316 W. 63rd St.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Evanston
Erie Evanston/Skokie Health Center
1285 Hartrey
Hours differ, see link below
Note: Walk-up testing not available at this testing location
Gage Park neighborhood
St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic Church
5443 S. Washtenaw Ave.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Garfield Park neighborhood
Our Lady of the Snows Parish
4810 S. Leamington Ave.
Noon to 6 p.m.
Harwood Heights neighborhood
6959 W. Forest Preserve Rd.
7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Note: Walk-up testing not available at this testing location
Hegewisch neighborhood
United Auto Workers
13550 S. Torrence Ave.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Melrose Park
1101 23rd Ave.
Fridays, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Oak Lawn
5550 W. 111th St.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., closes at 1 p.m. on Fridays
Note: Walk-up testing not available at this testing location
Orland Park
Physician's Immediate Care
9570 W. 159th St., Suite A
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Waukegan
102 W. Water St.
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Westchester
Lurie Children's Westchester Drive-Through
2301 Enterprise Dr.
8 a.m. to noon
Note: Walk-up testing not available at this testing location
West Lawn neighborhood
St. Nicholas of Tolentine School
3741 W. 62nd St.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wheaton
DuPage County COVID-19 Testing Site
DuPage County Complex, County Farm Road
7 a.m. to noon
The City of Chicago noted that people not insured or do not have a state identification card can still receive a free COVID-19 test.
IDPH provides a list of other testing site locations, some of which are by appointment only and serving solely symptomatic patients. For more information on the sites, click here.
For a list of static testing sites in Chicago, primarily for people with high risk exposure and experiencing symptoms, click here.
Many CVS locations offer COVID-19 testing seven days a week, following eligibility requirements from the state. For a list of CVS testing sites, click here.
Illinois Rep. Theresa Mah Tests Positive for COVID-19
Illinois Rep. Theresa Mah tested positive for the coronavirus, she announced on Facebook Sunday.
"This morning I learned I tested positive for the COVID-19 virus after experiencing symptoms Thursday afternoon," Mah said in the post.
Mah said her symptoms began with dry, intermittent coughing, developing into fatigue, muscle aches, chills and a possible fever.
"I did my best to hydrate, rest and immediately made arrangements for testing Friday morning," Mah said. "I also began isolating and awaited my results."
After receiving her positive test results, Mah said she immediately notified anyone with whom she had contact, encouraging them to quarantine or get tested.
In her Facebook post, she reminded to prevent the spread of the virus by wearing masks, social distancing, getting frequently tested and avoiding social gatherings
Coronavirus Outbreaks and Exposures Look Different for Public Health Experts, Pritzker Says
Gov. J.B. Pritzker clarified the difference in meanings between a COVID-19 outbreak and exposure Friday, as the two words have "very specific, distinct meanings in public health."
Pritzker defined an outbreak of the coronavirus as five or more cases that are linked to a particular setting during a 14-day period.
"The location of an outbreak is more difficult to identify than the location of an exposure," he added.
Linked cases must be from different households, according to Pritzker, and not also connected to other sources of the virus.
With frequently visited places, such as restaurants and grocery stores, outbreaks are not as easy to determine as an exposure to the coronavirus, Pritzker said.
He explained that factors such as the disease being respiratory and later onset of symptoms add to the difficulty of declaring official outbreaks of COVID-19.
"Much more useful is exposure data – particularly for the average person who wants to design their day to day in a way that reduces the most risk," Pritzker said. "Exposure data comes from contact tracers talking to confirmed positive COVID patients about the places they went in the time before they were symptomatic or tested positive."
Pritzker explained that exposure data is more useful because it gives a sense of where people are at greatest risk for contracting coronavirus and where transmissions is highest in the state.
10 Illinois Schools Reported Confirmed COVID-19 Outbreaks Since the Pandemic Began: Pritzker
Since the pandemic began, 10 Illinois schools have reported confirmed coronavirus outbreaks and 478 have reported exposures, according to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Through exposure data from contact tracing at local health departments, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the state has recorded 10 schools out of 5,478 with confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks.
Of the over 5,000 schools in Illinois, 478 have reported potential COVID-19 exposures, meaning the schools are locations where the coronavirus may have occurred, but are not definitive exposure or outbreak locations.
"Anyone who goes into a school building regularly would have likely reported school as a place they went before they were confirmed positive – that doesn’t at all mean that school is where they contracted the disease originally," Pritzker said.
