As cases continue to rise, CDPH Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady discusses her thoughts on the two types of viral tests you can take if you believe you’ve been exposed to COVID or are experiencing symptoms.
As a new subvariant of omicron continues to spread around the United States, more than a dozen Illinois counties are currently seeing a “high community level” of COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Those 15 counties include a few of the state’s most populous areas, including Cook, Will and DuPage counties in the Chicago area, as well as Peoria and Tazewell counties in the central portion of the state.
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.
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:
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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.
