While some health care regions in Illinois are making progress in turning back the tide of increasing COVID cases, some areas are continuing to struggle, seeing stubbornly high positivity rates and increasing hospitalizations amid an upswing in cases.
According to the latest figures from the Illinois Department of Public Health, numerous areas in northern Illinois, including in McHenry and Lake counties and in Cook County, are making good progress in turning back increasing positivity rates.
In Region 9, comprised of McHenry and Lake counties, the positivity rate has dropped to 4.5%, while ICU bed availability has rebounded to 22% in recent days. Hospitalizations are increasing there, but have also showed signs of slowing down, according to IDPH data.
Chicago currently owns the best positivity rate in the state at 3.7%, while Kane and DuPage counties have the best ICU bed availability, sitting at 26%.
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Not all areas are seeing improvements in their COVID rates, however. In Region 5, located in southern Illinois, the positivity rate has remained steady at 10.3%, the highest in the state, and its ICU bed availability is the lowest in the state at 5%.
While positivity rates are decreasing in Region 2, located in western Illinois, hospitalizations have increased nine of the last 10 days.
Here is a full picture of the metrics across Illinois.
Local
Region 1 (Northwest Illinois)
Positivity Rate: 5.7% (stable)
ICU Bed Availability: 19% (increasing)
Hospitalization Trends: 9/10 days increasing
Region 2 (West-Central Illinois)
Positivity Rate: 5.2% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 18% (steady)
Hospitalization Trends: 9/10 days increasing
Region 3 (West Illinois)
Positivity Rate: 5.6% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 16% (steady)
Hospitalization Trends: 9/10 days decreasing or stable
Region 4 (Southwest Illinois)
Positivity Rate: 6.5% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 21% (stable)
Hospitalization Trends: 7/10 days decreasing or stable
Region 5 (South Illinois)
Positivity Rate: 10.3% (stable)
ICU Bed Availability: 5% (stable)
Hospitalization Trends: 5/10 days increasing
Region 6 (East-Central Illinois)
Positivity Rate: 8.1% (stable)
ICU Bed Availability: 20% (increasing)
Hospitalization Trends: 6/10 days increasing
Region 7 (Will, Kankakee counties)
Positivity Rate: 5.7% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 25% (increasing)
Hospitalization Trends: 7/10 days increasing
Region 8 (Kane, DuPage counties)
Positivity Rate: 4.8% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 26% (increasing)
Hospitalization Trends: 6/10 days decreasing or stable
Region 9 (McHenry, Lake counties)
Positivity Rate: 4.5% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 22% (increasing)
Hospitalization Trends: 6/10 days increasing
Region 10 (Cook County)
Positivity Rate: 4.1% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 17% (increasing)
Hospitalization Trends: 9/10 days increasing
Region 11 (Chicago)
Positivity Rate: 3.7% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 19% (stable)
Hospitalization Trends: 7/10 days increasing
