CHICAGO (WLS) – Illinois reported 7,709 new COVID cases and seven deaths on Friday, as the CDC reported that 9 counties in the Chicago area had reached a “medium” risk of transmission.
As of Friday, there were at least 3,169,315 total COVID cases, including at least 33,660 related deaths in the state since the pandemic began.
As of Thursday night, 808 patients in Illinois were reported to be in hospital with COVID-19. Of these, 66 patients were in the intensive care unit and 24 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
A total of 22,018,536 doses of vaccine were given in Illinois as of Thursday, and 64.76% of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated. The seven-day moving average of the daily vaccines was 14,163.
Ahead of the busy weekend of Mother’s Day celebrations, officials are urging people to disguise themselves and avoid gatherings at all if you have any symptoms.
Chicago and several suburban counties are now at an “average” community level, identified by the CDC as having more than 200 new cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days.
“Unfortunately, there’s a misconception that we’re out of this, so I don’t think people are as cautious as they used to be,” said Dr. Susan Blissdale, director of infection prevention at UI Health.
Chicago city officials now strongly recommend wearing masks in indoor public places, including the CTA and CPS schools.
“Everyone should wear a mask,” said Dr. Emily Landon, director of infection prevention at UChicago Medicine. “If you’re about to have an event you don’t want to get sick of, a vacation you don’t want to miss because you’re home with COVID, you have to wear a mask all the time. “
For now, this is still a recommendation, not a requirement. But if hospitalizations continue to rise, this may be on the horizon.
The move to mid-level comes ahead of a busy Mother’s Day weekend for many with families planning to reunite. Doctors warn that rapid tests may not detect COVID if your symptoms are mild.
“You want to be really careful,” Blissdale said. “If you are visiting your mother and there is someone who is vulnerable, if you are going to visit him, you can choose to wear a mask all the time when you visit together.
The CDPH also said that Chicagoans must also ensure that they and everyone on their social network keep up with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, test for potential COVID-19 symptoms, and continue to follow them. all requirements for isolation and quarantine.
To date (06.05.22), the level of COVID in Chicago is “average” according to the CDC. Therefore, we now strongly recommend wearing a mask indoors.
Make your part of #ProtectChicago. Make sure you are up to date with vaccination: pic.twitter.com/lWytPaEksk
– CDPH | Department of Public Health of Chicago (@ChiPublicHealth) May 6, 2022
However, CDPH Commissioner Alison Aruadi said Chicago’s move to a “medium” level does not mean a mandate for masks across the city, restrictions on public gatherings or reinstatement of vaccination requirements at the moment. Arouadi said the CDPH would consider these measures if the city moved to a “high” level of community, “which we are not currently close to reaching in Chicago.”
“Obviously we don’t want to get there, and if we are a little more careful now, it will help us keep COVID under control in Chicago,” Aruadi said.
She added that moving to a “medium” level is not a cause for concern.
“We’ve been waiting to reach the average for some time,” said CDPH Commissioner Alison Aruadi. “This is not a cause for concern, as most cases are currently mild and fortunately our COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths remain at or near the lowest levels of the Chicago pandemic. But that’s a reason for more caution and more caution in disguise, as more people in Chicago are infected with COVID right now. Remember that people can spread COVID for two days before they develop symptoms, so putting a mask indoors in public is an easy way to help protect our city while we are at a medium level of COVID. “
Cook, Lake, McHenry, Kane, DuPage, Will, Decalb, Kendall and Winnebago counties have “average” levels of COVID risk, according to the CDC.
“You know, especially this group from 0 to 19, they report the most cases every day,” said Chris Hoff of DuPage County’s health department. “But we’re seeing an increase in every age group across the community.”
Cook County has a weekly incidence of COVID of 259.31 infections per 100,000 people.
Lake County has a weekly incidence of COVID of 331.64 infections per 100,000 people.
McHenry County has a weekly incidence of COVID of 254.41 infections per 100,000 people.
Kane County has a weekly incidence of COVID of 248.68 infections per 100,000 people.
DuPage County has a weekly COVID incidence rate of 365.69 infections per 100,000 people.
Will County has a weekly incidence of COVID of 239.6 infections per 100,000 people.
DeCalb County has a weekly incidence of COVID of 275.51 infections per 100,000 people.
Kendall County has a weekly incidence of COVID of 251.96 infections per 100,000 people.
Winnebago County has a weekly incidence of COVID of 218.35 infections per 100,000 people.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
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