* Kelly Bauer yesterday…
The city could soon face more restrictions, including the banning of indoor dining and drinking, to try to rein in the coronavirus surge here.
Starting Wednesday, six of Illinois’ 11 regions, including the suburbs in Cook County, will be under what Gov. JB Pritzker has dubbed “enhanced mitigations.” The mitigations include stopping indoor service, limiting gathering sizes and putting an 11 p.m. curfew on bars and restaurants.
Chicago, where cases and the positivity rate have skyrocketed in recent weeks, is well on its way to tripping the same metrics that will lead to those stricter rules.
Officials will take action if they see an increase in a region’s seven-day average positivity rate for seven days out of 10, as well as one of these indicators:
A seven-day increase in hospital admissions for a coronavirus-like illness.
A reduction in hospital capacity that would threaten the area’s surge capabilities
Three consecutive days where a region averaged a positivity rate of 8 percent or higher.
According to IDPH, the city has now reached the seven-day increase in hospital admissions mark. Daily hospital admissions for coronavirus-like illness increased by 43 percent in that week.
In suburban Cook, daily hospital admissions for coronavirus-like illness increased by 58 percent in a week. That is not a trend anyone wants.
* Meanwhile…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 4,000 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 46 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 female 70s
- Carroll County: 1 male 90s
- Clinton County: 1male 60s, 1 male 80s
- Coles County: 1 female 90s
- Cook County: 1 male 60s, 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- DuPage County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s
- Jefferson County: 1 female 90s
- Jo Daviess County: 2 females 90s
- Kane County: 1 male 80s
- Knox County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- LaSalle County: 2 female 80s
- Macon County: 1 female 70s
- Madison County: 1 female 80s
- Mason County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- McLean County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 90s
- Moultrie County: 1 female 50s
- Pike County: 1 female 70s
- Richland County: 2 females 90s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 70s
- Vermilion County: 1 male 70s
- Warren County: 1 male 60s
- Wayne County: 1 male 90s
- Whiteside County: 1 female 80s
- Will County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- Williamson County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s
- Woodford County: 1 male 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 382,985 cases, including 9,568 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from October 20 – October 26 is 6.4%. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 62,074 specimens for a total 7,388,290. As of last night, 2,758 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 595 patients were in the ICU and 241 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
*** UPDATE 1 *** As noted by a commenter, Region 3, which includes Springfield, just hit an average 8 percent positivity rate. Two more days in a row of this will trigger mitigation.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Region 10 is suburban Cook County. From IDPH…
- Chatham Resident - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:22 pm:
Region 3 (Springfield/Quincy) just hit 8% for the first time. If it stays that way through Thursday, then it’s mitigations in time for Halloween in Springfield.
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:25 pm:
Shaping up to be another year without in person baseball and no Navy Pier. Bummer
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:27 pm:
===and no Navy Pier===
That’s your complaint? Seriously? What the heck is wrong with you?
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:30 pm:
Not a complaint. Just facing a sad reality.
- Highland Il - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:33 pm:
Sad to say, but Devore is beyond excited. He’s even thinking about taking his “reckless roadshow” to Chicago.
- Today - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:34 pm:
Region 6 (Decatur, Champaign) is up to 7.9%
- Stu - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:35 pm:
Likely the whole state in mitigation by the middle of next week at the latest. Wear a mask & wash your hands…get a flu shot.
- Swimdad13 - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:36 pm:
Is the flu a COVID like illness? Just asking?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:38 pm:
=== Not a complaint. Just facing a sad reality.===
Over 224,000 deaths… your reality is being bummed about Navy Pier?
Your afraid to *come* to Chicago, remember?
You don’t even visit due to (checks notes) continual protesting.
But… Navy Pier?
To the post,
First it’s “but it’s hospital capacity”… well, the number of beds is shrinking.. then it’s.., “deaths”… well, tragically, heart breakingly, that’s growing too.
Stop looking for “outs”. It’s a deadly global pandemic. We need to fight the virus to get back to a semblance of normalcy, even if it’s masks.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:38 pm:
===flu a COVID like illness? ===
I believe it is. The overall issue is bed availability.
