Illinois Department of Public Health reports COVID cases no longer declining
The Illinois Department of Public Health, IDPH, on Friday, April 8, reported 10,786 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including an increase of 71 deaths since April 1.
The number of new cases reported in Illinois has continued to tick upward for the past few weeks. On April 1, 8,426 new cases were reported.
The number of cases reported in Union County has remained fairly steady.
As of April 8, IDPH was reporting a total of 3,080,436 cases, including 33,465 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the beginning of the pandemic.
As of Thursday night, night, April 7, 502 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 62 patients were in the ICU and 24 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
Of Illinois’ total population, more than 76 percent had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, more than 68 percent of Illinois’ total population was fully vaccinated and more than 50 percent had been boosted, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
All data are provisional and are subject to change.
IDPH noted that data indicates the risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes from COVID-19 is much higher for unvaccinated people than for those who are up to date on their vaccinations.
The case rates for COVID-19 are no longer declining and were rising in some areas of the state and had plateaued in other areas over the previous two weeks.
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However, hospitalizations and deaths continued to remain low as of April 8.
Given that the spread of COVID-19 is not showing signs of further waning, IDPH advised that it is critically important that those who continue to be at high risk for serious illness take the following precautions:
Getting vaccinated and staying up-to-date on recommended booster shots is the best way to protect yourself, your loved ones and friends.
If you are in an area with rising COVID-19 infections, wear a mask if entering indoors spaces with other people present and consider avoiding large gatherings.
Stick to well-ventilated areas if you are not wearing a mask indoors around others people.
If you feel flu-like symptoms, self-isolate and stay home from work; and obtain a test as quickly as possible.
If you test positive, talk to your healthcare provider immediately so you can get COVID-19 treatment within five days of starting to feel sick. Also, communicate about the positive result with any persons you have been in close contact within two days of falling sick or testing positive.
Continue to frequently wash your hands and cover coughs and sneezes.
In addition, on March 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, issued updated guidance that authorized a second booster dose for certain segments of the population at least four months after the first booster dose.
This applies to adults over 50 years of age, and to immunocompromised individuals over 12 years old.
The CDC also recommended a second booster dose with an mRNA vaccine for all those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for both their primary dose and their first booster, four months after their first booster dose.
Those who already received an mRNA booster dose after their initial Johnson and Johnson primary vaccine do not need an additional booster unless they are either over the age of 50 years or immunocompromised.
However, hospitalizations and deaths continued to remain low as of April 8.
Given that the spread of COVID-19 is not showing signs of further waning, IDPH advised that it is critically important that those who continue to be at high risk for serious illness take the following precautions:
Getting vaccinated and staying up-to-date on recommended booster shots is the best way to protect yourself, your loved ones and friends.
If you are in an area with rising COVID-19 infections, wear a mask if entering indoors spaces with other people present and consider avoiding large gatherings.
Stick to well-ventilated areas if you are not wearing a mask indoors around others people.
If you feel flu-like symptoms, self-isolate and stay home from work; and obtain a test as quickly as possible.
If you test positive, talk to your healthcare provider immediately so you can get COVID-19 treatment within five days of starting to feel sick. Also, communicate about the positive result with any persons you have been in close contact within two days of falling sick or testing positive.
Continue to frequently wash your hands and cover coughs and sneezes.
In addition, on March 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, issued updated guidance that authorized a second booster dose for certain segments of the population at least four months after the first booster dose.
This applies to adults over 50 years of age, and to immunocompromised individuals over 12 years old.
Union County COVID Cases Update
April 10: 5,369 total cases. 64 deaths.
April 1: 5,365 total cases. 64 total deaths.
March 1: 5,334 total cases. 63 deaths.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health website. Numbers represent statistics since the start of the pandemic.