Areas of western and southern Illinois are seeing increases in positivity rates and coronavirus-related hospitalizations in recent weeks, continuing a recent trend that’s seeing COVID metrics slowly on the rise in many areas.
In Region 4, located near St. Louis in southwestern Illinois, the positivity rate has more than quadrupled in the last month, rising from 1.8% on June 11 to 7.5% on July 10, according to metrics from IDPH.
A recent trend of increases in COVID hospitalizations has eased in recent days, with the number of hospitalizations remaining steady or decreasing on four of the previous five days, and ICU bed availability has also steadied after a decline earlier this month, with 31% of the region’s ICU beds currently available.
Region 3, located in western Illinois and comprised of an area that includes Springfield, is also seeing elevated positivity rates, with that number now at 5%. Hospitalizations have increased on eight of the last 10 days in the region, with ICU bed availability at 29%.
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Region 5, located in southern Illinois, is also dealing with increases in COVID cases, with a 5.4% positivity rate over the last week. ICU bed availability has decreased to 22%, and hospitalizations due to COVID have increased on each of the last 10 days.
Areas of northeastern Illinois have seen small increases in positivity rates, but none of the five health care regions that comprise the NBC 5 viewing area have a positivity rate of higher than 1.5%. Hospitalizations are mostly decreasing in those regions, although Region 8, comprised of Kane and DuPage counties, and Region 11, the city of Chicago, have seen hospitalizations due to COVID increase on six of the preceding 10 days.
Here are the numbers from IDPH:
Local
Region 1 (Northwest Illinois):
Positivity Rate: 2.4% (increasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 21% (increasing)
Hospitalizations: 10/10 days decreasing or steady
Region 2 (West-Central Illinois):
Positivity Rate: 1.9% (steady)
ICU Bed Availability: 30% (steady)
Hospitalizations: 6/10 days increasing
Region 3 (West Illinois):
Positivity Rate: 5% (increasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 29% (steady)
Hospitalizations: 8/10 days increasing
Region 4 (Southwest Illinois):
Positivity Rate: 7.5% (increasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 31% (steady)
Hospitalizations: 6/10 days increasing
Region 5 (South Illinois):
Positivity Rate: 5.4% (increasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 22% (decreasing)
Hospitalizations: 10/10 days increasing
Region 6 (East-Central Illinois):
Positivity Rate: 2% (increasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 38% (decreasing)
Hospitalizations: 8/10 days decreasing or steady
Region 7 (Will, Kankakee counties):
Positivity Rate: 1.4% (increasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 24% (decreasing)
Hospitalizations: 9/10 days decreasing or steady
Region 8 (Kane, DuPage counties):
Positivity Rate: 1.5% (steady)
ICU Bed Availability: 33% (decreasing)
Hospitalizations: 6/10 days increasing
Region 9 (McHenry, Lake counties):
Positivity Rate: 1.4% (steady)
ICU Bed Availability: 28% (decreasing)
Hospitalizations: 9/10 days decreasing or steady
Region 10 (Suburban Cook County):
Positivity Rate: 1.2% (increasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 20% (decreasing)
Hospitalizations: 9/10 days decreasing or steady
Region 11 (Chicago):
Positivity Rate: 1.1% (increasing)
ICU Bed Availability: 21% (steady)
Hospitalizations: 6/10 days increasing
