11 Illinois Counties At Coronavirus 'Warning Level,' IDPH Says

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Public health and government officials caution there are signs of significant increases in coronavirus transmission in Illinois, with data about COVID-19 rates and hospitalizations heading the wrong direction in each of the state's emergency medical services regions.

The warning comes just over two weeks after Gov. JB Pritzker announced a new mitigation plan that divided the state into 11 regions. The administration uses indicators including positivity rates, hospital admissions, new cases, clusters and deaths to assess the level of COVID-19 activity in each region.

As of Friday, there are 11 counties considered to be at a warning level for rates of the coronavirus in the community, according to the state public health agency. They include Cass, Gallatin, Jackson, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Perry, Randolph, Saline, Sangamon, St. Clair and White.

Public health officials said those counties saw outbreaks associated with activities such as graduation ceremonies, parties and social gatherings, groups at bars, restaurants and churches and sporting events, with many residents declining to wear face coverings.

Leaders in some of those counties have implemented mitigation measures. But according to IDPH, public health officials have found positive coronavirus tests in "most contacts" to confirmed cases.

Outside of the Chicago area, the regional boundaries align with those in existing Illinois Department Public Health emergency medical services regions. COVID-19 mitigation regions in the Chicago area do not align with existing EMS regions.

The Pritzker administration has established a pair of triggers that could lead portions of the state to roll back some of the reopening that followed the lifting of the governor's stay-at-home order.

If a region has three days in a row with an average positivity rate of 8 percent or greater, that would trigger an increase in restrictions on activities to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Or, if a region has an increase in positivity rate for seven of the last 10 days — which every region does in the latest data — and has either under 20 percent of its hospital bed capacity available or an increase in daily hospital admissions for seven of the last 10 days, stricter regulations would kick in.

Data through Tuesday was released Friday. Find the latest metrics from each region below:

Region 1 (Rockford EMS region)

• 5 percent positivity rate on July 28, following three days of declines
• Seven days out of last 10 with increasing positivity
• Four people admitted to hospital a day with with zero days of increasing hospital admissions.
• 43 percent of surgical beds and 48 percent of ICU beds are available

Region 2 (Peoria EMS region)

• 4.4 percent positivity rate July 28, holding steady from the day before after six days of increases
• Seven days out of last 10 with increasing positivity
• Seven people a day hospitalized with three days of increases in past 10
• 39 percent of surgical beds and 49 percent of ICU beds are available

Region 3 (Springfield EMS region)

• 4.3 percent positivity rate on July 28, up 1 percent from 10 days prior
• Increasing positivity rates for seven of past 10 days
• One day of increased in hospital admission in last 10, with four admitted Tuesday
• 39 percent of surgical beds and 51 percent of ICU beds are available

Region 4 (Edwardsville EMS region)

• 7.7 percent positivity rate on July 28, just under the 8 percent threshold set by the state
• Six days out of last 10 days with increasing positivity
• Three people hospitalized a day, with three days of admission increases in past 10
• 39 percent of surgical beds and 49 percent of ICU beds are available

Region 5 (Marion EMS region)

• 6.5 percent positivity rate on July 28, up from 4.6 percent 10 days earlier
• Nine days out of last 10 with increasing positivity rates
• Two hospital admissions a day with two days of increases out of past 10
• 48 percent of surgical beds and 58 percent of ICU beds are available

Region 6 (Champaign EMS region)

• 3.1 percent positivity rate on July 28, holding steady after three straight days of increases
• Eight of last 10 days with increasing positivity
• Five people hospitalized a day, with three days of admission increases our of prior 10
• 37 percent of surgical beds and 44 percent of ICU beds are available

Region 7 (Will, Kankakee counties)

• 6.3 percent positivity rate on July 28
• Seven days out of last 10 days with increasing positivity
• Seven people hospitalized a day, with one day of an increases in admissions out of past 10
• 25 percent of surgical beds and 31 percent of ICU beds are available

Region 8 (Kane, DuPage counties)

• 4.7 percent positivity rate on July 28, increasing from the day before after staying stable for four days
• Five days of increasing positivity out of last 10 days
• 13 people hospitalized a day, with four days of admission increases in past 10
• 32 percent of surgical beds and 48 percent of ICU beds are available

Region 9 (Lake, McHenry counties)

• 5.3 percent positivity rate on July 28, holding steady for the first time in a week
• Eight days out of last 10 days with increasing positivity
• Five people hospitalized a day, with two days of admission increases in past 10
• 36 percent of surgical beds and 51 percent of ICU beds are available

Region 10 (Suburban Cook County)

• 5.7 percent positivity rate on July 28 following a third consecutive daily increase
• Four days out of last 10 days with increasing positivity
• 15 people hospitalized a day, four days of admission increases in past 10
• 39 percent of surgical beds and 49 percent of ICU beds are available

Region 11 (Chicago)

• 4.8 percent positivity rate on July 28, stable from the day before for the first time in a week
• Six days out of last 10 days with increasing positivity
• 20 people hospitalized a day, with three days of admission increases in past 10
• 29 percent of surgical beds and 40 percent of ICU beds are available

Earlier:
Four Counties At 'Warning Level' For Coronavirus Surge
Illinois Coronavirus Region 'Dangerously Close' To New Restrictions
Pritzker Redraws Coronavirus Regions, Going From 4 to 11 Regions