Cook County health officials on Friday issued a stay-at-home advisory urging residents to limit their activity as COVID-19 infections soar to record highs across Illinois.
The suburban guidance follows a Chicago advisory issued a day earlier by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, while Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said a full-on stay-at-home order for the entire state “seems like where we are heading.”
Cook County’s advisory, which takes effect at 6 a.m. Monday and lasts at least 30 days, cautions residents to “refrain from any nonessential activities and stay home.” Among the activities considered essential are work, school, coronavirus testing, getting a flu shot and shopping for groceries.
Any other nonessential gatherings and travel should be put on hold, officials say, including vacations, social calls and, yes, holiday celebrations.
“Now more than ever, we must come together to stay apart,” the county’s senior medical officer, Dr. Rachel Rubin, said in a statement. “We know limiting gatherings with friends and family can be hard, but we also know that virtual celebrations will save lives.”
County officials are also calling on employers “to reestablish telework protocols for staff who are able to work from home.” The advisory does not call for closures of nonessential businesses.
More than 99,000 people in Cook County have contracted the virus so far, accounting for almost 20% of all the cases logged in the state during the pandemic. The county’s average testing positivity rate has more than doubled over a span of about three weeks to 15%.
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Daily statewide case counts have set records for three straight days, while hospitals across the state are bracing for a devastating surge of coronavirus patients. Some hospitals are already approaching capacity.
As always, residents are urged to wear masks over their faces and noses, to maintain 6 feet of social distance and to regularly wash their hands with soap and warm water.
Residents seeking more information can call the Cook County Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 hotline at (708) 836-4755 or email [email protected].
