30 counties on notice for COVID, including Cook

State approaches 8,000 deaths in pandemic; suburban Cook, Springfield’s Sangamon County among new additions

The Baha’i Temple in Wilmette in suburban Cook County, put on notice this week with a formal warning about rising COVID-19 infections. (Wikimedia Commons/MichaelDPhotos)

By Ted Cox

Almost a third of Illinois counties are on notice for rising COVID-19 infections, as the state approaches 8,000 deaths attributed to the coronavirus.

The Illinois Department of Public Health issued formal warnings Friday for 30 counties at risk for rising infections of the coronavirus, up from 20 last week. The new counties included Sangamon, with the state capital of Springfield, and Effingham in south-central Illinois as well as suburban Cook surrounding Chicago.

There’s no hailing the orange in this map, as it indicates counties issued official warnings.

(Illinois Department of Public Health)

The other 27 included Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Clinton,  Cumberland, Fayette, Greene, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Jasper, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Perry, Pike, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Union, Warren, White, Will, and Williamson. Those added this week included Jo Daviess and Carroll in the northwest corner of the state, as well as Cumberland, Fayette, Henry, Jasper, Jersey, Johnson, Morgan, Perry, Pike, Shelby, and Warren. Franklin, Hancock, Jefferson, Logan, and Moultrie counties dropped off the list.

According to a department new release, “Although the reasons for counties reaching a warning level varies, some of the common factors for an increase in cases and outbreaks are associated with weddings, large gatherings, long-term-care facilities, and other congregate settings, travel to neighboring states, bars, and spread among members of the same household who are not isolating at home. Cases connected to schools are beginning to be reported.  General transmission of the virus in the community is also increasing.”

The department called out “people not social distancing, gathering in large groups, and not using face coverings,” adding, “In some counties, local law enforcement and states’ attorneys are not enforcing important mitigation measures like social distancing and the wearing of face coverings.”

The department reported 2,149 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday — the fourth straight work week that ended with more than 2,000 cases in a day. That brought the state total in the pandemic to 229,483, while 20 new deaths attributed to the coronavirus took the statewide toll to 7,997. The state will almost certainly cross the 8,000 mark this weekend.

The statewide positivity rate on testing, however, returned to 4.1 percent after rising slightly to 4.3 percent last week.

Earlier this week, Gov. Pritzker declared a “red alert” in the pandemic, imposing new mitigation efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19 in Will and Kankakee counties, joining the Metro East region in facing renewed restrictions. The Metro East region was likely to face even stricter measures next week, with indoor dining and indoor service at bars banned, as in Will and Kankakee County. Pritzker threatened that this week, and since then the Metro East region has seen its testing positivity rate rise above 10 percent.