Note: Any news conferences from Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot or other officials will be streamed in the video player above.
Several Illinois regions will soon enter even tighter mitigations as coronavirus metrics continue rising statewide, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Monday.
The restrictions come as Illinois' average daily coronavirus case numbers have increased nearly 380% since Oct. 1, he said.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic across the state of Illinois today (Nov. 10):
Multiple Illinois Regions Have Tripled Previous Records for Coronavirus Hospitalizations
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a warning to state residents on Tuesday, saying that some healthcare regions in the state have seen more than triple the number of coronavirus hospitalizations than they did during the first wave of the virus earlier this spring.
According to data provided by Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health, Region 3, located in west and central Illinois and including Springfield, is seeing 3.2 times as many hospitalizations as it did during its previous peak in early April. Region 6, which includes Champaign, is seeing a staggering 3.5 times as many hospitalizations as it did during its spring peak.
Local
The surging hospitalization numbers, along with a surge in intensive care unit usage, comes as health officials scramble to contain the rapid spread of the virus, as the state reported its new single-day high in new coronavirus cases on Tuesday.
Read more here.
Chicago Changes Requirements for Travel Order as Nearly All of US Now on List
Chicago has changed the way it reports states being added to its travel order, now requiring a 14-day quarantine, or in some cases, a negative test result depending on a state's coronavirus outbreak.
The city announced the changes Tuesday, categorizing states in a color-coded map to determine which requirements are in effect for travelers.
In total, 44 states and territories are listed on the emergency travel order, either declared "orange" or "red" states. Only a small number are listed as "yellow," meaning they do not require a quarantine.
Here's a look at the new guidelines:
Yellow: States with a rolling 7-day average less than 15 cases/day/100k residents.
- No quarantine or pre-arrival test required. Maintain strict masking, social distancing and avoidance of in-person gatherings
Orange: States have a rolling 7-day average between 15 cases/day/100k residents and the Chicago rolling 7-day average (currently 60)
- 14-day quarantine OR pre-arrival negative test no more than 72 hours before arrival in Chicago with strict masking, social distancing and avoidance of in-person gatherings
Red: States have a higher 7-day rolling average of positive cases/day/100k Chicago residents.
- 14-day quarantine
Based on current data, only six states are listed as "yellow" states, including New York, California, New Hampshire, Maine, Hawaii and Vermont.
Thirty-one others and Puerto Rico are declared "orange states," which require either a 14-day quarantine or a "pre-arrival negative test." That includes the newly-added Michigan, Connecticut, Arizona, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Oregon, Washington and Louisiana.
Another 12 states are listed as "red" states.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said no matter a state's color under the order, she would not recommend any unnecessary travel.
“First and foremost, I would like people to avoid travel at this time if at all possible," Arwady said in a statement. "But by creating a tiered system and using Chicago’s case rate as a category threshold, it allows us to be responsive to the changing dynamics of the pandemic. This measure is a response to increased rates of COVID-19 transmission in Chicago and across the nation, and it sets up measures to mitigate transmission in our city.”
Illinois Reports 12,623 New Coronavirus Cases, Surpassing 500K Total, and 79 Additional Deaths
Illinois health officials reported more than 12,000 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases on Tuesday, lifting the statewide total number of cases to more than 500,000 since the pandemic began.
The state reported 12,623 new cases and 79 additional deaths Tuesday, according to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health. That marked the fifth consecutive day in which Illinois has seen more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases.
Those figures brought the total number of cases in the state to 511,183 since the pandemic began and lifted the death toll to 10,289, IDPH said. The 79 deaths reported Tuesday marked Illinois' highest single-day death toll since June 17, when the state reported 80 deaths.
A total of 101,955 new tests were performed over the last 24 hours, according to state health officials. In all, 8,571,019 tests have been performed during the pandemic.
The state’s seven-day positivity rate continued to climb, reaching 12% on Tuesday. That marks an increase from 11.4% on Monday, which itself was up from 10.6% on Sunday.
