Health
Chicago’s Post-Thanksgiving Coronavirus Surge Boosts Cases by 30%: Officials
(Image by vivienviv0 from Pixabay)
After Chicagoans ignored warnings not to gather or travel to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with friends and relatives, cases of COVID-19 in Chicago have risen 30%, the city’s top doctor said Thursday.
“It is clearly related to Thanksgiving,” Arwady said.
The increase in cases began Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving, according to data from the Chicago Department of Public Health. People exposed to the coronavirus typically develop symptoms within 14 days, meaning most infected at holiday gatherings have already become ill.
The surge in COVID-19 came at the same time as a significant drop in testing on the holiday and in the weeks after the holiday.
Full coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic from WTTW News.
An average of 1,729 Chicagoans have been diagnosed each day with the coronavirus during the past week, a 30% increase from the previous week, according to Chicago Department of Public Health data. The city’s average test positivity rate is 13.1%.
The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Chicago appeared to peak in mid-November with an average test positivity rate of about 16% before dropping to approximately 11% before the Thanksgiving-related surge, according to the data.
An average of 18 people died every day after being diagnosed with COVID-19 in Chicago during the past week. During the summer, two or three people died every day from the virus.
After being diagnosed with COVID-19, 120 Chicagoans died last week, setting a new record.
Intensive care units in Chicago’s hospitals are extremely full, with just 18% capacity available, Arwady said.
At least until Wednesday, Chicago is under a stay-at-home advisory which encourages residents to leave their homes only for essential trips like grocery shopping or doctor visits.
The increase in cases and extremely full intensive care units means that order is unlikely to be lifted — and state restrictions are likely to remain in place.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