- Observation - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:39 pm:
=== then it’s mitigations in time for Halloween in Springfield ===
And thanks to some parent organizers of a Homecoming Party in Auburn, IL, the mitigations may stay in place until Thanksgiving or worse.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:41 pm:
===Likely the whole state in mitigation by the middle of next week at the latest.===
If I’m reading the region metrics correctly, there is no region in the state under 7.5% positivity at the last reporting, and few regions are showing a downward trend.
- DownStateR - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:42 pm:
Douglas, Macon and Shelby counties haven’t had a single day below 10% positivity in the past week. Eastern Bloc for the win!
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:42 pm:
We did cancel our last scheduled visit for a baptism due entirely to the violence near the magnificent mile. Having a daughter residing in LincolnPark will require me to make a few journeys to the Windy City.
- Chatham Resident - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:45 pm:
If Region 3 goes to mitigations, how will State buildings and offices be affected? As in those who have returned to work. Sounds like the Tier 1 mitigations are basically like a return to Phase 3 from June. And at the very least, Sec of State has been back to the office in their entirety since June 1.
- Stu - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:47 pm:
- Chatham Resident -
https://dceocovid19resources.com/assets/Restore-Illinois/COVID-19-Resurgence-Migitations.pdf
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:49 pm:
= will require me to make a few journeys to the Windy City.=
Neato
To the post- Masks. Just masks would make a huge impact. What is the argument against masks?
- Mr. Hand - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:54 pm:
===What is the argument against masks?===
1. I don’t like how it feels.
2. I don’t like how I look.
3. I don’t care if I get others sick
Did you want rationale arguments? Not sure there is one.
- 1st Ward - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:55 pm:
Are Covid and Flu hospitalizations rising at the same rate or is Suburban Cook hospitalization increase mostly Covid? I’m assuming the chart is total hospitalization admissions.
- Morningstar - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:57 pm:
Blue Dog - for me, it’s shaping up to be another LONG wait before I can sit beside my mother, in a memory care center, where the staff has sometimes had to communicate to us “your mother is really sad.” So sorry about your Navy Pier. /s
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 12:57 pm:
JSMill. Just curious. Are you a retired school administrator?
- 1st Ward - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 1:00 pm:
“Did you want rationale arguments? Not sure there is one”
The only other one is non-medical grade masks aren’t very effective or efficient. Studies have pointed to neck gaiters being worse than no mask. Europe had good compliance and stricter lock-down but covid is surging there much like here. Gov said this outbreak could be worse than spring yet more people are wearing masks now. Are homemade masks providing a false security given the material isn’t medical grade?
Yes - masks are good and wear one. Just an overall observation.
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 1:00 pm:
Morningstar. I feel your pain. My 94 yr. old mother is very isolated herself.
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 1:15 pm:
With the increase in hospitalizations and the increase of ICU patients, if anyone wants to help in some small way, but still help, they should consider donating blood.
https://www.redcross.org/give-blood.html
- Almost the weekend - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 1:26 pm:
Blue Dog Dem drinking game, everytime he mentions
-he lived in Chicago earlier in his life
-his daughter lives in Chicago
-His son is a doctor
-discusses anything related to Texas
- Cool Papa Bell - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 1:39 pm:
Friend was initially turned away from the hospital in Decatur. Finally admitted. To a gurney in the ER. That’s where he was for days. In the hallway of the ER. That’s we were at when it comes to a COVID reality. The only space they could find for him and he was too concerned to go home with his blood O2 levels where they were.
He’s 54.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 1:48 pm:
=Are you a retired school administrator?=
You must not read very well.
To answer your question with obvious intent, I am not retired.
That does not mean I have to spend 100% of every waking minute on work. I check in on capfax instead of ever taking a lunch. I more than attend to my responsibilities though. Thanks for checking.
I hope you get over the loss of some Navy Pier time. The trauma over the loss of that and attending ball games is surely what gives you such perspective.
