CHICAGO – Chicago and Cook County have moved from the Medium down to the Low COVID-19 Community Level, according to the latest Community Level metrics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). New local COVID-19 hospital admissions dropped below the threshold of 10 per 100,000 over seven days for the first time since mid-November of 2022. 

All of the Chicago metropolitan collar counties are also at Low, as counties across the U.S. see similar downward trends of COVID-19 risk level. In all, 82 of Illinois’ 102 counties are at the Low Level this week (74 last week), while 20 are Medium (25 last week), and none are High (3 last week). Nearly 70 percent of U.S. counties are at Low, and fewer than 4 percent are High. 

At a Low COVID-19 Community Level, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommends individuals: 

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. 
• Get tested if you have symptoms. 
• If you test positive for COVID, follow all isolation guidance, including wearing a face mask. 
• If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions.  

“This is such good news, even as we continue to watch the highly transmissible XBB 1.5 Omicron subvariant spreading further in the Midwest,” said CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D. “I thank Chicagoans for their vigilance against COVID-19, especially over the year-end-holidays. Every one of you who has stayed up to date on vaccines, worn masks when recommended, and taken other precautions has played a part in keeping COVID in check.” 

“But I want to remind you that COVID-19 is not gone. I’m so pleased to be back at a Low Level--but we are still seeing cases, hospitalizations and about one Chicagoan dying every day from COVID-19. We know the virus continues to evolve, and we don’t entirely know what the future holds. Most importantly, make sure everyone you love is up-to-date with their COVID vaccines; it’s our best tool to help keep us at the Low Level.” 

CDPH Data Updates 

This week, CDPH made changes to the frequency of updates to its main COVID-19 data dashboard. COVID-19 datasets on cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and vaccine coverage, will now be updated weekly on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm rather than daily to further align with CDC’s updates on COVID-19 Community Levels.  

“The pandemic is, thankfully, in a much different place. We now know how the virus spreads and who is at highest risk; we know much more about how to prevent and treat it; we have ample tools to prevent infection and minimize severe disease,” said Dr. Arwady. “We also have additional data indicators, including wastewater testing and genomic sequencing to monitor disease trends and identify emerging threats. Every day, CDPH will continue to monitor health system capacity and other emerging trends.” 

CDPH has also updated the vaccine coverage dataset on the portal to include information about the number of bivalent boosters administered to Chicagoans. As of January 24, 20.4 percent of all Chicagoans have received the updated COVID-19 booster vaccine, compared to 15.5 percent nationwide. More than 548,000 doses of the updated booster have been administered to Chicagoans.  

Upcoming Vaccine Events 

CDPH continues to urge all Chicagoans 6 months and older to get their updated COVID-19 booster vaccine as soon as possible. This new vaccine, known as the bivalent booster and released in fall 2022, is designed to better protect against Omicron subvariants as well as original strains of the virus. The bivalent booster generates a strong immune response against current and future Omicron subvariants.  

In addition to COVID-19 vaccines, CDPH reminds Chicagoans that it is not too late to get an annual flu shot. Influenza can cause serious illness for younger and older people, especially those who have not gotten a flu shot.  

The City will host a Family Vaccination Clinic on Saturday, January 28 at Wilbur Wright College, 4300 N. Narragansett Ave. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The clinic will offer flu shots, COVID-19 vaccines, and the updated bivalent booster to all Chicagoans age 6 months and up. All of these vaccines are free at this clinic, regardless of health insurance status. Registration is recommended, but walk-ins will be accommodated as space allows. To register or find additional vaccination events in your neighborhood, visit Chicago.gov/vaxcalendar or call the City’s COVID-19 Hotline at (312) 746-4835. 

The City also continues to operate Protect Chicago At Home, its completely free program that will bring COVID-19 and flu vaccines to any Chicagoan’s home and vaccinate up to 10 people in a single appointment. Vaccines are available for anyone age 6 months and older, and individuals can also receive a flu vaccine at home if at least one member of the household is receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Appointments are available mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekdays, and weekends. Make an at-home appointment for your family at Chicago.gov/AtHome or by calling (312) 746-4835.  

COVID-19 By the Numbers  

The CDC determines COVID-19 Community Levels as Low, Medium, or High, based on the number of new local COVID-19 cases, regional COVID-19 hospital admissions, and COVID-19 hospital capacity in the prior week. The Levels were developed to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest local COVID-19 data.   

CDPH also continues to track and report COVID-19 hospital burden specifically for Chicago hospitals on its dashboard and uses this local hospital data to make further mitigation decisions. Visit chi.gov/coviddash for the Chicago COVID-19 data dashboard.  

COVID-19 Community Levels in the U.S. by County  

Travelers should be aware of whether areas they are visiting are Low, Medium, or High risk for COVID-19 by checking the CDC’s map, and take proper precautions, which should include reviewing CDPH’s travel guidance.

For additional COVID-19 information, visit Chicago.gov/COVID.

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