Story at a glance
- Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a new Stay-At-Home order as cases surge in the city.
- Statewide data shows that hospitalizations and deaths are also rising sharply.
The Midwest has been one of the regions hit hardest as COVID-19 cases skyrocket across the U.S., reaching a record number of more than 10 million cases.
In response to the growing outbreak in Illinois, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) reissued a Stay-At-Home order beginning on Monday, Nov. 16.
The new advisory asks all Chicago residents to stay at home as much as possible as both COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations rise across the city. City leadership recommends that residents only leave their homes to go grocery shopping, to go to work or school or for other essential needs.
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Private indoor gatherings are also restricted. Lightfoot’s announcement advises against having guests in homes outside of essential workers and to cancel any scheduled Thanksgiving events.
As of now, the advisory will last for 30 days.
“Chicago has reached a critical point in the second surge of COVID-19, demanding that we undertake this multi-faceted and comprehensive effort to stop the virus in its tracks,” Lightfoot said. “The gains we have made this past year have been the result of our willingness to work together. Even in this difficult moment, we will continue to unite as we always have for our city in order to halt the rise we’re seeing, shake out of the fatigue we’ve been experiencing, and make the crucial difference in what our future is going to look like.”
The city department of health reports that the current weekly testing positivity rate stands at 14.5 percent. Counties located in or around Chicago, such as Cook, DuPage and DeKalb counties, boast some of the highest case numbers in the state.
Data aggregated by The New York Times reveals that the state has seen a staggering 126 percent increase in new cases over the last 14 days, along with a 74 percent increase in deaths and 69 percent increase in hospitalizations over the same timeframe.
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