- PANTHER - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 1:49 pm:
Sad to say but some people refuse to wear a mask. Never thought I would say this but maybe it’s time to make masks mandatory. Gotta enforce with fines. Nice to say wash hands, distance, wear masks but far too many thumbing nose and not wearing masks. Sad times.
- Drinking - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 1:58 pm:
@Almost the Weekend
Anytime Chatham Resident says the governor just needs to shut the whole state down you have to drink an entire beer.
- Decatur Resident - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 2:02 pm:
@ Cool Papa Bear
Your lying. I’ve lived here my entire life, stay up to date with the local news AND have known people who have had to go to the hospital very recently. Neither of our hospitals have been doing what you mentioned. Either you’re lying or your friend is lying.
- jimbo26 - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 2:27 pm:
“Illinois, which has emerged as a hot spot in recent weeks, reported over 31,000 new cases in the last seven days, more new infections than any other state except Texas.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-infection/almost-half-a-million-americans-contract-covid-19-in-past-week-as-infections-surge-idUSKBN27C2KA
- thechampaignlife - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 2:42 pm:
Ease up on Blue Dog Dem. We could all use a bit more kindness. It sucks he cannot go to Navy Pier. It sucks that my daughter is missing the last year at her school. It sucks that we cannot go on vacation or visit my sick grandparents. It sucks that friends are suffering severe anxiety. It also sucks that people are dying, and it sucks that I could not safely attend the funeral of my aunt.
They all suck, and it does not have to be a competition to only care about the most sucky parts. Telling a bullied kid that at least he is not dying in some war-torn country does nothing to ease his pain. I, for one, wish everyone well physically and mentally. I hope they can find joy in new ways, and I hope they can return to old activities that brought them joy as soon as possible.
- Teve Demotte - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 2:45 pm:
I have to say that most people that participate in these blogs are jerks.
- Cool Papa Bell - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 3:10 pm:
That was not and is not a lie.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 3:30 pm:
=== I think the biggest issue is majority of these commenters are public sector employees or affiliatd with state government. So all comments are usually slanted. It does lack a commenter with legit private sector credentials and running a business to push back.===
(Sigh)
“I’ve gone to this plumbing blog, and what I’ve found is a great many, a vast majority, plumbers, those who are involved in plumbing, and plumbing inspectors too. What the blog needs are commenters that are electricians”
Politics and governing, they are trades.
The trades of politics and governing, like any trade, there are real and essential skills. You can’t fool a trade plumber when talking plumbing, and talking politics or governing, folks here ain’t your in-law uncle married to your favorite aunt.
There’s a shorthand at times, known and accepted institutional knowledge, and suffering thoughts outside the rational and real to either governing or politics, there might be some blowback… no different than a carpenter talking the trade when someone wryly asks “what, get a couple boards, couple nails, no big whoop”.
This gem, this community Rich built… odds are you’ll never know who you’re “arguing” with, but odds are the really talented and gifted, their stock and trade is government and politics, wonky or savvy. There is lots to learn, it’s a trade, and the trade has masters to their practices.
To the post,
The fear I have is this idea that Covidiots won’t see any real measured uptick as a warning or a red flag.
We were fortunate so far, but the surge is coming, actually a surge is here. Don’t ignore it, fight it, and listen to medical professionals.
- Decatur Resident - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 3:33 pm:
It most certainly is. Both Hospitals in Decatur, DMH and St. Mary’s, are accepting patients and aren’t anywhere NEAR capacity. Besides that even if they were either WAND or Herald & Review, probably both, would be reporting it. Quit fear mongering.
- Dotnonymous - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 3:40 pm:
Uptick begat Spike who begat Surge…ominously.
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 5:50 pm:
My 26 y/o Emergency Room tech got swabbed for Covid today. She woke with extreme body aches and chills after having a nagging cough yesterday. I’m very worried for her. What she has going for her is her age and fitness, but if people would just take this seriously, I’d be grateful. Please. I’m so worried about her. I don’t know what to do, but pray. Please listen to the public health officials, and pray for my daughter’s recovery.