Kane County now at medium risk for COVID-19 transmission

Kane County is now in the medium risk category for COVID-19 transmission, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

That means persons who are elderly or immunocompromised (at risk of severe outcomes) are advised to wear a mask in indoor public places in those counties.

“The public should pay close attention to these rising community levels, but we would stress this not a cause for alarm,” IDPH Acting Director Amaal Tokars said in a news release. “People who are at risk of severe outcomes should exercise caution. And if someone does test positive, then they should consult with a healthcare provider about obtaining a prescription for one of the therapeutic treatments that are widely available. The treatments are much more effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths when they are taken early in the course of the illness.”

Kane County on Friday joined several surrounding counties that are now at medium transmission risk, including DuPage, McHenry, DeKalb, Kendall and Will. In total, there are 13 counties in Illinois listed as medium risk, which is an increase of eight counties over last week.

As of May 6, Kane County’s COVID-19 case rate was 36.4 per 100,000 residents, 28% of Kane County ICU beds are available and the county has had two diagnosed COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 residents over the past week.

According to cdc.gov, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looks at the combination of those three metrics — new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past 7 days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days — to determine the COVID-19 community level.

Requests for comment from the Kane County Health Department were not immediately returned.