CDC: 5 counties at medium COVID-19 community levels
Federal health officials recommend those at risk of severe illness from COVID-19 take precautions in five Illinois counties, according to data released last week.
Hancock, Johnson, Massac, Scott and Wabash are at medium COVID-19 community levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Last week, 20 counties were at medium levels. For the second-straight week, no counties were at high levels, where officials recommend public indoor masking.
XBB.1.5 is the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, according to CDC estimates.
Variant proportions were:
- XBB.1.5: 45.3 percent, up 11.8 percentage points from the prior week.
- BQ.1.1: 32.3 percent, down 5.5 percentage points.
- BQ.1: 12.2 percent, down 3.4 percentage points.
Other COVID-19 lineages were circulating at less than 5 percent each.
The latest update comes as federal and Illinois officials have announced the COVID-19 public health emergencies will end on May 11.
”However, we want the public to know that we will not let down our guard when it comes to protecting Illinoisans from COVID-19,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a statement. “The virus is still circulating and causing hospitalizations and deaths in the state. This is why we continue to focus our efforts on promoting vaccinations, testing and timely treatment, especially when it comes to protecting our most vulnerable friends and neighbors.”
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said she is pleased that the city’s COVID metrics have remained steady over the past week.
“I want to thank Chicagoans for their vigilance against COVID-19, especially over the holidays when we often see cases increase,” she said. “Let’s continue to do everything we can to stay here, because we know COVID-19 is not gone.”
As of Thursday, 883 Illinoisans were in the hospital with COVID-19, up 22 from Wednesday and down 116 from the prior week.
There have been a total of 4,029,905 cases and 36,167 deaths in Illinois.
