Both Chicago and Cook County have moved from "low" to "medium" risk for COVID-19, the Chicago Department of Public Health announced Friday, as cases continue to rise across the area.
Due to the move, CPDH officials are "strongly recommending" wearing a face covering in public, indoor spaces. Chicagoans are also encouraged to stay up-to-date on vaccinations and booster shots, as well as test for the virus should any symptoms appear.
“We’ve been expecting to reach the Medium Level for some time now,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of CDPH. “It’s not a cause for alarm, since most cases right now are mild and thankfully our COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths remain at or near all-time pandemic lows in Chicago. But it is reason for more caution, and for more care with masking, since more people in Chicago are infected with COVID right now."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determines COVID Community Levels as low, medium and high, based on cases, hospitalizations and hospital capacity within the past week.
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 here.
Over the last seven days, Cook County and Chicago combined recorded 259 COVID cases per 100,000 residents, which caused the area to move over the 200-case threshold for medium risk level.
To reach a high transmission level, however, Chicago-area hospitalizations would need to increase, CDPH noted. Health officials said there is "little short-term risk" of reaching a high level and that new mandates are not imminent.
Hence, though masks are now recommended in Chicago and Cook County, Arwady said a citywide mandate is not in place and will not be reinstated unless the area moves to a high risk level.
Local
“With the way the current COVID variants are behaving, those are measures we would consider if we reached the High COVID-19 community level—which we aren’t close to reaching in Chicago right now. But we obviously don’t want to get there, and exercising some more caution now will help us keep COVID in control in Chicago," Arwady said.
She reminded that people can spread COVID two days before developing symptoms, so masking is a strong form of protection at this time.
As of Friday, nearly all of the Chicago area was experiencing medium risk levels for the virus, according to the CDC.
As of Friday, Cook, Kane, McHenry, Lake, DuPage, DeKalb, Kendall and Will counties all were listed under the CDC's "medium community" alert level, the second-highest level on the CDC's scale. At least six other counties in the state - including McLean, Logan, Sangamon, Douglas, Champaign and Winnebago counties - are also at this level.
Last week, only five counties were at the medium community level.
Here's what the CDC recommends for counties under a medium alert level:
- If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
As of Friday, no communities were said to be experiencing high transmission in Illinois, though several counties in the Northeast had reached that designation.
Counties that do reach a high community level are urged to reinstate mask-wearing for all individuals indoors regardless of vaccination status and to consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities.
