The IDPH is adopting new guidelines for tracking COVID-19 at the community level.  A new focus is on case rates and hospitalizations in communities. Test providers will no longer be required to report some negative tests and IDPH will no longer report test and case positivity. IDPH is bolstering data on its dashboard to provide additional information to help communities respond to changes in the course of the virus.

IDPH will now track updated data on vaccination rates to reflect the full population eligible as eligibility continues to evolve, the number of people admitted to the hospital with covid, and more detailed data on hospitalizations. IDPH Acting Director Dr. Amaal Tokars.

According to Dr. Tokars, test and case positivity rates are seen as a good way to monitor community spread. 

As far as the CDC goes, they will be relying on three metrics and will now classify risk as low, medium, and high.  The three metrics are new covid-19 cases per 100,000 in the past 7 days, new covid-19 admissions per 100,000 in the last 7 days, and staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.

IDPH encourages everyone to get vaccinated and if you test positive, talk to your provider immediately to get COVID-19 treatment.  For more information visit the Illinois Department of Public Health.