Lake Co. Surpasses 15K Coronavirus Cases As Positivity Rate Rises

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Lake County has surpassed 15,000 people testing positive for COVID-19. As of Monday, 15,832 have contracted the virus and 459 have died from it, according to Lake County Department of Public Health data.

Meanwhile, the positivity rate has been on the rise in Region 9, which includes McHenry and Lake counties. As of Friday, the rate hit 6.7 percent, which was a 1 percent increase from a week earlier. On Thursday, it reached its highest rate to date: 7 percent.

If a region has a positivity rate above 8 percent for three or more days in a row, public health officials have imposed additional measures to slow the spread of the virus.

• Coronavirus Positivity Rate Declines Across Most Of Illinois

Officials also promise new restrictions if a region's positivity rates show increases for seven of 10 days — as well as if increasing hospitalizations lead the availability of hospital beds to drop below 20 percent or if there is an increase to the rounded rolling average of daily new hospital admissions with "COVID-like illnesses," or CLI, during seven or more of the past 10 days.

In Lake County, positivity rates have increased six of the past 10 days but hospital admissions and bed capacity have remained relatively stable in the region, according to local health officials.

Also late last week, Lake County was switched from orange to blue on the county level risk metrics map, which indicates warning signs of increased COVID-19 risk in the community. On Sept. 4, the county was marked as orange, which is the IDPH's "warning" level, after a series of outbreaks of COVID-19.

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

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. As of Friday, Lake County was back in the blue, which is the target level.

Here is a look at the current number of cases to date in towns across Lake County:

• Beach Park: 380-384 confirmed cases; unincorporated Beach Park: 20-24
• Zion: 735-739 cases; unincorporated Zion: 60-64
• Waukegan: 3,775-3,779 cases; unincorporated Waukegan: 135-139
• North Chicago: 1,115-1,119 cases; unincorporated North Chicago: less than 5
• Long Grove: 265-269 cases; unincorporated Long Grove: 5-9
• Round Lake: 410-414 cases; unincorporated Round Lake: 330-334
• Round Lake Beach: 1,010-1,014 cases; unincorporated Round Lake Beach: less than 5
• Lake Zurich: 300-304 cases; unincorporated Lake Zurich: 55-59
• Libertyville: 260 to 264 cases; 65 to 69 cases in unincorporated Libertyville
• Grayslake: 230-234 cases; unincorporated Grayslake: 135-139
• Lake Forest: 190-194 cases; unincorporated Lake Forest: 20-24
• Lake Bluff: 55-59 cases; unincorporated Lake Bluff: 105-109
• Vernon Hills: 300-304 cases; unincorporated Vernon Hills: 15-19
• Highland Park: 385-389 cases; unincorporated Highland Park: 10-14

More via the Lake County Department of Health website