The Illinois Department of Public Health reported more than 2,800 new confirmed and probably COVID-19 cases with hundreds of them in Cook County.
There are fears that the number of cases will be higher after Easter. County leaders warn that if this upward trend does not change, further restrictions may be emerging.
The authorities are working to find out what is causing this increase, while threatening the possibility of returning the restrictions. Cook County Health said this could mean restricting indoor activities, such as going to restaurants and fitness centers. In the meantime, officials are asking people to stay outdoors with the meetings, masked and socially as far away as possible.
“We saw more than 600 new cases in the suburb of Cook, just in our jurisdiction,” said Dr. Rachel Rubin. “And that means that we are at the beginning of another wave.”
Now, county health officials have said that the increase in cases could translate into new restrictions imposed if those numbers do not decrease.
Cook County Health said the county is on the verge of another outbreak. Recent data has shown noticeable increases in new cases among people in their 20s and 30s, and the rate of positivity has almost doubled in the past few weeks.
According to recent data, the most significant increase in cases occurs in the age group of 20 and 30 years, and the rate of positivity has almost doubled in relation to the previous weeks.
“Our overall rate of positivity, I think, is now about five, we’ve dropped to three and that’s a big problem,” said Dr. Rubin.
Despite the expansion of ongoing vaccination efforts, the growing number of cases has made county officials contemplating what needs to be done.
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“We may very well have to suppress in a matter of days. I am not promising this in one way or another, ”said Rubin. “We need to assess exactly what types of activities and movements are really driving this increase.”
This may mean bringing restrictions back to business.
“We need to continue to be safe and these are really the messages and if we need to repress more of our [mitigation], you know, step back a bit in indoor activities and restaurants and fitness centers and things like that – hopefully it doesn’t get to the point where we might need to do that, “added Dr. Rubin.
Evanston resident Archie Ong saw his city undergo so many changes in the past year
“It will be a major setback, obviously, many restaurants here are experiencing difficulties,” said Ong. “Several restaurants have closed, so I hope, I hope that doesn’t happen.”
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He and his family still stay home most of the time and expect others, who may think the worst is over, to do the same.
“People are being vaccinated and thinking it is safe. I think it might be safe, but at the same time I think we shouldn’t really relax that much,” added Ong.
For now, health officials recommend keeping things outdoors while continuing to mask and keep your distance.
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