Rock Island among 24 Illinois counties at warning level for COVID-19

The Illinois Department of Public Health shared a list of 24 counties in Illinois that are considered to be at a warning level for COVID-19.

Rock Island County is back on the warning level list, including Bureau and Jo Daviess counties.

“Being in warning status is just that: a warning,” Rock Island County Health Department Administrator Nita Ludwig said in a separate news release. “We are heading in the wrong direction. Residents all across the Quad Cities should be wearing a mask, watching their distance and washing their hands. We know the rules are different in Iowa, but your efforts should be the same everywhere you go.”

Here are the county positivity rates as of Friday afternoon:

• Rock Island County 11.0%
• Bureau County 9.8%
• Jo Daviess County 8.2%

The following are all Illinois counties health officials say are at warning level: Bond, Bureau, Cass, Clinton, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeWitt, Edwards, Effingham, Greene, Jasper, Jo Daviess, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Rock Island, St. Clair, Shelby, Washington, Wayne, Williamson, Wabash, and Union.

A county is considered at the warning level when at least two of the following metrics triggers a warning.

• New cases per 100,000 people. If there are more than 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the county, this triggers a warning.
• Number of deaths. This metric indicates a warning when the weekly number of deaths increases more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
• Weekly test positivity. This metric indicates a warning when the 7-day test positivity rate rises above 8%.
• ICU availability. If there are fewer than 20% of intensive care units available in the region, this triggers a warning.
• Weekly emergency department visits. This metric indicates a warning when the weekly percent of COVID-19-like-illness emergency department visits increase by more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
• Weekly hospital admissions. A warning is triggered when the weekly number of hospital admissions for COVID-19-like-illness increases by more than 20% for two consecutive weeks
• Tests performed. This metric is used to provide context and indicate if more testing is needed in the county.
• Clusters. This metric looks at the percent of COVID-19 cases associated with clusters or outbreaks and is used to understand large increases in cases.