10 IL Counties In Medium Risk Category For COVID Hospitalizations: CDC

ILLINOIS — Ten Illinois counties are now considered to be at medium risk for COVID-19-related hospitalizations, including two where hospital admissions related to the virus spiked by 800 percent in the past week, according to federal data.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention reported that all of the 10 counties — most of which are south of the greater Chicago area — saw significant increases in the number of patients admitted to area hospitals with COVID-19 or symptoms of the virus.

Effingham and Fayette counties each reported increases in hospitalizations of 800 percent over the previous week, the CDC reported. In each county, nine people were confirmed to be hospitalized with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Kankakee and Iroquois counties each reported 233 percent increases over the past week. Both counties reported that 20 new COVID-19 patients had been admitted to area hospitals.

Wayne and Jefferson counties also fell into the medium risk category by CDC standards after reporting 133 percent jumps in hospitalizations over the previous week. Both Edgar and Vermillion counties saw an increase of nearly 67 percent in hospitalizations linked to COVID-19,

Two counties in northern Illinois, Joe Daviess County and Stevenson County, also fell into the medium-risk category with nearly 43 percent jumps in COVID-19-related hospitalizations, according to the CDC.

The CDC considers any county that reports 10 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents at being in the medium-risk category. Residents in those areas are urged to use increased caution to help tamp down the spread of the virus, the agency said.