March 29, 2024
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Coronavirus

IDPH: McHenry County sees decrease in COVID-19 cases, positivity rate for second straight week

McHenry County had a 6.2% positivity rate for week of Sept. 13 to 19

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health's county level COVID-19 risk metrics, McHenry County saw a decrease in both COVID-19 cases and positivity rate for the second consecutive week.

McHenry County had a 6.2% positivity rate for the week of Sept. 13 to 19, down from a 6.8% positivity rate for the week of Sept. 6 to 12, and 48 new cases per 100,000 people, down from 56 new cases per 100,000 people.

The first week that the state released risk metrics by county (the week of June 14-20), McHenry County had 21 new cases per 100,000 people and a 4.3% positivity rate.

Any county with 50 or more cases per 100,000 people is showing signs of increased COVID-19 risk, according to the state's metrics. A county enters a warning level when two or more COVID-19 risk indicators that measure the amount of COVID-19 increase. The seven-day positivity rate metric indicates a warning if it rises above 8%.

According to the IDPH's county COVID-19 risk metrics, there was one death related to COVID-19 in McHenry County. A total of 4,491 tests were performed, up from 3,508 the previous week. The county saw a slight decrease in hospital admissions, from 14 to 13.

The state also measures the number of emergency department visits for COVID-19-like illness per county. That metric went up slightly in McHenry County, from 2.1% to 2.3%. Visits are counted if a patient presents with a fever and either a cough, difficulty breathing or is given a diagnosis of COVID-19.

Neighboring Lake County had 75 cases per 100,000 people, a 4.8% positivity rate, four deaths and 14,806 tests performed. For the week of Sept. 6 to 12, Lake County reported 83 cases per 100,000 people, a 6.1% positivity rate, eight deaths and 10,930 tests performed.

On Friday, the IDPH reported that 17 counties were considered to be at a warning level for a COVID-19 outbreak.

"Although the reasons for counties reaching a warning level varies, some of the common factors for an increase in cases and outbreaks are associated with university and college parties as well as college sports teams, large gatherings and events, bars and clubs, weddings and funerals, long-term care facilities, correctional centers, schools, and cases among the community at large," according to a news release from the IDPH.

"Public health officials are observing people not social distancing, gathering in large groups, and not using face coverings.Some communities lack access to convenient testing before people become symptomatic. In some counties, local law enforcement and states’ attorneys are not enforcing important mitigation measures like social distancing and the wearing of face coverings. Additionally, some people refuse to participate in contact tracing and are not providing information on close contacts or answering the phone."

The complete county level COVID-19 risk metrics can be found at www.dph.illinois.gov/countymetrics.