DuPage County at High Transmission
The DuPage County Health Department reports that the county’s COVID-19 community transmission is now at a high level. In a press release, DCHD said the recent rise in cases and hospitalizations is likely attributed to “the more contagious Delta variant which has now become the more predominant variant across the country.”
Areas of high transmission are considered to be those with more than 100 cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day period.
What You Can Do
The health department said vaccines are the best form of protection against COVID-19, including the Delta variant. Vaccines help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. DCHD also “strongly endorses” the recent Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendation that people, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas with substantial and high transmission. This recommendation includes employers, retailers, restaurants/bars, fitness/recreational centers, libraries, governmental entities, healthcare facilities, and other public venues.
“Even with this concerning news of increased virus in our community, we know, based on our data that the vaccine provides significant protection to eligible individuals. Therefore, we once again urge residents who are 12 years and older to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible to protect themselves and others against COVID-19 and the more dangerous Delta variant,” said Karen Ayala, executive director of DuPage County Health Department.
Testing Still Key
The health department is still encouraging residents to get tested, regardless of vaccination status. Those who have taken part in activities like traveling, attending large social or mass gatherings like Lollapalooza, or being in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor settings should get tested.
More information on when to get tested can be found here. COVID-19 testing locations can be found on the health department website.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashely Househ reports.