COVID-19, Local, Park Forest, Science

COVID-19: 96 IL Counties & Chicago at Warning Level – Latest Numbers in Region Disturbing


Illinois COVID-19
Ninety-six counties, plus the city of Chicago, are currently reported at a warning level for COVID-19, according to the IDPH. (ENEWSPF)

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- All but six counties in Illinois are at warning level for coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. That puts ninety-six counties, plus the city of Chicago, at warning level, leaving the state primed for yet another lockdown to keep our hospitals, already stressed, from filling up. And to save lives.

All of which could be avoided if people wore masks and practiced simple, basic hygiene.

In the past 14 days, Park Forest has seen a 106% increase in novel coronavirus cases with over 1,000 people now who have tested positive, a staggering rate of 5,063.23 people per 100,000. 12,599 people in Park Forest have been tested with a positivity rate of 8.61%, up slightly from 8.11% when we last surveyed, this according to ongoing analysis from the Chicago Tribune.

Since we last tracked numbers there are over 4,081 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 in the 30 towns we survey with the figure now at 29,089. What is particularly disturbing about this figure is that it’s only nine days since we last tallied numbers. Previously, the region saw a rise of over 4,000 new cases in 18 days.

Happily, there are no new deaths to report in Park Forest. However, among the 30 towns we track, there have been 22 more who have died from the virus.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), an independent global health research center at the University of Washington, now predicts upwards of 438,941 people in the United States will die of the virus by March 1, 2020.

Thus far, 244,302 have died from COVID-19 in the United States alone. That information is from Johns Hopkins University and is the figure from November 13, 2020.

The dangers of the spread of COVID-19 are multiple and complex, as Dr. Timothy Angelotti, MD Ph.D., recently told eNews Park Forest, “The problem is it’s not about death, it’s not about the healthy people or the people that get very little illness from this. It’s about the surge that can happen in a hospital setting when you have a whole bunch of people get infected.

“Our biggest fear, and that’s what people don’t appreciate, that if you want a hospital full of people who are full of COVID then keep doing what we’re doing. Then all other medical care will go by the wayside until we get control of this. Do you want us to cancel elective surgeries again?”

Dr. Angelotti is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine (ICU) at the Stanford University Medical Center. His Ph.D. is in pharmacology, and our entire interview with Dr. Angelotti is forthcoming.

COVID-19 at Ludeman Center

According to the state of Illinois, as of November 4, Ludeman Center in Park Forest has 233 residents who tested positive for COVID-19, up one more from when we last surveyed. Of these, 223 have recovered, two more than our last survey.

A total of 160 staff members at Ludeman have tested positive, up from 144 when we last surveyed. Of these, 137 have recovered and returned to work.

Ludeman Center employs 921 people and has 336 residents according to the latest figures supplied by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Current COVID-19 Cases for 30 South Suburban Towns

Municipality COVID-19 Cases Most Recent Population Figures Rate per 100,000 Population*
Calumet City 1,622 37,042 4,378.81
Chicago Heights 1,663 30,276 5,492.80
Cicero 6,015 83,889 7,170.19
Country Club Hills 749 16,541 4,528.14
Crestwood 407 10,950 3,716.89
Crete 650 8,117 8,007.88
Dolton 931 23,153 4,021.08
East Hazel Crest 54 1,543 3,499.68
Flossmoor 324 9,464 3,423.50
Ford Heights 77 2,763 2,786.83
Frankfort 1,430 19,178 7,456.46
Glenwood 418 8,969 4,660.50
Harvey 1,006 25,282 3,979.12
Hazel Crest 541 14,100 3,836.88
Homewood 704 19,323 3,643.33
Lansing 1,447 28,331 5,107.48
Lynwood 342 9,007 3,797.05
Markham 521 12,508 4,165.33
Matteson 1,030 19,009 5,418.49
Oak Forest 1,109 27,962 3,966.10
Olympia Fields 156 4,988 3,127.51
Orland Park 2,546 56,582 4,499.66
Park Forest 1,085 21,429 5,063.23
Richton Park 544 13,646 3,986.52
Sauk Village 320 10,506 3,045.88
South Chicago Heights 178 4,139 4,300.56
South Holland 1,085 22,030 4,925.10
Steger 381 9,331 4,083.16
Tinley Park 1,467 49,235 2,979.59
University Park 287 6,958 4,124.75
Combined 29,089 606,251 4798.18
*Numbers per 100,000 based on most recent population from US Census.gov or derived via formula using rate per 100,000 population and COVID-19 cases as reported by Cook County.

The following chart will update as we update our figures in future articles:

Percent Change in COVID-19 Cases: Past 14 Days

Where do we stand today with COVID-19?

Park Forest now has 1,085 cases and a rate of 5063.23 per 100,000.

Chicago Heights has 1,663 cases and a current rate per 100k of 5492.80. Cicero leads still with 6,015 and the highest rate of the 30 by far at 7170.19.

Long-Term Effects of COVID-19

We have no data on how many people are suffering lingering effects of COVID nor does anyone know yet if some conditions those have since recovering will become chronic.

The CDC reports, however, that it “is actively working to learn more about the whole range of short- and long-term health effects associated with COVID-19. As the pandemic unfolds, we are learning that many organs besides the lungs are affected by COVID-19 and there are many ways the infection can affect someone’s health.”

“One of the health effects that CDC is closely watching and working to understand relates to COVID-19 and the heart,” the CDC says. “Heart conditions associated with COVID-19 include inflammation and damage to the heart muscle itself, known as myocarditis, or inflammation of the covering of the heart, known as pericarditis. These conditions can occur by themselves or in combination. Heart damage may be an important part of severe disease and death from COVID-19, especially in older people with underlying illness. Heart damage like this might also explain some frequently reported long-term symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, and heart palpitations.”

