According to Illinois health officials, 73 of the state's 102 counties are now at an elevated COVID-19 community level according to CDC data, marking an increase from 65 counties from data released last week.
Of the counties at an elevated level, 28 are at a "high" community level and 45 counties are at a "medium" community level. All of the counties in the Chicago area remain at a "medium" level.
Illinois health officials are reporting 16,281 new probable and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Jan. 1, with 20 additional deaths.
IDPH previously announced that as of the end of 2022, it would be following the lead of the CDC and shifting from daily reporting of new COVID-19 cases and deaths to a weekly reporting cadence. As a result, daily case and death data is longer be reported as of January 1. IDPH is now reporting weekly data on Wednesday of each week for the previous week ending Sunday. IDPH is continuing daily reporting of ICU bed availability and hospital admission data.
“As we enter the new year, IDPH continues to closely monitor levels of COVID-19, the flu, and other respiratory illness in communities throughout Illinois. After the holidays, we are once again experiencing a rise in counties at elevated COVID-19 community levels, with 28 currently at High Level. As we monitor emerging variants, including a new more transmissible strain spreading in the northeastern U.S., I continue to recommend our residents take steps to prevent the spread of infection, protect those most vulnerable to serious illness, and preserve our hospital capacity. It is not too late to get your COVID-19 bivalent booster or yearly flu shot. And if you are sick, please stay home if you are able and reach out to your provider about treatments for COVID-19 and the flu,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said.
Currently, Illinois health officials are reporting a total of 3,981,275 cases and 35,814 deaths since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of Thursday night, 1,766 individuals in Illinois were reported to be hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 233 patients were in the ICU and 77 patients were on ventilators.
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The preliminary seven-day statewide case rate is 128 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Illinoisans.
Additionally, state health officials are reporting that a total of 25,781,758 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of Friday. More than 78 percent of the state's population has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, with 71 percent of residents completing their primary series of COVID-19 vaccinations. More than 18 percent of Illinoisans have received their bivalent COVID-19 booster.
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Masks are recommended by the CDC in counties with a "high" COVID-19 community level, with masks also recommended for immunocompromised individuals in counties with a "medium" COVID-19 community level.
The following counties are currently at a "high" COVID-19 community level according to CDC data:
- Adams County
- Brown County
- Cass County
- Christian County
- Clark County
- Franklin County
- Fulton County
- Hancock County
- Jersey County
- Johnson County
- Lawrence County
- Logan County
- Marion County
- Marshall County
- Mason County
- Massac County
- Menard County
- Morgan County
- Peoria County
- Perry County
- Pike County
- Randolph County
- Sangamon County
- Scott County
- Tazewell County
- Wabash County
- Warren County
- Washington County
The following counties are at a "medium" COVID-19 community level according to CDC data:
- Bond County
- Calhoun County
- Champaign County
- Clinton County
- Coles County
- Cook County
- Crawford County
- Cumberland County
- DeKalb County
- DeWitt County
- Douglas County
- DuPage County
- Edgar County
- Ford County
- Greene County
- Grundy County
- Hardin County
- Jackson County
- Jefferson County
- Jo Daviess County
- Kane County
- Kankakee County
- Kendall County
- Knox County
- Lake County
- LaSalle County
- Lee County
- Macon County
- Madison County
- McDonough County
- McHenry County
- McLean County
- Monroe County
- Montgomery County
- Ogle County
- Pope County
- Pulaski County
- Schuyler County
- Stark County
- St. Clair County
- Stephenson County
- Union County
- Will County
- Williamson County
- Woodford County
