COVID-19

74 Illinois Counties at Elevated Community Level of COVID-19 as Cases Jump Across the State

COVID-19 cases have significantly risen across Illinois within the past week, with 74 counties now at an elevated community level of the virus. Twenty-nine of the 74 counties are now at a "high" community level of COVID-19, up from 12 last week, according to CDC data.

All counties in the Chicago metropolitan area are now at a "medium" COVID-19 community level, where masks are recommended for those who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease. Overall, 45 Illinois counties are at that same level.

“These elevated COVID-19 community levels, along with rising flu levels, are leading to a surge of respiratory infections and increased hospitalizations. I recommend all Illinoisans - and especially those most vulnerable including young children and individuals over 65 - take all preventative steps to protect themselves, their families and friends," Illinois Department of Public Health director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a statement.

A map showing COVID-19 community levels according to CDC data across Illinois' 102 counties

The following 29 counties were listed as having a "high" COVID-19 community level over the past seven days by the CDC:

  • Adams County
  • Boone County
  • Brown County
  • Champaign County
  • Christian County
  • Clark County
  • Cumberland County
  • Edgar County
  • Franklin County
  • Fulton County
  • Johnson County
  • Knox County
  • Lee County
  • Logan County
  • Macoupin County
  • Marshall County
  • Mason County
  • Massac County
  • Menard County
  • Montgomery County
  • Morgan County
  • Ogle County
  • Peoria County
  • Pike County
  • Sangamon County
  • Tazewell County
  • Vermilion County
  • Williamson County
  • Winnebago County

The following 45 counties are now at a "medium" COVID-19 community level:

  • Bond County
  • Calhoun County
  • Cass County
  • Clay County
  • Coles County
  • Cook County
  • DeKalb County
  • DeWitt County
  • Douglas County
  • DuPage County
  • Fayette County
  • Ford County
  • Gallatin County
  • Greene County
  • Grundy County
  • Henry County
  • Iroquois County
  • Jackson County
  • Jersey County
  • Jo Daviess County
  • Kane County
  • Kendall County
  • Lake County
  • Lawrence County
  • Macon County
  • Madison County
  • McDonough County
  • McHenry County
  • McLean County
  • Perry County
  • Piatt County
  • Pope County
  • Randolph County
  • Richland County
  • Saline County
  • Schuyler County
  • Scott County
  • Shelby County
  • Stark County
  • Stephenson County
  • Wabash County
  • Warren County
  • White County
  • Will County
  • Woodford County

At medium status, anyone at high risk of getting seriously ill should wear a high-quality mask or respirator, such as an N95, when in public indoors. Additionally, if you have contact with someone else at high risk, consider self-testing to detect infection before contact, according to the CDC.

At a high community level, the CDC recommends everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in public settings.

Illinois health officials reported a total of 21,404 new and confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the past seven days, including 56 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

As of Thursday evening, 1,582 people in Illinois were reported to be hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 188 patients were in the ICU and 69 were on ventilators.

The preliminary seven-day statewide case rate is 168 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Illinoisans.

Additionally, a total of 25,491,566 vaccine doses have been administered in Illinois, with a seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily at 16,008 doses.

More than 78 percent of Illinois' population has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, with more than 70 percent completing their primary series of vaccinations. Over 16 percent of eligible Illinoisans have received a bivalent booster dose.

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