Six Chicago-area counties are now under an elevated COVID alert level, with new mask recommendations taking effect.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cook, DuPage, Lake, McHenry, Will and Grundy counties are now all under the "medium community level" for COVID.
Under CDC recommendations for counties at "medium" risk level, the elderly and immunocompromised are recommended to wear a mask in indoor public places and receive COVID vaccinations and booster shots, if eligible.
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Here are the recommendations:
- If you are at high risk of getting very sick, wear a high-quality mask or respirator (e.g., N95) when indoors in public
- If you have household or social contact with someone at high risk for getting very sick, consider self-testing to detect infection before contact, and consider wearing a high-quality mask when indoors with them
Chicago's health department also noted that anyone traveling to counties under a medium or high community level should mask in indoor public spaces.
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The six Chicago-area counties are among more than 30 counties statewide under the medium category, though the state continued to have no counties under the high level.
Once a county reaches a "high" alert level, masking is recommended for all in indoor public spaces.
Illinois health officials reported 11,020 new COVID-19 cases since Nov. 4, along with 38 additional deaths over the past six days.
Cases and deaths have seen a notable decline over the previous week statewide. But while COVID-19 cases have declined, state health officials are encouraging vaccination against influenza and COVID-19 as respiratory viruses are "spreading rapidly" in Illinois and across the U.S.
“The U.S. is currently facing its highest flu hospitalization rate in a decade, with young children and seniors most at risk. Vaccines remain our best tools to prevent the worst outcomes from COVID-19 and flu. I strongly recommend all that have not gotten full protection from COVID-19 and the flu to get vaccinated right away. Both the new COVID-19 bivalent booster and the flu shot target the current strains of these viruses,” Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said.
In all, 3,834,925 cases of coronavirus have occurred in the state since the pandemic began, according to the latest data from IDPH. This week's additional deaths bring Illinois to 35,327 confirmed COVID fatalities.
According to IDPH, the preliminary seven-day statewide case rate is 106 COVID cases per 100,000 Illinois residents, a decrease from the 112 cases per 100,000 residents reported a week prior.
As of midnight Wednesday, 1,109 patients were hospitalized due to COVID in the state, up from last week's 1,081 patients. Of the current patients, 147 are in ICU beds, and 42 are on ventilators.
A total of 25,002,064 vaccine doses have been given in Illinois since vaccinations began in December 2020. More than 70% of Illinois residents are fully vaccinated against COVID, with more than 78% receiving at least one dose. More than 11% have received their bivalent booster shots.