Pritzker noted that local health departments will likely provide more specific data that the Illinois Department of Public Health on each individual school's outbreak or potential exposure.
The outbreaks do not include secondary cases where a member of a household contracts the coronavirus but has not been on school grounds, according to Pritzker. However, he said the data does include cases associated with before and after school programs, such a sports.
Here's Why Herd Immunity Would Not Work for Coronavirus in Illinois
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike explained Friday why herd immunity could be a fatal option in treating the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
Ezike said herd immunity suggests that a percentage of an entire population would have to contract a disease to be considered "immune," with estimates reaching 60% to 80%.
Currently, Ezike estimated that nearly 5% to 10% of Illinois has been affected by COVID-19 and the state has reported over 10,000 deaths since the pandemic began.
"We got 10,000 deaths to get five to 10% of the people to have had the infection," Ezike said. "The thought of how many people would need to get the infection and die to get to that 60, 70, 80% is unfathomable. And so that is not, I dare say, that's not a moral way to approach this."
Gov. Pritzker, Staff Members Test Negative for Coronavirus After Exposure, Office Says
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and staff members have tested negative for coronavirus after being exposed to an individual who had tested positive for the virus, the governor’s office announced Saturday.
According to a press release, Pritzker and staff members have tested negative twice for the virus in recent days, both on their weekly test on Wednesday and in a rapid test conducted on Friday afternoon.
Pritzker and his staff were exposed to a COVID-positive individual during a meeting on Monday, forcing the governor to enter isolation on Friday.
According to the governor’s office, Pritzker and his staff are not considered close contacts because they met with the individuals prior to the 48-hour period before the onset of symptoms. As a result, the governor and his staff will not be required to quarantine for 14 days.
Gov. Pritzker Says He Can't Rule Out Stay-at-Home Order in Coming Weeks
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he can't make any guarantees that Illinois won't see a stay-at-home order in the coming weeks if the state's coronavirus metrics continue to rise.
"I'm not looking at the broader mitigation of stay-at-home as something I would do in the coming days or week, but I can't guarantee you what it looks like two weeks from now or three weeks from now - I just don't know. None of us, frankly, expected that the entire country would be swept with an increase in COVID-19."
Pritzker said while the region has been preparing for the potential of a fall surge, "the idea that it could move this quickly... it's frightening."
"I can't tell you what next week or the week after are going to look like," he said.
Pritzker had warned Thursday that additional restrictions could be brought back for specific regions and possibly statewide, but has previously said another stay-at-home order was not on the table. At the time, he discussed the possibility of bringing back restrictions from Phase 3 or possibly even as far back as Phase 2.
"If the numbers keep going in the wrong direction, we will need to impose further mitigations. I think we all remember what Phase Three looked like, or Phase Two looked like," Pritzker said. "Those are all things that are under consideration."
It remains unclear which, if any, of the restrictions could return and if so, where.
The governor has declined to give specifics, though he previously said another stay-at-home order was not on the table. Pritzker added Friday that he currently has no plans of shutting down outdoor dining.
Pritzker Warned Restrictions From Phase 2 or 3 Could Return. Here's What That Might Include
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said bringing back restrictions from Phase 3 or possibly even as far back as Phase 2 isn't off the table as the state continues to see coronavirus metrics climb during a second surge of the virus.
But what would that mean?
"If the numbers keep going in the wrong direction, we will need to impose further mitigations. I think we all remember what Phase Three looked like, or Phase Two looked like," Pritzker said. "Those are all things that are under consideration. Remember that it's the exposure that people have to one another, the way they expose themselves, in other words, wearing a mask or not wearing a mask, whether they have distance, rather, those are all the things that affect whether the virus is going to be spread... whether you're indoors in more greater numbers than you should be, and so on. And so all of the things that we looked at and did over the last six months, are things that are under consideration for what those new mitigations might look like."
Here's a look at what restrictions were in place during those phases
It remains unclear which, if any, of the restrictions from those phases could return and if so, where. Pritzker revealed on Thursday that the Illinois Department of Public Health is "looking at proposing further regional and statewide restrictions because the rise in cases and hospitalizations is unsustainable."
"Across the country, we are already seeing states and cities affected by this growing crisis, and they’re responding by rolling back their reopenings. And over in Europe, France, England and Germany are rising so quickly that they’re resorting to much more significant restrictions on all non-essential activities as they, too, face case numbers and hospitalizations rising in at a tragic rate," Pritzker said. "Remember that Europe fared much better than the United States over the last five months, so when they impose those severe mitigations, it’s an indication that the virus is raging out of control there, and we are heading in a similar direction."
