Record 5K new cases — is nothing to fret about
State clears testing backlog with 150K processed; 29 counties on warning list
The state cleared a COVID-19 testing backlog caused by a technical glitch on Friday, resulting in a one-day record for newly confirmed cases. (Pixabay/Fernando Zhiminaicela)
By Ted Cox
The Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed a one-day record of 5,368 new cases of COVID-19 Friday — and it’s nothing to get overexcited about.
Earlier in the week, the department spoke publicly of a “minor tech issue” that was slowing test processing and was “being worked on with urgency.” On Friday, IDPH cleared the backlog, processing 149,273 tests — or about three days’ worth at record-high levels — to produce a one-day positivity rate of 3.6 percent. That actually pulled the statewide seven-day positivity rate down to 4.1 percent.
Even so, the pandemic remained nothing to cheer about either, especially heading into the three-day Labor Day weekend. The state confirmed 29 new deaths attributed to the coronavirus, a consequence of rising infections levels through August, to bring the overall Illinois toll to 8,143. There were 1,621 COVID patients in hospitals across the state, with 360 under intensive care and 155 of those on ventilators — all persistently high counts relative to recent weeks.
The department put 29 of the state’s 102 counties on a formal warning list Friday — actually down one from the 30 put on notice a week ago. This week’s list included Boone, Bureau, Clinton, Coles, Cumberland, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Greene, Henry, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Lake, Lawrence, Madison, McLean, Monroe, Pulaski, Randolph, Rock Island, Shelby, Stark, St. Clair, Union, Wabash, Warren, Will, and Williamson counties.
Boone, Coles, Edgar, Jefferson, Lake, Lawrence, McLean, Pulaski, Rock Island, Stark, and Wabash counties were new to the list this week, while Carroll, Cass, Grundy, Henderson, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Morgan, Perry, Pike, Sangamon, White, and suburban Cook County dropped off.
An outbreak in the northwest corner of the state was slowed, only to move south to Rock Island County including the Illinois portion of the Quad Cities. Suburban Cook slowed the spread, but Lake County to the north saw new infections. McLean County, including Bloomington-Normal, home of Illinois State University, saw a rise in cases, but Champaign County and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did not make the warning list — even as college officials warned students they were courting an outbreak with large gatherings and some students refusing to isolate after testing positive. Springfield’s Sangamon County slowed its infection rate.
The counties in the Metro East region, which saw renewed restrictions imposed this week, remained a problem area, as did Will County, under the same restrictions in Region 7 along with Kankakee County.
“Some of the common factors for an increase in cases and outbreaks are associated with college parties, weddings, large gatherings, bars and clubs, long-term-care facilities and other congregate settings, travel to neighboring states, and spread among members of the same household who are not isolating at home,” the department stated in a news release. “Cases connected to schools are beginning to be reported. General transmission of the virus in the community is also increasing.
“Public health officials are observing people not social distancing, gathering in large groups, and not using face coverings,” the release added. “In some counties, local law enforcement and states’ attorneys are not enforcing important mitigation measures like social distancing and the wearing of face coverings. Additionally, some people refuse to participate in contact tracing and are not providing information on close contacts or answering the phone. Individuals are also waiting to get tested believing their symptoms are allergies or some other cause.”
Earlier in the week, Gov. Pritzker said he was “very concerned” about the Labor Day weekend, “as I was the Fourth of July weekend.” He asked Illinoisans to “pay special attention, though, over this weekend” in observing the three W’s: wear a mask, wash hands, watch social distancing. He joined public health officials in cautioning against large family gatherings and backyard barbecues with friends.
Testing numbers fluctuated early in the pandemic too, but Friday’s count was the result of a backlog over a series of days. The one-day record for new cases in Illinois should probably still be considered the 4,014 reported on May 12, on what was then a one-day record of just under 30,000 tests, which produced a positivity rate of 13.7 percent.