As a new subvariant of omicron continues to spread across the country and COVID cases continue an uptick in Illinois, Jewel-Osco stores are asking employees to once again wear masks.
"Jewel-Osco continues to follow the guidelines set by the CDC and Illinois Department of Public Health," a spokesperson from Jewel-Osco said in an email statement to NBC 5. "Due to current high COVID transmission rates in the counties where we have stores, the Distribution Center, and the corporate office we are requiring associates and vendors to wear a mask."
As of Tuesday, 15 counties in Illinois are currently at "high community transmission.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a county is considered to be at a “high community level” of COVID if they meet the following criteria:
If a county is averaging 200 or more weekly cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents.
AND
If a county is averaging 10 or more new weekly hospital admissions per 100,000 residents.
OR
If a county is seeing 10% or more hospital occupancy by COVID patients.
In those areas, the CDC recommends that residents wear masks indoors, regardless of their vaccination status, and also recommends that immunocompromised residents take steps to protect themselves from the virus.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
All 15 of the counties that are currently seeing a “high community level” of COVID are seeing hospital admissions rise, but all 15 are currently below the 10% occupancy threshold, according to data from the CDC.
Here is a map of those counties:
In those areas, the CDC recommends that residents wear masks indoors, regardless of their vaccination status, and also recommends that immunocompromised residents take steps to protect themselves from the virus.
Here are the 15 Illinois counties that are currently at a “high community level” of COVID:
Boone County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 229.72
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 10.7
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 4.2%
Cook County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 323.77
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 10.9
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 3.5%
DuPage County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 341.96
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 10.9
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 3.5%
Fulton County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 259.17
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 12.7
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 3.3%
Grundy County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 217.42
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 11.1
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 5.1%
Henderson County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 225.7
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 10.7
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 1.2%
Knox County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 313.89
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 12
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 2.9
Lake County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 345.42
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 10.9
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 3.5%
Lee County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 287.42
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 10.7
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 4.2%
Mason County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 464.11
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 12.7
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 3.3%
McHenry County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 277.48
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 10.9
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 3.5%
Peoria County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 359.98
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 12.7
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 3.3%
Tazewell County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 338.38
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 12.7
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 3.3%
Will County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 289.11
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 11.1
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 5.1%
Winnebago County
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents: 320.98
New Weekly COVID Admissions Per 100,000 Residents: 10.7
Percentage of Hospital Beds Occupied by COVID Patients: 4.2%
The data is updated every Thursday, according to the CDC’s website.
