CDPH: No intention to reinstate mask requirement as cases rise

The Chicago Department of Public Health reiterated Tuesday it has no intention of reinstating the city’s indoor public masking requirement, even as the city and Illinois’ COVID-19 metrics continue rising.

The department said Cook County is expected to be rated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as having a “high” risk of community spread as early as this week, which recommends people mask indoors in public spaces.

However, CDPH said they will not require masks as “severe outcomes in Chicago remain relatively rare and the burden of COVID-19 on our local hospitals remains low.”

Chicago is seeing 4.9 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,0000 population per week and 4.5 percent of hospital beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients. Both numbers would need to at least double before CDPH said it would reconsider implementing the mask mandate.

As of Monday, 1,199 Illinoisans were in the hospital with COVID-19, up 79 from Sunday and up 107 from the prior week.

Of the patients in the hospital, 125 were in intensive care units, up eight from Sunday and up 36 from the prior week. Twenty-one percent of Illinois’ ICU beds were available, the same as the prior week.

There were 33 patients on ventilators, down one from Sunday and the same as the prior week.

Eight counties are rated by the CDC as having a “high” risk of community spread. Thirty-nine counties are at medium levels, meaning those at high risk or spending time around people who are at high risk should wear masks indoors.

IDPH reported 3,988 new COVID-19 cases and nine deaths on Tuesday. The new cases bring the state total to 3,267,954, while the death toll is at 33,788.

The seven-day average for new cases on Tuesday was 5,204, down 859 from the prior week. The seven-day average for daily deaths is nine, up three from the prior week.

The seven-day case rate per 100,000 people is 40.8, down 6.8 from the prior week.

Illinois vaccinators have administered 22,251,393 COVID-19 vaccines, including 4,498,642 booster doses. The seven-day average for doses administered is 13,423.