CHICAGO, Ill. – In what could be the final report of its kind, a state agency says the risk of COVID-19 spread in Illinois is low.
The Illinois Department of Public Health says all 102 counties are at a low level of risk after four counties were at a medium-level last week. No counties were at a high risk for the 7th straight week.
The department did report 3,850 new cases in the past week, along with five deaths related to the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control on Friday says the way COVID-19 data will be reported is changing. It will no longer provide weekly updates with its color-coded system, but instead plans to rely on hospital data. Hospitals will no longer be required to report the number of people on ventilators or beds used for COVID patients.
This coincides with public emergency status’ for the virus ending on May 11th on a state and federal level. The World Health Organization also announced on Friday that it is ending its global public health emergency with COVID-19.
“We want the public to know that due to changes in federal reporting requirements some of the COVID-19 data that we have been collecting will change after May 11,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “However, IDPH will still have reliable methods for tracking COVID-19 in Illinois. IDPH will continue its focus on protecting the public from COVID-19, especially those individuals who are vulnerable to serious illness.”