The state also saw its hospitalization numbers continue to increase on Tuesday, with 4,742 residents currently in hospitals due to coronavirus-like illnesses. Of those patients, 911 are currently in intensive care units, and 399 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.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced 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.
All 11 regions in the state are currently under some form of enhanced mitigations, including the closure of indoor dining and bar service as well as limitations on gathering sizes and more.
Chicago to See Additional COVID-19 Restrictions in Near Future: Mayor's Office
With several Illinois regions slated to see enhanced mitigations under the state's coronavirus plan, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's office said Monday the city itself could implement additional restrictions in the near future.
City officials didn't provide a specific timeline, but said restrictions wouldn't be added this week. At a news conference earlier in the day, Lightfoot hinted that restrictions may only focus on the areas experiencing the biggest challenges.
"We want to be very smart and strategic and data driven," the mayor explained. "Because as I said, while we feel like the the surge that we're experiencing now is the same or worse than the spring, we've learned a tremendous amount since then."
Last week, Chicago's top doctor said the city was experiencing an outbreak worse than the one in the spring, and there were "no signs of slowing down."
On Thursday, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the city was reporting 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.
On Thursday alone, Chicago officials reported a record high of 2,182 cases, topping the previous record of 1,888 cases.
Data showed Chicago was 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.
Chicago, along with the rest of Illinois, remain under heightened coronavirus mitigations imposed by state, despite opposition from Mayor Lightfoot, which has led to the closure of indoor dining and bar service citywide.
At Monday's news briefing, Lightfoot stressed that the city will focus on mitigation efforts down to the city block.
"We’ve got to be very strategic about he way in which we deploy intervention," she stated. "We have to surgeons knife and not a blunt axe. In thinking about the next steps, that is really the mindset we are taking."
With hospitalizations, positivity rates and case numbers rising across the city and state, it remains unclear when such mitigations might be lifted.
2 Weeks after NBC 5 Revealed Illinois' Secret List, the State Still Won't Release Outbreak Details
On Monday, after promising NBC 5 for weeks that it would release its data on thousands of coronavirus outbreaks, it posted some information on its website. But the "data" turns out to be just some pie charts and general numbers; no details at all about the thousands of outbreaks it has been tracking.
However, you can see the state's entire secret list, because NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago posted it as part of our original investigation.
See the original report below:
NBC 5 Investigates and Telemundo Chicago Investiga have found thousands of little-known outbreaks of coronavirus in Illinois -- in restaurants, bars, retail stores, preschools, workplaces, gyms, clubs, churches and parties -- all kinds of parties -- across the state. Yet for months the state has concealed these outbreaks from the public, despite the fact that these are the very cases that could directly support officials’ continued pleas for people to avoid large groups of people.
The confidential list -- maintained by the Illinois Department of Public Health -- was obtained by the “Documenting Covid-19 project” at Columbia University’s Brown Institute for Media Innovation, working with the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. The group received the list, apparently by mistake, in response to a public records request to a county health department.
“The email we received says ‘confidential - do not share,’” said Sky Chadde, the Midwest Center’s Gannett Agricultural Data Fellow. "[It was] pretty much of an accident in terms of getting these records.”
Those records contain 2,553 confirmed outbreaks of coronavirus cases across the state — outbreaks which resulted in the infections of 43,780 people.
The state defines an “outbreak” as a case of coronavirus that spreads to other people. The outbreaks on the state’s secret list range from infections of two or three people — to hundreds.
The list, in spreadsheet form, appears to include outbreaks from the beginning of the pandemic, through the summer months, and on into September. Beyond the “confirmed” outbreaks, there are also hundreds of additional “probable” and “suspected” outbreaks, bringing the total number of cases on the confidential list to 3,013 cases.
“As soon as we got this data, we thought we need to get this out there, because it does provide good health information,” Chadde says. "It can help people decide what actions they should take to protect themselves during the pandemic."
