Will-Kankakee Coronavirus Regulations Could Be Lifted In 1 Day

WILL COUNTY, IL — Coronavirus positivity in the Will-Kankakee region has continued to decrease throughout this week, and if the numbers continue to move in this direction, the new regulations could be lifted in another day.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health website, the region has a positivity rate of 6.1 percent as of Thursday. This is the lowest it has been in a month.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a news conference Wednesday: "Last week, I said that I was hopeful that region 7, that is Will and Kankakee counties, might become a testament to a community's ability to turn their ship around. I'm very happy to say my hopefulness hasn't been unwarranted. Yesterday, region 7 brought its rolling 7-day average below 7.0 for the first times in weeks. Today, that number sits at 6.4 percent; the first day below our 6.5 percent benchmark, indicating a reduced severity of community spread."

IDPH will continue to watch the rate, and if the rate stays below 6.5 percent for three days, the resurgence mitigations will be lifted, Pritzker said. So if these numbers hold for another day, Will County can resume indoor dining services.

On Tuesday, Region 7 had a positivity rate of 6.9 percent, which was already a significant decrease from last week's 7.5 percent.

Pritzker had issued a set of new restrictions in the Will-Kankakee region on Aug. 24, triggered by regional coronavirus mitigation metrics and as state public health officials announced the week before that the county had reached a COVID-19 "warning level."

As of now, Will County has also been removed from the warning level.

According to the IDPH website, the most recent data shows Region 7 has 33 percent of medical beds available and 36 percent of ICU beds available.