Will County Among Illinois Counties To Move Into Medium COVID Range

HOMER GLEN, IL — Will County is among a growing number of Illinois counties in which confirmed cases of the COVID-19 cases are growing by the week, which has bumped the county into the medium transmission category, according to health officials.

Will County is part of the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium, which is warning local residents to beware of the increase in COVID-19 cases. Health officials are also encouraging local residents to work together to help prevent a bigger surge of new cases and hospitalizations than has been seen lately.

The Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium recently announced that most of the counties in the greater Chicago area have seen a bump in cases, which has moved them into the medium transmission category. Counties including Cook (both the City of Chicago and suburban), DeKalb, DuPage, Lake, McHenry, Kendall, Will, and Winnebago all saw an increase in cases, which prompted the change, health officials announced.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention considers regions to be in the medium category if they report more than 200 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents. As of last week, Will County is averaging 33 cases per 100,000 residents and health officials report that the county’s caseload has tripled over the past month.

“We want our communities to be proactive and take additional precautions to prevent surges that have been observed in other areas of the country, which could impact hospitals’ resources and our congregate settings that care for the most vulnerable,” Dr. Sandra Martell, NIPHC president, and Winnebago County Health Department public health administrator said in a news release. “COVID-19 knows no bounds. We are all interconnected and must work together.”

Health officials said that local residents should protect themselves and others from getting and spreading COVID-19 by taking the following steps:

• Know the risks. If you are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask or a respirator and if you are a candidate for available treatment options, health officials said.
• Be considerate of others. People are free to wear a mask at any time. • Stay up-to-date on vaccinations or get vaccinated if you haven’t done so already.
• Stay home if sick and avoid others who are sick. Follow CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine, including getting tested if you are exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms.

“These recommendations are not new but are being emphasized to protect our communities from further increases in COVID-19,” Dr. Rachel Rubin, co-lead and senior medical officer at Cook County Department of Public Health said.