Lake Co. Hits 'Warning' Level For COVID-19 Risk

LAKE COUNTY, IL — State health officials have determined Lake County is heading in the wrong direction following several coronavirus outbreaks, including an outbreak at the Great Lakes Naval Station and 14 cases reported at daycares in recent weeks. On Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health changed Lake County from a "blue" to an "orange" on its county level risk metrics map, which indicates warning signs of increased COVID-19 risk in the community, according to a news release from the Lake County Health Department.

Other counties in the Chicago area that are at the orange level include Will and Kankakee counties. Those counties, which make up Region 7, have had special restrictions put in place after health metrics indicated COVID-19 was spreading in the communities. Region 9, which includes Lake and McHenry counties, has not seen its metrics tip above the benchmark for additional state-mandated mitigations, yet.

“These signs of increasing COVID-19 risk in Lake County should be a wake-up call heading into Labor Day weekend,” said Mark Pfister, Executive Director of the Lake County Health Department. “We need everyone to wear a mask, wash their hands often, and watch their distance. Reconsider your plans if they include risky activities and gatherings. If we follow these basic precautions consistently, we can slow the spread of COVID-19.”

The "warning" level for Lake County is meant to inform the public and guide decisions over socializing by providing a snapshot of the "health burden" COVID-19 is causing in the county. Health officials determine this by looking at eight different metrics.

If two of the metrics tip over the state's benchmark, which has happened over the past week for Lake County, the county is brought up to the warning level. One metric looks at the number of cases per 100,000 between Aug. 22 and 28 and found Lake County had reached 95 new cases — up from 82 the week prior. The target for a county is to be below 50 cases.

The county also saw 10 deaths last week, up from five the week prior, which was another metric hitting the warning level. The state wants to see counties see its COVID-19 deaths decreasing or staying stable, according to health data.

Besides cases reported at the Great Lakes Naval Station, the health department is investigating 24 other COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the county that have been reported since Aug. 17. Young people — Lake County residents between the ages of 19 and 25 years old — have driven the increase in recent weeks.

Here is a breakdown of where the outbreaks have been reported:

An outbreak is defined as at least one confirmed case plus a suspected case within a congregate living facility, or two or more linked cases in another setting.

“Recent investigations by our Communicable Disease team show increases in cases linked to private gatherings,” said Dr. Sana Ahmed, Medical Epidemiologist at the Health Department. “Remember, don’t let your guard down just because you are around people you trust—your friends, co-workers, and even family members. Take precautions every single time you are with others who don’t live in your household.”

The Health Department continues to work with businesses and many other facets of the community to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. These efforts include increasing the accessibility of local COVID-19 testing, building the Lake County contact tracing workforce, coordinating with law enforcement officials to address executive order violations at businesses, and assisting schools and childcare providers with public health education and guidance.

As of Friday, 15,006 people in Lake County have tested positive for the virus since March and COVID-19 has claimed 471 lives. Statewide, there have been 245,371 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 8,143