The state of Illinois is reporting decreases in COVID cases, positivity rates and hospitalizations in recent weeks, and those trends are becoming more apparent at the regional level as well.
According to data published Monday by the Illinois Department of Public Health, the most rapid decreases in COVID metrics are occurring in Chicago and suburban Cook County, areas where the omicron variant first rapidly spread.
In Cook County, the positivity rate has plunged from 14% on Jan. 21 to 6.9% on Jan. 28, coinciding with a rapid decrease in hospitalizations related to COVID-19.
The city of Chicago has seen a similar decline, falling from 11.9% on Jan. 21 to just 4.8% on Jan. 28, by far the lowest number in the state.
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Hospitalizations have also fallen rapidly in Chicago, going from 1,478 hospitalizations on Jan. 21 to 955 on Jan. 30, according to IDPH data.
No other region in the state has seen its positivity rate fall below 10%, but Region 9, comprised of McHenry and Lake counties, is close, currently sitting at 10.1%. The region peaked at 21.3% on Jan. 21, according to state health officials.
Overall, the state’s COVID positivity rate on all tests has dropped to 7.1%, while the positivity rate on individuals tested is at 9.2%.
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Hospitalizations have dropped by more than 45% in the last two and a half weeks in Illinois, falling to 3,870 as of midnight Monday.
Here are the full COVID metrics from each of Illinois’ 11 health care regions:
Region 1 (Northwest Illinois):
Positivity Rate – 14.2% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability – 13% (increasing)
Hospitalization Trends – 10/10 days decreasing or stable
Region 2 (West-Central Illinois):
Positivity Rate – 11.9% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability – 15% (stable)
Hospitalization Trends – 10/10 days decreasing or stable
Region 3 (West Illinois):
Positivity Rate – 13.8% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability – 8% (increasing)
Hospitalization Trends – 7/10 days decreasing or stable
Region 4 (Southwest Illinois):
Positivity Rate – 14.6% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability – 11% (stable)
Hospitalization Trends – 10/10 days decreasing or stable
Region 5 (South Illinois):
Positivity Rate – 18.2% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability – 9% (decreasing)
Hospitalization Trends – 6/10 days decreasing or stable
Region 6 (East-Central Illinois):
Positivity Rate – 16% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability – 13% (stable)
Hospitalization Trends – 8/10 days decreasing or stable
Region 7 (Will, Kankakee Counties):
Positivity Rate – 11.9% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability – 13% (stable)
Hospitalization Trends – 10/10 days decreasing or stable
Region 8 (Kane, DuPage Counties):
Positivity Rate – 11.5% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability – 20% (increasing)
Hospitalization Trends – 10/10 days decreasing or stable
Region 9 (McHenry, Lake Counties):
Positivity Rate – 10.1% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability – 18% (stable)
Hospitalization Trends – 10/10 days decreasing or stable
Region 10 (Suburban Cook County):
Positivity Rate – 6.9% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability – 14% (stable)
Hospitalization Trends – 10/10 days decreasing or stable
Region 11 (Chicago):
Positivity Rate – 4.8% (decreasing)
ICU Bed Availability – 13% (increasing)
Hospitalization Trends – 10/10 days decreasing or stable
