McHenry Co. COVID-19 Positivity Rate Nears 9%

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — The COVID-19 positivity rate jumped by two percentage points in the past week in McHenry County as this area is currently seeing a high level of transmission of the virus, according to public health data.

Hospitalizations have been on the rise and intensive care unit beds are also filling up, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health website. As of Thursday, 19 percent of intensive care unit beds in Lake and McHenry counties are available.

• Hospital Beds Filling Up In Lake, McHenry Counties: IDPH

Health officials say most new coronavirus cases and nearly all hospitalizations and deaths across the country are among unvaccinated people. Currently, 57 percent of McHenry County residents over the age of 12 years old are fully vaccinated, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Meanwhile, the seven-day rolling average for the COVID-19 positivity rate is 8.9 percent, which is the highest its been in McHenry County in more than four months.

The level of community transmission is high, which means there's been more than 100 cases per 100,000 people. All counties in the Chicago area have hit that level, which is the highest level of community transmission under CDC guidelines, and the seven-day rolling average in McHenry Co. shows 149.44 confirmed cases per 100,000.

The number of COVID cases jumped by 41 percent in the past week, according to the CDC data.

The CDC is suggesting people in areas of high transmission wear masks indoors — even if they are vaccinated. And some places are mandating masks, including colleges, government agencies and more.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced earlier this month that masks will be required for preschool through 12th grade students heading back to schools, and some colleges have also adopted mask mandates. State employees in congregate settings — meaning prisons, veteran homes or state shelters — are also now required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as well and some school districts have adopted vaccinations requirements for staff.

Health officials are continuing to urge residents to get vaccinated to prevent the continued spread of COVID-19.

In total, 1.47 million coronavirus cases have been reported in Illinois since the start of the pandemic, and 23,699 Illinoisans have died from COVID-19.

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