The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is advising residents to stay at home as much as possible for the next three weeks, due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases.
Work from Home if Possible
For the next three weeks, the IDPH recommends working from home unless it is necessary to be in the workplace to do your job.
In a press release, the IDPH adds, “We ask employers to make accommodation for this. Our goal is to reduce transmission as we head into the holidays so businesses and schools can remain open.”
Participate in Essential Activities Only
The IDPH asks that residents leave their home only “for necessary and essential activities.” Those would include work that must be performed outside of the home, pharmacy visits, grocery purchases or getting a COVID-19 test.
Limit Travel and Gatherings
The agency also asks the public to limit their travel and gatherings. They note that as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health experts, “gatherings and travel in and out of communities present a high risk of spreading the infection.”
Due to COVID-19 numbers being on the rise throughout the state, the IDPH says that “attending even small gatherings that mix households, or traveling to areas that are experiencing high rates of positivity, is not advised and is potentially dangerous.”
They request that individuals only travel when absolutely necessary.
Today’s Numbers
Today the IDPH reported 12,657 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 145 additional deaths.
To date the state has a confirmed total of 523,840 COVID-19 cases, including 10,434 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois.
“The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 93,464 specimens for a total 8,664,483. As of last night, 5,042 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 951 patients were in the ICU and 404 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators,” read an IDPH press release.
New Restrictions
As a result of higher COVID-19 positivity rates today Illinois Regions 5,7, and 8 went under Tier 2 mitigations, which includes a limit of six people per table at restaurants and bars, up to 10 people at meetings and social gatherings, and a limit of 25 people, or 25% capacity for organized recreational activities.
Regions 7 and 8 include Will and DuPage Counties. Region 7 currently has a 7-day rolling positivity rate of 17.7%, and Region 8 is at 14.7% Both regions show medical and surgical bed availability at 21% – just above the 20% threshold.
Local Numbers
Naperville’s COVID-19 Dashboard shows a record high 774 active confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city. Edward Hospital is also showing a record number of confirmed cases at 86.
Napervile News 17’s Christian Canizal reports.
Image Courtesy of IDPH
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