For two weeks, NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago have been asking IDPH officials about the list and why it remains secret. The department did confirm the list’s authenticity, but still declined to make it public, and won’t talk about it either. A health department spokeswoman says "IDPH does not comment on confidential information." She added that the department is concerned that individual people could be identified, if the data were released. The state's outbreak list does not list any personal identifying information about individuals -- no names, for example, and no dates of birth.
However, in apparent change in policy this week, that IDPH spokeswoman now tells NBC 5 that the department is considering releasing some of this data. And Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker -- for the first time on Wednesday -- mentioned a potential release of just the type of information which is on this confidential spreadsheet.
"You’ll see that data as we come forward with it," Gov. Pritzker said in a Wednesday press conference. "It’ll be in the next few days or early next week."
In the meantime, NBC 5 Investigates and Telemundo Chicago Investiga have now analyzed the list, as it appears through September.As expected, we found that many — nearly one-third — of the confirmed outbreaks occurred at 988 nursing homes and long-term care centers across the state — resulting in the sicknesses — and, in many cases, deaths — of more than 27,293staff and residents. And, in fact — after much public pressure last spring — the state did make those particular cases public, and they are now posted — and updated weekly — on the IDPH’s website.
But we also found that the state has been tracking hundreds of confirmed coronavirus outbreaks in places that hit all of us close to home: 58 preschools (resulting in the spread of 235 cases), 69 grade schools (resulting in 226 cases), 28 colleges (resulting in 226 cases), and 42 churches (spreading 414 cases).
And we found 118 confirmed outbreaks at restaurants and bars around the state — from fast-food establishments and pizza joints to hotel bars and steakhouses. In all, those outbreaks infected 448 people, according to the state’s confidential list.
We discovered that the state has confirmed another 72 outbreaks at retail stores and businesses, ranging from local big-box stores and grocery chains to Ma-and-Pa markets and drug stores; from suburban salons and spas to car washes and jewelry stores — all places where the public is welcome — but has likely not been informed of these cases. In all, those outbreaks infected a total of 322 people, according to the secret state records.
And then there are the parties.
Health officials are now warning that as the weather gets colder there’s an increased danger of more “super-spreader” events at small family gatherings, as much as large, crowded events.
But NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago discovered that for months state officials have kept hidden scores of parties they have already documented -- cases they could be using, to directly drive home their current warnings: outbreaks at private parties, pool parties, prom parties, gender-reveal parties, bachelor parties, showers, weddings and receptions — each of which infected multiple people, like a baby shower in Oak Lawn; a wedding at a venue in LaSalle County; a private party in Winnetka; two other parties -- both in the western suburbs; another party at a hotel in Chicago; another at a city park, and yet another in a nearby casino.
And more:
- A private party in late July in the north suburban Deerfield/Riverwoods area was linked to at least 18 cases of coronavirus. According to a spokesperson with the Lake County Department of Health, approximately 33 people may have been exposed, and -- in fact, she adds -- that may be an underestimate.
- Another party in Lake Zurich resulted in an outbreak affecting ten guests.
- A memorial service in southwest suburban Mendota was linked to at least five infections.
- An outbreak of six infections was traced to a basketball tournament in north suburban Waukegan.
- A late-summer village event in a northwest suburban community was linked to at least 18 confirmed cases of coronavirus. However, the LCHD spokesperson says the department identified as many as 75 people who may have been exposed.
- A weight-loss camp event in Chicago was linked to 31 infections.
- And an upscale restaurant in north suburban Lincolnshire was confirmed as the site of an outbreak in late August. The LCHD spokesperson says 18 or more people were potentially exposed, and nine confirmed or probable cases were identified.
It’s not just in the Chicago area. The state’s confidential list also details downstate outbreaks:
- A celebration on a rented a party bus resulted in at least 11 passengers later testing positive for coronavirus.
