Over 15K COVID-19 Cases Reported In DuPage County In 1 Week: CDC

DUPAGE COUNTY — DuPage County has seen 15,540 coronavirus cases in the past week, according to data shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wednesday. As of Tuesday, the seven-day total of positive coronavirus cases for DuPage County was 17,063, reflecting a 66 percent increase compared to the previous week, DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) said in an update.

CDC data showed DuPage County's coronavirus positivity rate at just over 20 percent as of Tuesday. In the past week, there were 26 coronavirus deaths in DuPage County and 469 new coronavirus hospitalizations.

Related: COVID Hospitalizations Spike Nearly 60 Percent In Illinois

The rise in coronavirus cases prompted DCHD to issue an update urging residents to get COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots, calling these measures "the best way to protect yourself against severe illness and death from COVID-19." More than 88 percent of the coronavirus deaths in DuPage County since Dec. 15, 2020, have been among residents who had not been fully vaccinated f0r COVID-19, the update from DCHD said.

As of Jan. 12, more than 78 percent of DuPage County residents were fully vaccinated against coronavirus, CDC reports.

The current spike in cases throughout DuPage County reflects a nationwide surged linked to the omicron variant. As of Monday, hundreds of students and teachers were out of school in Wheaton, Downers Grove, Naperville and surrounding suburbs after having tested positive for coronavirus.