Will Co. Hits All-Time High Coronavirus Positivity Rate: IDPH

WILL COUNTY, IL — Coronavirus positivity in Will County is at an all-time high as of Friday, according to public health data. The Illinois Department of Public Health website states that the positivity rate is now at 9 percent, putting the county at a warning level for this metric.

This comes after Gov. J.B. Pritzker 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 Friday, there are a total of 99 new cases per 100,000 people in Will County and the target is 50. This number has decreased from 128 last week. The county is on target for other metrics such as the number of hospital admissions for COVID-19-like illness and the number of deaths. However, the county's availability of ICU beds is close to the warning. It is currently at 28.9 percent and the target is at least 20 percent.

Any region that sustains an 8 percent positivity rate for three days in a row or sees an increase in positivity rates and simultaneous decrease in hospital capacity will need to implement additional community mitigation interventions, the Illinois department of Public Health website states.

Due to these metrics, new mitigations took effect in the county starting Aug. 26, according to which, indoor dining has been suspended and outdoor services can only be available until 11 p.m. According to the release from the governor's office, these mitigations do not apply to schools. The measures will remain in effect over a 14-day period after which time more stringent mitigation measures can be implemented if metrics do not improve. You can see the new mitigations online here.

According to data reported by Will County Health Department, the following towns have the highest positivity:

• Joliet, 10.3 percent
• University Park, 10.3 percent
• Romeoville, 8.1 percent
• Crete, 7.9 percent
• Crest Hill, 7.9 percent
• Homer Glen, 7.9 percent
• Lockport, 7.8 percent
• Steger, 6.7 percent
• Bolingbrook, 6.6 percent
• Monee, 6.5 percent

As of Friday, Region 7 — the Will-Kankakee region — is showing three days of positivity increase. It is currently at 8.7 percent. The region also has days of hospital admission decrease over a 10-day period. Currently, there are 29 percent of surgical beds and 30 percent of ICU beds available across the two-county region, which has fallen from last week.

This will reach a warning level if there is less than 20 percent availability for either types of hospital beds.

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