- A college party at an apartment complex was linked to 21 cases.
- Five people who attended a gender-reveal party then got coronavirus.
- A gathering at a bar in Macomb was linked to 13 cases.
- A recital held by a downstate dance academy saw 12 attendees fall ill.
- An “unofficial prom party” in two homes in Champaign was linked to 17 coronavirus cases.
- And at least 14 people at a golf outing at a downstate country club later got sick -- and one died.
NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago also counted 364 confirmed outbreaks which involve concentrated communities of people, other than the long-term care centers already made public. Many of these facilities house vulnerable populations, but most of these cases have not been made public. We found those outbreaks resulted in 4,109 cases of coronavirus spread through homes for the developmentally-disabled, mental-health treatment centers, group homes, prisons, hospitals and medical facilities, and military bases.
In particular, the state’s list reveals that — from the early days of the coronavirus pandemic — it has been tracking an outbreak at Naval Base Great Lakes north of Chicago, which — according to the confidential records — has so far sickened 409 people. Yet there has been very little public information about this outbreak — either from the state or the U.S. Navy. Two spokespeople for Great Lakes say the U.S. Department of Defense adopted a policy, last spring, not to publicly release information about coronavirus cases on its bases.
In addition, NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago found the state has tracked 153 outbreaks in food production and meat-packing companies, resulting in 2,967 coronavirus infections in places that handle food. They include a facility in Rock Island, with 202 confirmed coronavirus cases, and a facility in Monmouth, where 188 cases spread throughout the plant.
Sky Chadde at The Midwest Center points out that other states -- such as Colorado and Kansas -- make this type of information public. So does Los Angeles County.
"This is information that other states have deemed good for people to have in the public interest," Chadde says. "[It’s] not a privacy threat to any individual person."
"I think we’re acting in the public interest," he adds. "And that’s our goal."
Pritzker Again Hints at Possibility of Another Stay-at-Home Order
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker once again hinted that another stay-at-home order could be possible if Illinois' coronavirus metrics continue to rise.
Addressing residents in his daily coronavirus briefing Monday, the governor said he's "looking at really all the possibilities" for curbing the spread of the virus.
"I'm very concerned as we approach Thanksgiving," Pritzker said. "I'm very concerned as these numbers rise. And as a result, as I've told you, for days, you know, we are looking at really all the possibilities - the possibility that we would have to go back a phase, the possibility that we would have to ultimately have a stay-at-home order - those are not things that I prefer to do. But those are things that these numbers are not sustainable."
It remains unclear when exactly the governor might make such a decision on another stay-at-home order, but he did note which metrics he's watching.
"I guess I one thing I look at every day is are we are we bending the curve as we, back in the spring, we were doing - are we bending the curve?" he said. "And that doesn't mean that the numbers go down from one day to the next, but it does mean that the rate of increase is subsiding. And that's the beginning of flattening it and heading down."
This marks the second time the governor has hinted at the possibility of a stay-at-home order in recent weeks. Previously, Pritzker said such a move was not on the table.
"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," Pritzker said last week. "None of us, frankly, expected that the entire country would be swept with an increase in COVID-19."
Illinois' Daily Coronavirus Cases Up 380% Compared to Oct. 1, Pritzker Says
Illinois' average daily coronavirus case numbers have increased nearly 380% since Oct. 1, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday.
In the last 24 hours, Illinois reported 10,573 new cases, marking the fourth consecutive day above 10,000. The state is expected to top 500,000 cases for the pandemic so far Tuesday.
It's important to note, however, that the state recently changed its reporting of daily cases, adding in "probable" cases, which include positive results from rapid antigen tests in the state.
Still, statewide test positivity is up more than 180% in the last five weeks and hospitalizations and deaths are each up more than 150% for the same time period, Pritzker said.
"The virus is winning right now," he told residents during his daily coronavirus press briefing Monday.
