COVID-19: Numbers Rise in All South Suburban Towns Save One. Park Forest Rate Tops 1100 per 100k.

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- The number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the South Suburbs in all of the thirty municipalities eNews Park Forest has been tracking. Only Oak Forest did not see an increase in cases since we last tallied the numbers on April 17. Park Forest now has a rate of 1,110.64 per 100,000 people with 238 cases, according to data provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The Will County Health Department still reports 11 cases of COVID-19 in the Will County section of Park Forest.

The number of deaths related to COVID-19 in the Cook County section of Park Forest remains at 7, a figure thankfully unchanged since April 17. Chicago Heights lost one more person in the past couple of days, that number now at 10. Country Club Hills has now lost 7, Cicero 12, Richton Park 6, and Matteson 11. The number of deaths in Steger (Cook County) is also unchanged since April 17 at 3.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) says the number of COVID-19 cases peaked in Illinois on April 17, but testing continues. Hence, the number of cases in the South Suburbs continues to rise. The IHME also says the peak death rate from the worst pandemic in anyone’s memory has also passed in Illinois.

“Since data can fluctuate daily, IHME uses the overall trend (rather than the single highest reported number) to identify a peak date of daily deaths,” the organization’s website notes.

IHME projections assume strict social distancing continues until infections are minimized and containment implemented.

As of this writing on April 20, Chicago Heights has 154 cases, Steger has 38, Flossmoor 48, Richton Park 92, Olympia Fields 32, Sauk Village 41, Glenwood 48, Tinley Park 95, and South Chicago Heights has 14.

Harvey has 129 cases, Country Club Hills has 115 cases, Orland Park 143, Lynwood 61, Lansing 120, Homewood 103, South Holland 172, Calumet City 200, and Markham 91, Crete 65. Ford Heights has 11 cases.

Cicero stands alone with the highest number of cases at 386 but a rate per 100,000 of only 460.13 because of its large population. Twelve people have died of COVID-19 related causes in Cicero.

Current COVID-19 Cases for Several South Suburban Towns

The following chart will auto-update as we update our Google spreadsheet:

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IHME stresses relaxed social distancing may be possible with containment strategies that include testing, contact tracing, isolation, and limiting gathering size.

The projections from IHME still show no anticipated shortage of hospital beds in Illinois, ICU or other. The same holds true for Indiana.

As of April 20, 2020, there are a total of 8,313 known confirmed cases of COVID-19 in suburban Cook County and 343 deaths. Ninety-eight (98) congregate settings, such as long term care facilities or nursing homes, are reporting one or more confirmed cases. 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 on April 20, Will County reports 1,693 known cases and 103 deaths.

The state of Illinois reports 31,508 positive cases of COVID-19, 1,349 deaths, and a total of 148,358 tests performed.

In order to ensure that social distancing rules may be eased, medical experts assert that more widespread testing must be available. “CDC has provided guidance for who should be tested, but decisions about testing are at the discretion of state and local health departments and/or individual clinicians,” the CDC says on its website. NPR reports, however, that many who need testing for COVID-19 still fail to get access.

There are currently 1,239 COVID patients occupying 3,134 staffed ICU beds statewide in Illinois and 757 COVID patients on ventilators of 3,256 staffed ventilators, per the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) on April 20, 2020, announced 1,151 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 59 additional deaths.

• Boone County: 1 male 70s
• Cook County: 1 female 30s, 1 male 40s, 2 females 50s, 1 male 50s, 6 males 60s, 4 females 70s, 6 males 70s, 3 females 80s, 10 males 80s, 2 females 90s, 2 females 100+
• DuPage County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s
• Jackson County: 1 male 80s
• Jasper County: 1 female 80s
• Kane County: 1 male 80s
• Lake County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 unknown 50s, 1female 60s, 2 males 70s, 1 male 90s
• Livingston County: 1 female 80s
• Macon County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
• Madison County: 2 males 80s
• Will County: 1 male 80s

Cass and White counties are now reporting cases.  Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 31,508 cases, including 1,349 deaths, in 95 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years.

For all personal protective equipment (PPE) donations, email [email protected]. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email [email protected].

*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.