Suburban Cook County moves to 'Medium' level of Covid-19 transmission due to rise in cases

Suburban Cook County has been elevated to the "Medium" level of Covid-19 transmission due to an increase in positive cases, health officials said Friday.

The CDC defines level "Medium transmission as having higher than 200 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents.

As of April 28, suburban Cook County is reporting 210 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the last seven days, health officials said.

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The Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) is advising residents to take the following precautions into consideration.

  • Wearing a mask indoors to protect those at high risk for severe illness from a COVID infection including adults over the age of 50, those with underlying medical conditions, and the immunocompromised.
  • Socializing outdoors if possible and avoiding poorly ventilated indoor settings.
  • Getting tested before attending a family or public event. Home tests are ideal for this purpose.
  • Contacting your doctor right away to get treatment for COVID if you are diagnosed.
  • Getting any COVID-19 vaccine boosters that you are eligible for.

"These recommendations are not new but are being emphasized to protect our communities from further increases in COVID. As hospitalizations remain low, we want to contain further spread now," said Dr. Rachel Rubin, Senior Medical Officer and Co-Lead of CCDPH.

Health officials say more than 1.9 million suburban Cook County residents have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. That's 86 percent of the population. Almost 1.5 million – 65% of the population – are fully vaccinated.

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