Governor JB Pritzker is warning that Southern Illinois Region that includes Marion, Jefferson, and Wayne Counties that stronger mitigations are around the corner if COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
In a news conference Wednesday, he noted all 11 regions of the state are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases with the statewide positivity rate up a full percent in the past week alone.
“That’s particularly true in Region 5, Southern Illinois, which surpassed eight percent positivity on average up from 5.8-percent just two weeks ago. Today [Wednesday], the rolling average there is down to 7.7-percent, but if it gets back up above 8-percent and stays there Region 5 will face stricter mitigations across the board.”
Pritzker says the best way to bring down the number of cases is to mask up and practice social distancing.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 2,862 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday along with 49 additional deaths.
The state’s positivity rate is now at 4.6-percent. The Metro-East Region positivity rate bumped up two-tenths of a percent to 6.8-percent. The East Central Region is currently at 7.7-percent positivity. Marion County’s positivity rate for the week ending October 11th is now at 6.3-percent.