According to data from the state's health department analyzed by NBC 5 Investigates, Illinois took 86 days to increase from 100,000 to 200,000 cases. It then took 51 days to rise from 200,000 to 300,000 cases. That number dropped to 27 days for 300,000 to 400,000 cases.
At its current rate, it would only take 11 days for Illinois to go from 400,000 to 500,000 cases.
Ezike, Health Officials Express Concern as Coronavirus Hospitalizations Near 6-Month Highs
Health officials are growing increasingly concerned as Illinois nears six-month highs in coronavirus hospitalizations.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 4,409 patients are currently hospitalized statewide due to coronavirus or COVID-19-like illnesses. Of those patients, 857 are currently in intensive care units as a result of the virus.
Those numbers represent a steady increase that the state has seen since the beginning of October, and are beginning to near the record highs that the state saw in late April and early May.
The 4,409 current hospitalizations are the most the state has seen since May 13, according to IDPH data. The high watermark for hospitalizations during the pandemic came on April 28, when 5,037 patients were in hospitals due to the virus.
The 857 patients in intensive care units are the most the state has recorded since May 31. The record-high in that category came on April 28, when 1,290 patients were in ICU’s.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the director of the IDPH, calls the increasing hospitalization rate a “significant problem,” and warned that the state could be forced to engage in some drastic action to ensure access to hospital beds for all those patients that need them.
“We’re going to have to come up with some creative solutions to make sure that everyone has a bed, whether it’s for COVID, or whether it’s for a flu-like illness or a car accident, or for a heart attack. It’s a very imminent issue,” she said.
Ezike says that it’s critical for state residents to continue to wear masks, wash their hands and to socially distance, saying that those mitigation measures are the most effective for residents as a vaccine likely remains months away from widespread distribution.
“We still need to work on the front end to try to limit the number of people who get sick and who get infected in the first place so that we can slow down that need for hospitalization,” she said.
Hospitalization numbers regularly lag behind increasing case numbers, and Illinois is seeing that take place. Case numbers began to spike in mid-October, along with a drastic increase in positivity rates, and hospitalizations weren’t far behind, as the number of residents who have been hospitalized because of the virus has nearly tripled since Oct. 1.
A Look at Illinois' Phases and Tiers as Coronavirus Mitigations Set to Increase For Some
Illinois is currently in the fourth phase of the Restore Illinois plan, but as coronavirus metrics continue to spike across the state, many are under heightened mitigations and the governor has warned that the state could see restrictions from previous phases brought back.
Last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned restrictions from as far back as Phase 2 could return.
Illinois began Phase Two of its reopening plan on May 1, when a modified stay-at-home order took effect allowing some businesses to reopen. Phase Three began a few weeks later.
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.
In addition to the phased plan, Illinois has also implemented a tiered mitigation plan that would impose stronger restrictions to specific regions seeing increasing metrics.
Currently, all of Illinois is experiencing increased mitigations under that plan. Most are under Tier 1, but Pritzker is set to announce several other regions will soon enter Tier 2, joining one other region in that level.
Here's a look at the five-phased Restore Illinois plan and the full mitigation plan:
Phase 1:
What it means: This phase takes place when the rate of infection among those tested and the number of patients admitted to the hospital is high or rapidly increasing.
What is allowed: Only essential businesses remain open.
Restrictions: Strict stay-at-home and social distancing guidelines are put in place.
Phase 2:
What it means: The rate of infection among those tested and the number of patients admitted to the hospital beds and ICU beds increases at a slower rate than Phase 1, moving toward a flat and even a downward trajectory.
What is allowed: Non-essential retail stores reopen for curb-side pickup and delivery. Residents can begin enjoying additional outdoor activities like golf, boating and fishing while practicing social distancing.
Restrictions: Illinoisans are directed to wear a face covering when outside the home.
Phase 3:
What it means: The rate of infection among those tested, the number of patients admitted to the hospital, and the number of patients needing ICU beds is stable or declining from those seen in Phase 1 and Phase 2.
