DuPage County Tops 100K COVID-19 Cases As Hospitalizations Spike

WHEATON, IL — DuPage County has surpassed 100,000 coronavirus cases as of Thursday, according to recent health department data. The somber milestone comes amid an ongoing surge in coronavirus hospitalizations and cases, which both increased by one-third in the past week, public health officials said.

As of Thursday morning, DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) reports 100,125 coronavirus cases. Of these, 91,123 are confirmed cases and 9,002 are probable cases. The actual number of cases is "likely much higher" due to positive cases that have not been reported or tested, according to DCHD's data dashboard.

DuPage County's seven-day rolling average of new positive coronavirus cases is 170 cases per 100,000 people as of Sept. 1, reflecting an increase of 33 percent over the previous week's numbers. Coronavirus hospitalizations also increased by 33 percent over a seven-day period, with 111 people hospitalized for coronavirus throughout the county as of Sept. 1. In total 21 coronavirus patients were in intensive care units.

County health officials note that more than 99 percent of coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths since Dec. 2020 have been among patients who were not fully vaccinated against the virus.

"It is critical that we act now to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our community from COVID-19. Again, I urge anyone who is eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine but hasn’t done so to please get vaccinated as soon as possible," DCHD Executive Director Karen Ayala urged in a news release.

Ayala added, “We want to bring the level of community transmission down to keep kids safe in school, but we all have to do our part to do so." As of Sept. 2, DuPage County's coronavirus transmission rate was still designated as "high."

Public health officials are urging residents to remain vigilant about coronavirus as they head into Labor Day weekend. DCHD recommends gathering outdoors or wearing face masks when attending indoor gatherings.

DuPage County's community vaccination clinics are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the following locations:

• 111 N. County Farm Rd., Wheaton
• 1111 E. Jackson St., Lombard

Walk-ins are welcome, but residents may click the link to pre-register for a vaccine appointment.

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