The CDC stresses that the “risk of heart damage may not be limited to older and middle-aged adults. For example, young adults with COVID-19, including athletes, can also suffer from myocarditis. Severe heart damage has occurred in young, healthy people, but is rare. There may be more cases of mild effects of COVID-19 on the heart that can be diagnosed with special imaging tests, including in younger people with mild or minimal symptoms; however, the long-term significance of these mild effects on the heart are unknown. CDC will continue to assess and provide updates as new data emerge.”

Current Numbers for Neighboring Towns

As of this writing, Steger has 381 cases, Flossmoor 324, and Richton Park 544. Olympia Fields is at 156, Sauk Village is at 320, Glenwood 418, Tinley Park 1467, and South Chicago Heights has 178.

Harvey has 1006 cases, Country Club Hills has 749 cases, Orland Park 2546, Lynwood 342, Lansing 1447, Homewood 704, South Holland 1085, Markham 521, and Crete 650.

Ford Heights now has 77 cases, and Calumet City has 1,622.

Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 551,957 cases, including 10,504 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years.  Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 106,540 specimens for a total 8,871,640. 

As of last night, 5,362 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19.  Of those, 990 patients were in the ICU and 488 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators. 

The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from November 6 – November 12 is 13.2%.  The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from November 6, 2020 – November 12, 2020 is 14.5%.

As of November 13, 2020, there are a total of 101,257 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cook County and 2,218 deaths.

The test positivity rate in Cook County has skyrocketed to 15.2%.

The data from Cook County includes all cases under the jurisdiction of the Cook County Department of Public Health (excludes Chicago, Evanston, Oak Park, Skokie, and Stickney Township). All numbers are provisional and subject to change.

As of this writing, Will County now reports 26,532 cases of the virus, up from 21,795 confirmed cases when we last surveyed. There are now 466 deaths from COVID-19 in Will County.

Deceased from COVID-19

The Cook County Medical Examiner now reports 5,833 total COVID-19 related deaths since March 16, 2020. This figure is from today’s date, November 13, 2020.

COVID-19 Deaths for 30 Towns

Municipality Total Deceased Most Recent Population Figures
Rate per 100,000 Population*
Calumet City 9 37,042 24.30
Chicago Heights 44 30,276 145.33
Cicero 119 83,889 141.85
Country Club Hills 39 16,541 235.78
Crestwood 23 10,950 210.05
Crete 6 8,117 73.92
Dolton 25 23,153 107.98
East Hazel Crest 3 1,543 194.43
Flossmoor 10 9,464 105.66
Ford Heights 1 2,763 36.19
Frankfort 5 19,178 26.07
Glenwood 7 8,969 78.05
Harvey 27 25,282 106.80
Hazel Crest 21 14,100 148.94
Homewood 35 19,323 181.13
Lansing 12 28,331 42.36
Lynwood 2 9,007 22.20
Markham 19 12,508 151.90
Matteson 27 19,009 142.04
Oak Forest 11 27,962 39.34
Olympia Fields 4 4,988 80.19
Orland Park 43 56,582 76.00
Park Forest 21 21,429 98.00
Richton Park 16 13,646 117.25
Sauk Village 2 10,506 19.04
South Chicago Heights 0 4,139 0.00
South Holland 39 22,030 177.03
Steger 6 9,331 64.30
Tinley Park 19 49,235 38.59
University Park 7 6,958 100.60
Combined 602 606,251 99.30
*Numbers per 100,000 based on most recent population from US Census.gov or derived via formulat using rate per 100,000 population and COVID-19 cases as reported by Cook County.

The City of Chicago has lost 3,028 people to COVID-19.

State of Illinois: Most Recent Update

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today, November 13, reported 15,415 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 27 additional deaths.

  • Carroll County: 1 female 90s
  • Champaign County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
  • Cook County: 1 female 60s, 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s
  • Greene County: 1 female 90s
  • Jersey County: 1 female 90s
  • Jo Daviess County: 1 male 70s
  • Kane County: 2 males 90s
  • Knox County: 1 male 70s
  • LaSalle County: 1 female 90s
  • Macon County: 1 female 100+
  • Madison County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
  • McLean County: 1 female 90s
  • Ogle County: 1 female 80s
  • Pulaski County: 1 male 70s
  • Saline County: 1 female 70s
  • Sangamon County: 1 female 60s
  • St. Clair County: 1 female 60s
  • Will County: 1 female 90s
  • Williamson County: 1 male 70s
  • Winnebago County: 1 male 40s

Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 551,957 cases, including 10,504 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years.  Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 106,540 specimens for a total 8,871,640.  As of last night, 5,362 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19.  Of those, 990 patients were in the ICU and 488 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators. 

The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from November 6 – November 12 is 13.2%.  The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from November 6, 2020 – November 12, 2020 is 14.5%.

All but six Illinois counties are at the warning level.  Ninety-six counties, plus the city of Chicago, are currently reported at a warning level – Adams, Alexander, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, DeWitt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Massac, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Mercer, Monroe, Morgan, Moultrie,  Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike,  Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, Saline, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, White, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago, Woodford, and the city of Chicago

*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered.  For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email [email protected].

ENEWSPF will continue to track the spread of COVID-19 in our region.

If we might close on an editorial note, Illinois is on the cusp of another lockdown to keep our hospitals, already stressed, from filling up. We beg everyone to wear a mask and continue to wash hands. Carrying a small bottle of hand sanitizer is a wise move.

Please, for the good of all, #wearamask.


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