What is allowed: Manufacturing, offices, retail, barbershops and salons are open to the public with capacity and other limits and safety precautions. All gatherings limited to 10 or fewer people are allowed.
Restrictions: Face coverings and social distancing are the norm.
Phase 4:
What it means: The rate of infection among those tested and the number of patients admitted to the hospital continues to decline.
What is allowed: All gatherings of up to 50 people are allowed, restaurants and bars open with restrictions and child care and schools can reopen under guidance from the IDPH.
Restrictions: Face coverings and social distancing are the norm.
Phase 5:
What it means: With a vaccine or highly effective treatment widely available or the elimination of any new cases over a sustained period, the economy fully reopens with safety precautions continuing.
What's allowed: Conventions, festivals and large events are permitted, and all businesses, schools, and places of recreation can open.
Restrictions: New safety guidance and procedures will be in place reflecting the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here's a look at the full mitigation plan:
Tier 1:
BARS
- All bars and restaurants close at 11pm and may reopen no earlier than 6am the following day
- No indoor service
- All bar patrons should be seated at tables outside
- No ordering, seating, or congregating at bar (bar stools should be removed)
- Tables should be 6 feet apart
- No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
- No dancing or standing indoors
- Reservations required for each party
- No seating of multiple parties at one table outdoors
RESTAURANTS
- All restaurants close at 11pm and may reopen no earlier than 6am the following day
- No indoor dining or bar service
- Tables should be 6 feet apart. No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
- Reservations required for each party
- No seating of multiple parties at one table
MEETINGS, SOCIAL EVENTS, GATHERINGS
- Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity both indoors and outdoors
- No party buses
- Gaming and Casinos close at 11:00pm, are limited to 25 percent capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable
OFFICES
- Continued emphasis on telework for as many workers as possible
ORGANIZED GROUP RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES & GYMS
- All Sports Guidance effective August 15, 2020, remains in effect
- Outdoor Activities (not included in the above exposure settings) continue per current DCEO guidance IDPH will continue to track the positivity rate in regions requiring additions
Tier 2:
BARS
- Reduce party size from 10 to 6
RESTAURANTS
- Reduce party size from 10 to 6
MEETINGS, SOCIAL EVENTS, GATHERINGS
- Maximum indoor/outdoor gathering size = 10
- Applicable to professional, cultural and social group gatherings
- Not applicable to students participating in-person classroom learning
- This does not reduce the overall facility capacity dictated by general business guidance such as office, retail, etc.
- Not applicable to sports; see sports guidance here
OFFICES
- Promote work from home when possible.
ORGANIZED GROUP RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES & GYMS
- Maintain lesser of 25 people/25% of capacity for both indoors and outdoors
- Groups limited to 10 or fewer
- Does not apply to Fitness Centers
Tier 3:
HOSPITALS
- Suspend elective surgeries and procedures; implement surge capacity; assess need to open Alternate Care Facility
MEETINGS, SOCIAL EVENTS, GATHERINGS
- Strictest limit to gatherings and room capacity
OFFICES
- Institute remote work for all non-essential workers
ORGANIZED GROUP RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES & GYMS
- Suspend organized indoor and outdoor recreational activities
RETAIL
- Suspend all non-essential retail; only essential retail open (i.e. grocery stores, pharmacies)
SALONS AND PERSONAL CARE
- Suspend salon and personal care operations
According to the governor's office, 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
Once a region enters the mitigation plan, the Illinois Department of Health will then track their metrics for two weeks.
If the positivity rate averages less than or equal to 6.5% over a 3-day period, that region can return to Phase 4 restrictions. If the positivity rate it between 6.5% and 8%, the department will continue monitoring. If the positivity rate is great than or equal to 8%, additional restrictions could be implemented.
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.
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.
