86 Illinois counties at “rising” levels of COVID-19.View map

The number of Illinois counties with high COVID-19 community levels is increasing again.

Illinois Department of Public Health reported jumps to 86 such counties In a weekly report released on Friday.that is Up from 74 counties reported last week December 9th.

Illinois added 23,334 new COVID-19 cases in the last week alone. This surge coincides with rising levels of influenza.

“As we prepare for holiday gatherings with loved ones, rising COVID-19 community levels and rising flu levels are leading to a surge in respiratory infections, increased hospitalizations and limited hospital beds. I want to remind Illinoisans of this,” IDPH said. Director Dr Samir Bohra said in his statement:

“I urge all Illinoisans to take precautions to protect themselves and their families and friends, especially the most vulnerable, including young children and those over the age of 65,” Vohra said. continued.

Here are some things Illinoisans can do to make sure holiday gatherings with friends and family are safe.

• Get the latest on bivalent booster shots for COVID-19. It is currently approved for children 6 months and older.

• Get vaccinated against influenza.

• Routine testing for COVID-19, especially when visiting people at risk of serious illness.

• Plan ahead and increase ventilation at your holiday get-togethers.

• Practice good hand hygiene and stay home when sick.

• Wear a good quality mask indoors and in public places.

Here’s what else you should know about where Illinois and St. Clair County stand on COVID-19.

COVID-19 throughout St. Clair County and Illinois

In the latest update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, 43 counties in Illinois High community level of COVID-19. That’s up from 29 a week ago.

A total of 43 counties in Illinois are experiencing moderate COVID-19 community levels, compared to 45 counties the previous week.

CDC defines county community levels as high, medium, or low and uses them to Giving form to health guidanceLevels are based on new hospital admissions per 100,000, average percentage of staffed hospital beds occupied by COVID patients, and new cases per 100,000 in the last 7 days.

Federal agencies advise people in high-altitude areas to wear masks indoors and on public transport, and people at higher risk of severe illness should consider precautions in moderate-level areas.

As of December 15, hospitals across Illinois only have about 14% or 397 intensive care beds open. According to IDPH data.

St. Clair County returned to moderate COVID-19 community levels from the previous week’s lows, according to the CDC’s latest report released Thursday.

The county’s weekly case rate increased to 170.98 per 100,000, and new hospitalizations for COVID-19 also increased to 11.5 per 100,000.

Nearly 6% of the county’s staffed inpatient beds are occupied by patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19.

As of December 16, only 4.3% of St. Clair County’s ICU beds are available. According to IDPH data. The positive test rate in St. Clair County is 7.11% as of December 16, according to the CDC.

find out more about Online testing and vaccine information.

Note: Some CDC data such as test positive rate, number of tests performed, and total case rate will be updated on another day. IDPH and CDC data may not be updated at the same time, so metrics may vary by institution.