According to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, nearly all Illinois regions have seen a drop in positivity rates for the coronavirus with hospitalizations remaining high.
As of Saturday, COVID-19 metrics showed positvity rates generally falling across the state, but hospital admissions increasing or remaining high in many regions.
Region 1, located in northwestern Illinois, reported a 16.3% positvity rate as of Saturday, which is the latest number in the region's 12-day decline.
Seeing a slow and steady decrease, Region 2 dropped 0.2% in a single day, sitting at a 14.5% positvity rate as of Saturday, latest data showed.
Regions 3, 4 and 5 all saw lower positivity rates Saturday than days prior, according to IDPH data. Region 5 recorded the lowest of the three at 12.5%.
Without the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Region 6 reported a positivity rate of 13.4%, which is down 0.3% from one day prior. However, with data from the rapid saliva test from the university, Region 6 would have a 5.3% rate, which is the lowest in the state.
In Champaign county alone, health officials calculated the positvity rate to be just 2% with the saliva test, but reaching 9% when not using the university's data.
Local
Regions 7 and 8 are each comprised of just two counties, both of which have seen a decrease in positvity rates over the past week, according to IDPH data. However, Region 7 recorded the highest rate in the state Saturday at 18.5%.
Also comprised of just two counties, Region 9's positivity rate was the only to increase in Illinois Saturday, now at 14%. The region peaked at 17.1% Nov. 13.
Region 10, which includes all of Cook County not within Chicago’s city limits, decreased Saturday, reporting a 14.8% positvity rate. The number is 0.2% lower than the prior day, which had seen a slight increase.
Chicago's positivity rate also dropped slightly Saturday to 13.7%, which is nearly 2% lower than the city's latest coronavirus peak.
Hospitalizations, however, remain high in areas close to Chicago and within the city itself. Regions 2, 8, 10 and 11 have reported the highest numbers of hospital admissions ranging between 511 and 1,601 patients with coronavirus, IDPH data showed.
Regions 1, 4, 6, 8 and 9 have each seen a decrease in hospitalizations, according to the latest metrics, though numbers had been increasing throughout the month.
More than half of Illinois' regions had been seeing rising hospital admissions during the past week, but data showed some have increased ICU and hospital bed availability.
Five regions remain below the 20% availability threshold set by the state for hospital beds, ICU beds or both. IDPH reported that some are sitting on the cusp of dropping "too low."
For a full list of coronavirus metrics and counties in each region, click here.
