PEORIA, Ill. — Peoria County was one of 17 counties throughout the state to receive notice Friday from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
IDPH has placed said counties in the orange — at a warning level — for COVID-19.
A county is placed at that level when two or more of the following metrics trigger a warning: cases per 100,000 people, number of deaths, weekly test positivity, ICU availability, weekly emergency department visits, weekly hospital admissions, tests performed, and clusters.
For Peoria County, the metrics were: a) cases per 100,000 people, which increased from 152 to 172, and b) deaths, which is triggered when there is an increase of over 20% in that respective category in consecutive weeks. The county jumped from one death two weeks ago to three last week.
The Peoria City/County Health Department said it has asked for an increase in personal protective equipment for long-term care facilities that have experienced recent deaths and is working closely with Bradley University to cut down on cases.
When counties are placed on warning levels and numbers do not move back to satisfactory levels, further mitigation measures and restrictions can be levied.