Pritzker, Ezike Say CDC Protocols Were Followed After Possible COVID-19 Exposure
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says that he followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines after his office reported a possible coronavirus exposure last week.
The potential exposure occurred Monday during an in-person meeting, Pritzker’s office said. A person who attended the meeting later tested positive for the virus on Friday, and had started experiencing symptoms on Thursday, IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said.
Pritzker, who held an in-person press briefing on Monday and was seen walking in Chicago's Lake View neighborhood Saturday amid celebrations following the projection that President-elect Joe Biden had won the 2020 presidential election, was blunt when asked if he was violating CDC guidelines by not self-quarantining.
“I did not ignore those guidelines on Saturday,” Pritzker said.
Under CDC guidelines, an exposure to coronavirus is defined as coming into prolonged close contact (defined by the CDC as being within six feet for 15 or more minutes) with an individual who has begun to experience symptoms of the virus within 48 hours of that contact.
Both Ezike and Pritzker’s office say that the exposure did not occur within that 48-hour window, meaning that the governor does not have to self-quarantine for 14 days under the guidelines.
“In this case, there was an exposure Monday,” she said. “The person developed symptoms on Thursday and got tested. On Friday they came back positive. Per CDC, you go back two days from when symptoms began, and the meeting was outside of that period.”
Ezike went on to say that the governor followed proper protocols in this case, saying that her office has routinely been even stricter than what the CDC recommends when it comes to dealing with cases where the governor or his staff have been exposed to the virus.
“I’ve been stricter in cases just to be overly cautious,” she said. “I’ve put him on quarantine when we didn’t have to.”
Pritzker has self-isolated on multiple occasions, including in late September, during the pandemic when staffers have tested positive for the virus. The governor self-isolated as contact tracing was performed in this case, and tested negative for the virus at his standard Wednesday coronavirus test and in a subsequent PCR test that was performed Friday.
Ezike was quick to say that a test by itself does not stop the clock on a self-quarantine, but emphasized that Pritzker’s exposure to the virus falls outside of the guidelines for a quarantine laid out by the CDC and that the Friday test was done as a precautionary measure.
Questions arose after the governor was seen walking through Chicago’s Lake View neighborhood on Saturday following the projected victory of President-elect Joe Biden, but Ezike says that the governor was following all necessary protocols and wasn’t required to self-quarantine under CDC and IDPH guidance.
“It wouldn’t fall in the normal zone of contact tracing and isolating,” she said.
‘The Virus is Winning Right Now,' Gov. Pritzker Says
3 Illinois Regions to See Tier 2 Mitigations Begin This Week, Gov. Pritzker Announces
Several Illinois regions will soon enter even tighter mitigations as coronavirus metrics continue rising statewide, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Monday.
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 enter Tier 2 mitigations Wednesday.
Tier 2 adds further gathering size limitations and reduces table sizes for restaurants and bars to a maximum of six, among other restrictions for sports and recreational events.
"The situation has worsened considerably in certain areas of the state, with massive increases in the rates of community transmission specifically in three regions," Pritzker said.
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.
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."
As of Monday, Region 5 was seeing an average positivity rate of 11.5%, well above the 8% threshold the state requires for heightened mitigations to be issued and nearly double the 6.5% required for mitigations to be lifted. In mid-June, Region 5 had a positivity rate of just 1.3%.
"On average, today, more than twice as many COVID-19 patients enter a hospital each day in Region 5 than in late August – the summer peak," Pritzker said.
In addition, Regions 7 and 8 have a positivity rate above 13%, with one in every seven tests in those areas coming back positive, Pritzker said.
"Mitigations are only effective if they are followed," he added. "Too many local officials across the state are ignoring their local public health departments and doing nearly nothing to assist their residents in following even the most basic guidelines. Some elected leaders are allowing this continued rise in positivity to balloon out of control while taking no action. These mayors and city councils and county boards need to take some responsibility for keeping their constituents safe. I promise them: that responsibility pales in comparison to what could come when the hospitals in your area are filling up and there aren’t enough nurses or doctors to save their constituents’ lives."
