Suburban Cook County is now at a "warning level" for transmission of the coronavirus, according to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
As of Friday, suburban Cook County was at 112 positive COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people, well above the state-established target rate of 50 cases per 100,000, officials with the Cook County Department of Public Health stated.
Additionally, there were 25 deaths in suburban Cook County last week, an increase of 15 from the week before.
Along with Cook County, 29 other Illinois counties have also reached the "warning level," meaning they saw increases in two or more COVID-19 "risk indicators," according to IDPH.
While the city of Chicago is located in Cook County, the city is listed as its own health care region as defined by IDPH and hasn't reached the "warning level."
In suburban Cook County, the following mitigation practices, which were issued on Aug. 3, remain in effect:
- Bar service outdoors only
- Restaurant and bar maximum party size of 6 people per table
- Indoor fitness class maximum class size of 10
- No personal services that require removal of face coverings (e.g. facials and shaves)
- Residential property managers should limit guest entry to 6 people per unit
- Remote work for high-risk individuals and continued support for telework for as many workers as possible
- Self-quarantine based on travel guidance to states with high rates of community transmission
Additionally, as announced earlier this week by Gov. Pritzker, patrons at Illinois restaurants must wear face coverings during interactions with wait staff and other employees.
Local
“We need people to follow the current guidance," Dr. Rachel Rubin, senior medical with the Cook County Department of Public Health, pleaded in a press release. "If the numbers stay ‘orange’ or continue to worsen, we may need to implement additional restrictions, and we really don’t want to go there... We can beat this thing if we all work together."
