“We have seen over 600 new cases in suburban Cook in our jurisdiction alone,” said Dr. Rachel Rubin. “And that means we’re at the beginning of another wave.”
Now, county health officials have said that the increase in cases could translate into new restrictions if these numbers do not fall.
According to recent data, the most significant increase in cases is among the 20 and 30 age groups, and the positivity rate has almost doubled compared to previous weeks.
“Our overall positivity rate, I think, is now about five, we’ve reached three, and that’s a big problem,” Dr. Rubin said.
Despite the ongoing vaccination efforts, the growing number of cases has county officials thinking about what needs to be done.
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“We may very well have to stop in a few days. I don’t promise that one way or another,” Dr. Rubin said. “We need to assess exactly what types of activities and movements are really driving this growth.”
This could mean removing restrictions on businesses.
“We must continue to be safe and these are really the messages and if we need to focus more on ourselves [mitigation]”You know, go back a little bit to indoor activities, restaurants and fitness clubs and things like that – we hope it doesn’t get to the point where we may need to do this,” added Dr. Rubin.
Evanston resident Archie Ong has seen his city go through so many changes in the last year
“It will be a major obstacle, obviously, many restaurants here are struggling,” Ong said. “There have been several restaurants that have closed, so I hope, I hope it doesn’t happen.”
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He and his family remain at home for the most part, and he hopes that others who might think the evil is over will do the same.
“People get vaccinated and I think it’s safe. I think it’s safe, but at the same time I think we shouldn’t relax so much,” Ong added.
For now, health officials recommend keeping things outdoors, while continuing to disguise and keep their distance.
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