Already all of Illinois is under increased mitigations imposed by the state on a region-by-region basis. The restrictions follow a three-tiered plan.
Currently, all but one region in Illinois is under Tier 1 mitigations, which eliminated indoor dining at restaurants, reduced gathering sizes and more. One region in the state is under Tier 2 mitigations, which adds further gathering size limitations and reduces table sizes for restaurants to six.
If a region reaches Tier 3, elective surgeries will be suspended, gathering sizes will be restricted again, recreational spaces like gyms could be forced to close, salon and personal care services will be suspended, and nonessential retailers may be forced to shut their doors once again.
"It's the last thing I want to do but I'm ready to do it," Pritzker said Friday.
The governor has declined to give specifics on what restrictions could begin and though he has previously said another stay-at-home order was not on the table, on Friday, he said he can't guarantee what might happen in the coming weeks.
"I'm not looking at the broader mitigation of stay-at-home as something I would do in the coming days or week, but I can't guarantee you what it looks like two weeks from now or three weeks from now - I just don't know. None of us, frankly, expected that the entire country would be swept with an increase in COVID-19."
Pritzker added Friday that he currently has no plans of shutting down outdoor dining.
75 Illinois Counties Now at 'Warning Level' for Coronavirus, Health Officials Say
Seventy-five counties in Illinois are now at a "warning level" for coronavirus, the state's health department said Friday.
The warning means each of the counties saw increases in two or more COVID-19 "risk indicators," the health department said.
The counties now under a warning include: Adams, Alexander, Bond, Boone, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Chicago, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Effingham, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Madison, Marion, Mason, Massac, McHenry, Mercer, Monroe, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Rock Island, Saline, Sangamon, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago, and Woodford.
Last week, 49 counties were at a "warning level." The week before that it was 51.
IDPH Considering Further Restrictions Due to 'Unsustainable' Rise in COVID Cases, Hospitalizations
Illinois' health department is considering imposing even more restrictions as the state continues to see record coronavirus numbers and as transmission surges to "drastic levels," Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced.
"I cannot stress enough the severity of our situation," Pritzker said Thursday during his daily press briefing. "IDPH is looking at proposing further regional and statewide restrictions because the rise in cases and hospitalizations is unsustainable."
Among the restrictions under consideration are a return to Phase Three and possibly even Phase Two under the Restore Illinois plan, Pritzker added.
Illinois saw a record-high number of new coronavirus cases Thursday as the state simultaneously crossed a grim milestone and the positivity rate spiked once again.
The new cases lifted Illinois' rolling seven-day positivity rate rise from 8.5% to 9.1, the highest mark the state has seen since at least late May when the state was on its way down from its first coronavirus cases peak.
In the last week alone, data showed the state's case positivity rate climbed from 6.9% to 9.1%. In the last month, that number has nearly tripled.
"Across the country, we are already seeing states and cities affected by this growing crisis, and they’re responding by rolling back their reopenings. And over in Europe, France, England and Germany are rising so quickly that they’re resorting to much more significant restrictions on all non-essential activities as they, too, face case numbers and hospitalizations rising in at a tragic rate," Pritzker said. "Remember that Europe fared much better than the United States over the last five months, so when they impose those severe mitigations, it’s an indication that the virus is raging out of control there, and we are heading in a similar direction."
Along with the increases in cases and positivity rates, the state has also seen a continued rise in hospitalizations due to the virus. According to IDPH data, 3,891 residents are currently hospitalized because of the virus. Of those patients, 772 are currently in intensive care units and 343 are on ventilators.
"We're getting to the point where we're really concerned," IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said Thursday. "We're worried that there won't be a bed enough for everyone."
Illinois is currently averaging 3,400 hospitalizations due to coronavirus, well above the 1,500 the state reported at the start of October. Data has also shown a rise in the number of patients in the ICU, which have more than in the last month, Pritzker said.
"If the current trajectory continues, if our hospitals continue to fill up, if more and more people continue to lose their lives to this disease, we’re going to implement further statewide mitigations – which nobody wants to do," Pritzker warned.
He noted that the state is currently seeing new records in testing, but "the rate of growth in our positivity is far outpacing our growth in testing."
The state says 86,015 test results have been returned to state labs in the last 24 hours, with 8,116,728 total tests performed during the pandemic.
