As Illinois continues to experience an increase in COVID cases and hospitalizations, one of the state’s health regions is being particularly affected, with only one ICU bed available for an area covering 20 of the state’s 102 counties. .
According to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, in Region 5 of the state, located in the southern tip of Illinois, only one of the 84 intensive care beds in the region is available.
This has happened because the region has seen its intensive care population increase over the last 29 days, according to IDPH data. The availability of hospital beds has fallen at that time and the positivity rate of the region in the COVID tests has increased from 8.1% on July 23 to 10.8% from August 21, the last date for which data are available.
Other regions are also dealing with bed availability issues in the ICU. In Region 1, located in the northwestern end of the state, there are currently 21 beds available out of a total of 171 ICU beds. In region 4, located next to St. Louis, in the southwestern part of Illinois, has 22 ICU beds available and in Region 6, which consists of Champaign County and several other large counties, there are 24 ICU beds of 143.
According to IDPH, at least 37 counties in Illinois are on an “alert level” for the availability of intensive care unit beds, meaning there are less than 20% of ICU beds in those counties. .
This news comes as the state continues to see high transmission rates of COVID-19. According to the latest CDC data, 101 of Illinois ’102 counties see“ high levels ”of transmission, meaning they report more than 100 new cases of COVID per 100,000 residents each week.
Thirty-seven counties in Illinois and Chicago are now on an “alert level” for the availability of intensive care beds, according to data from the state health department of COVID-19.
With all these metrics in mind, Gov. JB Pritzker threatened to impose “significantly greater mitigations” if the numbers don’t start to decline in the state.
Last week, 24,682 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the state, 21% more than the previous week.
The following is a breakdown of COVID metrics by region by region starting Tuesday:
Region 1 (northwest Illinois)
Positivity rate: 6.4% (decreasing)
Availability of ICU bed: 13% (decreasing)
Hospitalization rates: increase of 5/10 days
Region 2 (West-Central Illinois)
Positivity rate: 6.4% (constant)
Availability of ICU bed: 22% (increase)
Hospitalization rates: increase of 10/10 days
Region 3 (West Illinois)
Positivity rate: 6.7% (increasing)
ICU bed availability: 15% (decreasing)
Hospitalization rates: increase of 8/10 days
Region 4 (southwest Illinois)
Positivity rate: 8.8% (decreasing)
Availability of ICU bed: 22% (constant)
Hospitalization rates: 9/10 days increase
Region 5 (Southern Illinois)
Positivity rate: 10.8% (decreasing)
ICU bed availability: 4% (decreasing)
Hospitalization rates: increase of 10/10 days
Region 6 (Central East Illinois)
Positivity rate: 8.3% (constant)
Availability of ICU bed: 22% (constant)
Hospitalization rates: increase of 8/10 days
Region 7 (counties of Will, Kankakee)
Positivity rate: 6.8% (decreasing)
Availability of ICU bed: 24% (increase)
Hospitalization rates: increase of 10/10 days
Region 8 (Kane counties, DuPage)
Positivity rate: 5.9% (constant)
Availability of ICU bed: 22% (constant)
Hospitalization rates: increase of 10/10 days
Region 9 (McHenry, Lake Counties)
Positivity rate: 5.9% (decreasing)
ICU bed availability: 15% (decreasing)
Hospitalization rates: increase of 8/10 days
Region 10 (Suburban Cook County)
Positivity rate: 4.6% (decreasing)
Availability of ICU bed: 18% (constant)
Hospitalization rates: 9/10 days increase
Region 11 (Chicago)
Positivity rate: 4.2% (decreasing)
Availability of ICU bed: 18% (decreasing)
Hospitalization rates: increase of 10/10 days