SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Friday that LaSalle and Bureau County have been upgraded to a warning status orange for COVID-19 due to an increasing number of cases. In LaSalle County the new case count was 229 per 100,000 residents, exceeding the level set by the state by 179 cases. The positivity rate was at 10%, 2% higher than the 8% limit, and number of tests was deemed low, at 2,336 for the last 7 days. ER visits were on the rise in LaSalle County as well, at 3.8% of those going to hospitals with COVID-19 like illness.
Bureau County also exceeded their goals, with 194 cases per 100,000 residents, 144 higher than the state level. The positivity rate was 1.5% higher than the state suggestion of 8%.
Cass, Clinton, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Jefferson, Kane, Moultrie, Perry, Union and Will Counties are all also under the warning metric for Coronavirus.
According to the LaSalle County Health Department, their contact tracing efforts continue to show small clusters of cases among families and household contacts. Social and family gatherings, household sharing, workplace exposures, long-term care outbreaks and community spread have all contributed to the uptick in confirmed cases since the beginning of July.
“There are simple, preventative measures that will make a difference as we continue to try to make measurable steps forward against this virus. Wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing, washing our hands, and limiting our social gatherings and interactions are all things each one of us must do, every day. These everyday actions show we care for our family members, co-workers, and community,” said Julie Kerestes, Public Health Administrator of LaSalle County Health Department.
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