We’ve been warned...again: Warning level status returns a second time

GALENA–Jo Daviess County returned to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)’s list of counties in a warning level on Friday, Aug. 28. A county enters a warning level when two or more COVID risk indicators that measure the amount of COVID in the specific county increase.

The metrics that trigger a warning are:

•New cases per 100,000 people. If there are more than 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the county, this triggers a warning.

•Number of deaths. This metric indicates a warning when the weekly number of deaths increases more than 20-percent for two consecutive weeks.

•Weekly test positivity. This metric indicates a warning when the seven-day test positivity rate rises above 8 percent.

•ICU availability. If there are fewer than 20% of intensive care units available in the region, this triggers a warning.

•Weekly emergency department visits. This metric indicates a warning when the weekly percent of COVID-19-like-illness emergency department visits increase by more than 20 percent for two consecutive weeks.

•Weekly hospital admissions. A warning is triggered when the weekly number of hospital admissions for COVID-19-like-illness increases by more than 20 percent for two consecutive weeks.

•Tests performed. This metric is used to provide context and indicate if more testing is needed in the county.

•Clusters. This metric looks at the percent of COVID-19 cases associated with clusters or outbreaks and is used to understand large increase in cases.

These metrics are intended to be used for local awareness to help leaders, businesses, health departments and the public make informed decisions about personal and family gatherings, as well as what activities they choose to do. The metrics are updated weekly, with data from the Sunday-Saturday of the prior week. A map of each county’s status can be found on the IDPH website at dph.illinois.gov/countymetrics. The two metrics that triggered Jo Daviess County’s warning status for the week of Aug. 16 through Aug. 22 were due to 112 new cases per 100,000 and a test positivity of 10.2 percent. The county is on target for all other categories.

“Jo Daviess County has been placed back at warning level due to total number of positive cases, positivity rate of 10.2%, and total number of tests performed,” said Sandra Schleicher, Jo Daviess County public health administrator. “We are also in a warning level as a region for number of days with a rising test positivity rate, which is what could lead to additional mitigation measures being placed on us.”

Jo Daviess was one of 30 counties announced by IDPH to have entered the warning level. The others are–Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Cook, Cumberland, Effingham, Fayette, Greene, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Jasper, Jersey, Johnson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Perry, Pike, Randolph, Sangamon, Shelby, St. Clair, Union, Warren, Will and Williamson.

Some of the common factors that led to these counties being placed on the warning level are an increase in cases and outbreaks associated with large gatherings.

“We are seeing a lot of gatherings and parties and people not taking the precautions that we have been asking,” said Schleicher. “We need to be following the guidelines.”

IDPH also stated that cases connected to schools are starting to be reported and general transmission of the virus in the community is increasing throughout the state.

“We just need people to cooperate and we need people to socially distance and wear masks and do what the guidelines say,” said Scott Toot, county board chairman.

“We want to try to avoid the shutdown. I think that if everyone follows the guidelines and we keep the numbers down, we can remain open.”