Here's a look at the full Tier 2 mitigations taking effect:
Bars and Restaurants
- Reduce party size from 10 to six individuals
Meetings, Social Events and Gatherings
- Maximum indoor/outdoor gathering size of 10 individuals
- Applicable to professional, cultural and social group gatherings
- This does not reduce the overall facility capacity dictated by general business guidance, such as office, retail, etc.
- Not applicable to students participating in-person classroom learning
- Not applicable to sports, see sports guidance
Organized Group Recreational Activities
- Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25 percent of overall room capacity both indoors and outdoors
- Groups limited to 10 individuals or fewer
- Does not apply to fitness centers
(These mitigations do not apply to schools.)
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.
Pritzker added Friday that he currently has no plans of shutting down outdoor dining.
Illinois Doctors Express Cautious Optimism Over Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine, but Concerns Remain
Doctors in Illinois are expressing cautious optimism after early analysis of a coronavirus vaccine developed in part by Pfizer showed a more than 90% efficacy rate in preventing infection.
The vaccine, developed by Pfizer and German-company Biontech, is more than 90% effective in preventing infection, a huge success considering that the target for efficacy was in the 50% range, according to physicians.
“I think all the vaccine trials were designed to measure at least 50% efficacy but one can only hope for something as good as a 90% efficacious vaccine,” Dr. Richard Novak, head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at UI Health, said. “I thought ‘wow, that’s incredible.’”
Of the nearly 44,000 individuals who took part in the Pfizer vaccine trial, just 94 developed coronavirus. An analysis by independent monitors overseeing the trial found “no serious safety concerns” with the vaccine.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, has long said that a safe and effective vaccine will be key to rolling back health restrictions in the state, and said that while some residents may be concerned with how quickly the vaccine was developed, she is confident that proper protocols have been followed.
“There are people who are hesitant for a new vaccine and feel the process has been rushed,” she said. “Every possible resource has been thrown at the creation of this new vaccine. The US government has doled out billions to move vaccines through phases in record time. The entire world is focused on a safe and effective vaccine. The process is still being followed.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday that the state would “not distribute a vaccine that isn’t safe,” and that state health officials are keeping a close watch on follow-up research and study of Pfizer’s findings.
In Illinois, it is the hope of epidemiologists, as well as Novak, that similar vaccines in the works will have similar results to the Pfizer drug. The University of Illinois-Chicago recently conducted its own trial for a vaccine from Moderna, and Novak says that the similarities to the Pfizer vaccine are promising.
“It means that the strategy works, and that probably means that all the vaccines are going to be very effective,” he said.
One concern voiced by some doctors, including Novak and Ezike, is the way the Pfizer vaccine is administered. The vaccine must be stored at extremely low temperatures, and will require two doses in a 21-day span, meaning that shipping and storage will have to be carefully monitored to ensure that the vaccine remains usable.
“It would be nice to have vaccines that are easier to distribute to all parts of the country and the world,” Novak said.
A bigger hurdle that doctors could face is the opposition to the vaccine that has developed during the pandemic. Some studies have suggested that support for the vaccine has declined in recent months, with an October poll by CNN finding that 45% of Americans say they do not intend to get the coronavirus vaccine.
It is unclear whether the news of the efficacy of the vaccine will have any impact on those numbers, but Ezike said that the vaccine is only as effective as the number of Americans willing to receive it will allow it to be.
“We can have hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine in the world, but if they don’t get into the arms of people then it’s not helpful,” she said.
The state intends to distribute available vaccines to local health departments, who will then begin to administer the vaccines to the public. Healthcare workers, first responders and those in vulnerable populations or congregant settings will be the first to be eligible to receive the vaccine, with more populations becoming eligible to receive it as more doses become available.
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.
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."
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.
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.
