Suburban infection rates climb as death toll tops 9,000

The death toll from COVID-19 has topped 9,000 in Illinois as infection rates in suburban counties are climbing again.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced the state's latest grim milestone as 29 more deaths from the virus were reported Tuesday, bringing the total number of fatalities from the respiratory disease to 9,026 since the outbreak began.

"More than 9,000 Illinoisans - our mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, family, friends and neighbors - have had their lives cut short by COVID-19, leaving tens of thousands more to grieve loved ones lost too soon," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a news release. "As we pause today to mourn these individual and collective losses, may we find strength in the tools we have to protect our communities: wearing a mask, watching our distance, and respecting public health and each other."

Another 2,851 new cases of the disease were diagnosed Tuesday, with 1,343 of that total coming from suburban Cook County and the five collar counties, according to IDPH figures. The suburbs accounted for more than 47% of Tuesday's new COVID-19 cases.

Suburban counties have seen infection rates climb rapidly during the past week. Kane County's infection rate is at 6.6%, based on a seven-day rolling average - the highest level in the suburbs. A week ago, the average infection rate there was at 4.5%.

"I think what you're seeing in Kane County is similar to what's happening with the rest of the state right now," said Uche Onwuta, director of health protection at the Kane County Health Department. "And as more schools reopen to hybrid or full-time in classroom learning, we're going to see more cases rising."

The infection rate is determined by the number of new cases confirmed from each round of test results released each day. The state uses a seven-day rolling average to smooth out sometimes large daily fluctuations in the number of cases reported and test results returned. The statewide seven-day average infection rate is 4.3%.

The suburbs are also averaging 1,126 new COVID-19 cases a day over the past week, nearly double what they were averaging Aug. 1.

IDPH figures show Will County with the second highest seven-day average infection rate in the suburbs at 6.3%. The county had business and gathering restrictions put in place for about a month this summer when the infection rate for Will and Kankakee counties climbed above 8%.

A week ago, IDPH officials were reporting a seven-day average infection rate in McHenry County of 4.5%, but by Tuesday that rate was at 5.9%.

Both suburban Cook County and DuPage County have a seven-day average infection rate of 5.3%. A week ago, that rate was 3.5% in DuPage and 4.1% in suburban Cook.

In Lake County, the seven-day average infection rate is at 4.8%. At the start of the week, it was at 4.1%, according to IDPH figures.

Local and state health officials monitor infection, or positivity, rates to determine the level of risk of contracting the disease there and the potential for the cases to develop into hospitalizations.

Statewide, hospitalizations are also on the rise, IDPH figures show. Hospitals across the state reported 1,848 patients were being treated for COVID-19 on Monday. Of those hospitalized, 406 were in intensive care.

The state is averaging 1,777 hospitalized COVID-19 patients each day over the past week. That's the highest seven-day average hospitalization level since late June.