"The more we test, the more we are finding people infected with the virus," Pritzker said. "That's awful news. Offsetting that is that we are finding infected individuals earlier, both because people are getting tested when they are contact traced or when they may have been exposed to someone who is sick. Don't wait until you develop symptoms. The earlier you test, the more likely you can limit the spread of the virus to your family, friends or co-workers."
Pritzker warned specific regions, including Region 7, which includes suburban Will and Kankakee counties and is at a 13.4% positivity rate, and Region 1 in northwest Illinois, which is at an "alarming" 15.8% positivity.
"We are headed down a dark, dark path toward where we were last spring," Pritzker said.
Chicago Outbreak Worse Than Spring With 'No Signs of Slowing Down,' Top Doc Says
Chicago is currently experiencing a coronavirus outbreak worse than anything the city saw during the spring and it is showing "no signs of slowing down," the city's top doctor said Thursday.
Speaking during a press conference to update on the pandemic in the city, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the city is seeing an average of 1,395 cases per day, a number the city said it had tried to keep below 200, where it was at one point during the summer months.
"I continue to hear people here in Chicago who think we're not talking about them... my goal is that every one of you is recognizing that when we are asking you to double down on the things we know work, we absolutely mean you," Arwady said. "There is not a single person in Chicago is not in some way at risk."
Arwady said the city knows of at least 15,000 active coronavirus infections as of Thursday, "but we know there are five to seven times that." She noted that the increase in cases has also led to an increase in hospitalizations and a "small uptick" in deaths.
The numbers, she said, are doubling, on average, every 12 days.
"If we don't slow this down... we will have hundreds of thousands of new cases by the end of the year," Arwady said.
Chicago, along with the rest of Illinois, is currently under heightened coronavirus mitigations imposed by state, despite opposition from Mayor Lori Lightfoot, which has led to the closure of indoor dining and bar service citywide.
But as positivity rates, cases and hospitalizations continue to rise across the city and state, it remains unclear when such mitigations might be lifted.
According to the latest data from CDPH, the city's positivity rate is currently at 10.9%, well above the 8% threshold requiring stricter mitigations from the state and a significant increase from the 8.2% reported one week earlier. In order to have such restrictions lifted, the city would need to drop to 6.5% or lower for three consecutive days.
On Thursday alone, the city reported a record high of 2,182 cases, topping the previous record of 1,888 cases recorded Sunday. In the last week, the city has logged 11,307 new cases.
Data showed Chicago is now reporting 59.7 new cases each day for every 100,000 residents, nearly four times the limit the city has set for states to be added to its emergency order requiring a quarantine for travelers.
"Yes, most people eventually recover," Arwady said. "We can see 83% of the people with COVID here in Chicago have recovered. Although, every day we're learning more about long-term consequences that some people are seeing, even with the recovery from COVID. But we've also had more than 3,000 deaths. And this increase in cases is already leading to an increase in hospitalizations."
Lightfoot, who also announced new measures aimed at helping city businesses survive the latest surge Thursday, pleaded with residents to avoid gatherings in homes and to wear masks as often as possible.
"We will not get past this second wave unless people step up," Lightfoot said. "Shake up the COVID fatigue and step up... we take a lot of great pride in Chicago. We take care of ourselves, we are second to none - if that's all true, prove it."
All of Illinois Now Under Enhanced Coronavirus Mitigations
Region 2, located in the western portion of Illinois, saw enhanced coronavirus mitigations put into place after reporting a positivity rate of more than 8% for three consecutive days.
With that, all 11 health care regions in the state of Illinois are now operating under enhanced mitigation rules as a result of elevated positivity rates and hospitalizations.
Region 2 includes Rock Island, Henry, Bureau, Putnam, Kendall, Grundy, Mercer, Knox, Henderson, Warren, McDonough, Fulton, Stark, Marshall, Peoria, Tazwell, McLean, Woodford, Livingston and LaSalle counties.
Under the new rules, all indoor dining and bar service will be suspended for at least two weeks, with gathering sizes now limited to 50 or fewer people.
“I know that the vast majority of people in this state want to keep themselves safe, their families and children safe, their parents, neighbors and friends,” Pritzker said in a statement. “As cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising across our state, across the Midwest and across the nation, we have to act responsibly and collectively to protect the people we love.”
Currently, nine other regions in the state are operating under the same restrictions as Region 2, with Region 1 operating under a second tier of restrictions in the northwestern corner of the state. There, gathering sizes are limited even further, with 10 or fewer people allowed to congregate, according to health officials.
