In Illinois, the seven-day average of new confirmed COVID cases was 3,850 on April 30, the most recent day for which data is available on the Illinois Department of Public Health website, down from 4,506 the prior week. The number of new confirmed cases per 100,000 population in Illinois is 31. IDPH no longer reports the number of new COVID cases on a daily basis, but has shifted to providing a seven-day average once a week.
In Evanston, the seven-day average of new confirmed cases was 2.97 on April 30, down from 5.9 in the prior week.
The number of new confirmed COVID cases being publicly reported is generally regarded as grossly understated. [1]
Community Risk Rating
IDPH and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control look at a combination of three metrics to determine whether a community level of risk for COVID is low, medium, or high. The graphic in footnote 2 below shows how these metrics are combined. [2]
To be rated in the low category, an area must have fewer than 200 new confirmed COVID cases per 100,000 population in the last seven days; fewer than 10 new hospitalizations per 100,000 population due to COVID in the last seven days; and less than 10% of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID patients (using the last seven-day average).
On Thursday, May 4, the City of Evanston did not report whether the city remained in the low risk category. The city had been historically reporting on Thursdays what level of risk applied to Evanston. The CDC reported May 4 that Cook County stayed in the low risk category. The data for Cook County was:
- New confirmed COVID cases per 100,000 population: 31,
- New hospital admissions due to COVID per 100,000 population: 3.1,
- % staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with COVID: 1.5%.
CDC recommended steps
The CDC recommends that people should take certain steps to minimize the risk of contracting COVID and to reduce the spread of the virus. There are six steps that apply to all community risk levels, another two for people in medium and high community risk areas and two more for people in high community risk areas. They are:
At all COVID Community Levels:
- Stay up to date on vaccination, including recommended booster doses.
- Maintain ventilation improvements.
- Avoid contact with people who have suspected or confirmed COVID.
- Follow recommendations for isolation if you have suspected or confirmed COVID.
- Follow the recommendations for what to do if you are exposed to someone with COVID.
- If you are at high risk of getting very sick, talk with a health care provider about additional prevention action,
When the COVID Community Level is medium or high:
- If you are at high risk of getting very sick, wear a well-fitting mask or respirator when indoors in public.
- If you have household or social contact with someone at high risk for getting very sick, consider testing to detect infection before contact and consider wearing a mask when indoors with them.
When the COVID Community Level is high:
- Wear a well-fitting mask or respirator.
- If you are at high risk of getting very sick, consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where you could be exposed.
FOOTNOTES
1/The number of new COVID cases being publicly reported by the City of Evanston and the State are significantly lower than the actual number of new cases being contracted. The City of Evanston says that the State and the City do not have a mechanism to report, verify or track at home test results. Because a positive at home test is regarded as highly accurate, most people who test positive in an at home test do not get a second test outside the home that is reported to government officials. The number of new COVID cases reported by IDPH and the City thus significantly understates the actual number of new cases that are contracted. Some studies estimate the cases are underestimated by about 750% or more.
2/ CDC and IDPH use three indicators to measure COVID community levels: 1) new COVID cases per 100,000 population in the last seven days; 2) new COVID hospital admissions per 100,000 population in the last seven days; and 3) the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by patients with confirmed COVID (seven-day average).
The chart below illustrates how these indicators are combined to determine whether COVID community levels are low, medium, or high. The CDC provides many recommendations depending on whether the COVID community level is low, medium, or high. If the risk indicators relating to hospitalizations differ, the higher risk factor is used.
