Governor calls for restrictions amid rise in number of cases to reduce spread
Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) have announced the need for COVID-19 resurgence mitigation in Region 8, which includes DuPage and Kane counties, beginning Friday, Oct. 23. The DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) urges residents to take action to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The specific measures to be imposed as of 12:01 a.m. on Friday, October 23, 2020 can be found at dceocovid19resources.com/assets/Restore-Illinois/COVID-19-Resurgence-Mitigations.pdf.
These mitigation measures include restrictions such as limiting bar and restaurant service, sports activities, and the sizes of social gatherings.
A reminder that DCHD’s Business Response Team (BRT) offers businesses support and guidance to assist in keeping their businesses open safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. This team is available to answer questions and direct businesses to the appropriate resources. For assistance, please contact [email protected].
Additionally, businesses across DuPage County can find resources to support their work at the Choose DuPage website at choosedupage.com. Information on the DuPage County Small Business Relief Grant Program, as well as the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Business Interruption Grants (BIG) are linked at that site.
To support our County and the Region in slowing the spread of this virus, DCHD urges residents to follow the effective public health tools available:
• Wear a mask whenever outside your home or around people not from your household;
• Watch your distance, staying at least 6 feet from people outside of your immediate household;
• Wash your hands or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer often;
• Avoid large gatherings, especially indoors;
• Stay home if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have been in close contact with a person infected with COVID-19; consult with your healthcare provider for medical evaluation and testing, as needed; and
• Get your flu shot, to prevent illness from influenza and to prevent possible co-infection from influenza and COVID-19.
“As additional early voting locations have opened this week, we also remind residents to head to the polls with safety in mind,” Ayala said. “People can vote safely by practicing the 3 Ws through wearing their masks, watching their distance, and washing their hands or using hand sanitizer.”
Voters can also avoid crowds through these three actions.
• Use early voting, if available in your jurisdiction.
• Vote at off-peak times, such as mid-morning.
• If driving to the polls and your schedule allows, monitor the voter line from your car and join it when it is shorter.
Additional information on how to prepare and stay safe on Election Day is available at dph.illinois.gov/2020election.
DCHD has been monitoring and reporting the rising COVID-19 activity locally and regionally with the increase of COVID-19-related cases, positivity rates, and hospitalizations. “We need to act and take this virus seriously. Although some people may feel tired of COVID-19, this is not the time to let your guard down. Everyone must come together to slow the spread of this virus in our communities to prevent illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths related to COVID-19. The actions we take today will directly influence what happens in our schools, businesses, and communities in the coming weeks,” said Karen Ayala, DuPage County Health Department Executive Director.
The positivity rate of Region 8 will be monitored by IDPH over a 14-day period to determine if mitigations can be relaxed, if additional mitigations are required, or if current mitigation should remain in place. If the positivity rate averages less than or equal to 6.5 percent over a 3-day span, the region will return to Phase 4 mitigations. If the positivity rate averages between 6.5 percent and 8 percent, IDPH will continue to monitor the region.
If the positivity rate averages greater than or equal to 8 percent after 14 days, more stringent mitigations can be applied to further reduce the spread of the virus, which could include reducing capacity for organized group recreation, fitness, or other activities supported by local contact tracing data and temporary suspension of certain activities.
To view the West Suburban Region (Region 8) metrics on the Illinois Department of Public Health website, visit dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics and select Region 8. Metrics are updated daily, including testing positivity rates, hospital admissions, and hospital capacity.
Additional DuPage County COVID-19 information is available at dupagehealth.org/covid19.
