These 7 southern IL counties are at high COVID-19 community levels. See latest data

Meredith Howard
·2 min read

As of July 1, seven southern Illinois counties are at a high COVID-19 community level, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention metric used to determine safety recommendations.

Marion, Wayne, Franklin, Jackson, Williamson, Johnson and Massac counties were all at a high community level as of Friday. St. Clair County is at a medium community level.

Statewide, 28 counties in Illinois were scored at a high community level.

The CDC updates the community levels and other data each Thursday.

Here’s the latest COVID-19 community levels for Illinois from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of July 1, 2022.
Here’s the latest COVID-19 community levels for Illinois from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of July 1, 2022.

Every county in the state except one is listed at a high community transmission level, a separate CDC metric.

Pope County is the only area not in a high community transmission level, and it’s categorized as the next most severe, “substantial.”

A county’s community level is based on metrics from the past seven days, including new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people, average percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients and total new cases per 100,000 people.

The community transmission level is based on the past seven days’ number of cases per 100,000 people and portion of positive nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs).

The CDC recommends indoor masking in areas at high community levels, and staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters is recommended for everyone regardless of community designation.

Those who have come in contact with someone who tested positive or who have symptoms themselves should wear a mask and get tested.

The Illinois Department of Public Health recorded a daily case rate of 33.5 per 100,000 people in St. Clair County. The portion of ICU beds available is 20%, and the state reported three COVID-19 hospital admissions and seven deaths in the county.

As of Friday afternoon, the weekly death count had not been updated since the June 24 report of seven deaths. St. Clair County’s website said there were no new deaths reported this week.

The number of COVID-19 cases in St. Clair County increased by 10.51% in the last seven days, according to the CDC. The number of daily tests performed decreased by 1.28%, and test positivity increased by 3.26%.

The overall test positivity rate for the last week is 15.46% in St. Clair County, according to the CDC.

You can schedule a COVID-19 vaccine or find testing locations online in St. Clair County.