McHenry Co. Has Highest COVID-19 Rate In Chicago Area

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — The coronavirus positivity rate in McHenry County is the highest in the Chicago area. The most recent data from the Illinois Department of Public Health shows the seven-day rolling average here is 20.2 percent.

Hospitalizations also continue to rise with 44 new patients being admitted daily with COVID-like illnesses. Hospital bed availability for Region 9, which includes Lake and McHenry counties, is at 30 percent and the ICU bed availability is at 44 percent.

Meanwhile, Region 9 has hit a positivity rate of 17.1 percent. McHenry County's positivity rate has remained much higher than Lake County's for weeks. Lake County currently has a positivity rate of 14.8 percent, according to the most recent health data.

In recent days, state health officials have asked residents to "stay at home as much as possible" over the next three weeks, but stopped short of issuing any orders to that effect.

"If things don't take a turn in the coming days, we will quickly reach the point where some form of a mandatory stay-at-home order will be all that is left," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said last week. "With every fiber of my being, I do not want us to get there, but right now that seems like where we are headed."

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