Vaccinations of Evanstonians
As of June 7, 55,443 Evanston residents over 12 years old received at least one dose of a vaccine, and 46,378 residents over 12 years old were fully vaccinated.
A total of 3,262 Evanston residents between 12 and 15 years old have received at least one vaccine. A total of 5,762 Evanston residents between 12 and 17 years old have received at least one vaccine.
The Risk of Spread is Declining
The charts in the above chart box show that the weekly number of new cases per 100,000 in Evanston, Suburban Cook County, Chicago and the State are continuing to decline, and that they are each below IDPH’s benchmark of 50. The low test positivity rate in each region shows that testing is adequate. The data shows that all four regions are controlling the spread of the virus.
While the number of people in the State who are being vaccinated continues to grow, the pace has significantly slowed despite the increased availability of the vaccines.
For benchmarks used to assess the risk of spread, see footnotes 1 – 4.
Evanston – COVID
The City reported 4 new COVID-19 cases of Evanston residents today, up from 0 yesterday.
The average number of new cases per day in the last seven days is about 1.4, up from the seven-day average of 0.7 on June 1.
In the last seven days, there was a total of 10 new COVID-19 cases of Evanstonians, which equates to about 14 new cases per 100,000 people in the seven-day period.
Evanston’s case positivity rate for the last seven days is 0.15%.
There has been a total of 4,647 COVID-19 cases of Evanston residents during the pandemic, 24 of which are active.
No Evanstonian has died due to COVID-19 since May 31. The number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 118.
Impact of Northwestern University. Northwestern University has posted data on its website reporting that between May 31 and June 6, there was 1 new confirmed COVID-19 case of an NU student or staff member. If the student or staff member resides in Evanston, the case would be included in the City’s numbers. [5]
Illinois – COVID-19
In the State, there were 365 new COVID-19 cases reported today, up from 244 yesterday.
Statewide, the average number of new cases per day in the last seven days is 467. The seven-day average one week ago on June 1 was 762, so today’s number is down by 39%. The downward trend continues. An accompanying chart shows the trend.
In the seven days ending June 8, the number of new cases per 100,000 people in the State was 26, down from 42 one week ago.
The seven-day case positivity rate for the State today is 1.1% and the test positivity rate is 1.3%.
On a Statewide basis, the number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 was 791 as of midnight on June 7. The number of patients using ICU beds is 226. The number of patients on ventilators is 117. The trend of each of these is decreasing.
On a Statewide basis, there were 11 deaths due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, which brings the total to 22,974. For the last seven days, the number of deaths in the State are 9, 24, 15, 32, 37, 14, and 11 today. The seven-day average is 20.
Variants in Illinois
IDPH is reporting a combined total of 9,019 confirmed cases of COVID-19 variants in the State. The combined total of variants is up 9% from one week ago.
Vaccinations in the State
A total of 11,708,874 doses of vaccine have been administered in Illinois. As of June 8, 82.2% of the residents of Illinois who are 65 and older have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; and 61.94% of the residents of Illinois who are 16 and older have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. These percentages continue to move up very slowly.
In the last seven-days, the average number of vaccinations given to Illinoisans per day is 42,832. On April 21, the seven-day average was 122,842. The pace of vaccinations has slowed down even though there is a larger supply and more places to get a vaccination.
FOOTNOTES
1/ On Feb. 12, the CDC issued a K-12 School Operational Strategy. As part of that strategy, the report says, “CDC recommends the use of two measures of community burden to determine the level of risk of transmission: 1) the total number of new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days; and 2) the percentage of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), including RT-PCR tests that are positive during the last 7 days. The two measures of community burden should be used to assess the incidence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the surrounding community (e.g., county) and not in the schools themselves.” The CDC provides a chart to assess whether the risk of transmission is low, moderate, substantial, or high. The CDC recommends different types of mitigations depending on the risk level. If the two indicators suggest different levels of risk, the mitigations recommended in the higher level of risk should be implemented, says CDC. The table below, reprinted from CDC’s report, provides CDC’s Indicators and Thresholds for Community Transmission of COVID-219.
CDC’s guidelines are available here: Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Prevention | CDC
2/ Number of Cases per 100,000 Population. On July 1, 2020, a network of research, policy and public health experts convened by Harvard’s Global Health Institute and Edmond J. Safra Center published a Key Metrics for COVID Suppression framework that provides guidance to policy makers and the public on how to target and suppress COVID-19 more effectively across the nation. The targets for new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people are as follows (these are converted from cases per day to cases per week): a) less than 7 cases: “on track for containment;” b) 7 to 63 cases: “community spread,” rigorous test and trace program advised; c) 70 to 168 cases: “accelerated spread,” stay-at-home orders and/or rigorous test and trace programs advised; and d) 169+: ”tipping point,” stay-at-home orders necessary. The article is available here: globalepidemics.org/key-metrics-for-covid-suppression/
IDPH provides these categories and ratings: 1) “minimal” – fewer than 50 cases per 100,000 in a week; 2) “moderate” – between 50 and 100 cases per week; and 3) “substantial” more than 100 cases per 100,000 in a week. In its Metrics for School Determination of Community Spread, IDPH says the “target” is 50 cases per week per 100,000 people.
3/ The Test Positivity Rate. In addition, on May 26, 2020, Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center said on its website that “the World Health Organization (WHO) advised governments [on May 15, 2020] that before reopening, rates of positivity in testing (i.e., out of all tests conducted, how many came back positive for COVID-19) should remain at 5% or lower for at least 14 days.” Link: coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/testing-positivity
The Harvard Global Health Institute (HGHI) says, “A network of research, policy, and public health organizations convened by Harvard and MIT called the TTSI Collaborative has agreed on a 3% test positive rate or below as a key indicator of progress towards suppression level testing.”
IDPH says the test positivity target is 5% or less. IDPH provides these categories and ratings: 1) “Minimal” – test positivity rate is equal to or less than 5%: 2) “Moderate” – test positivity rate is between 5% and 8%; and 3) “Substantial” – test positivity rate is over 8%. In its Metrics for School Determination of Community Spread, IDPH says the target is 5%.
4/ Calculations. The RoundTable calculates the number of cases per 100,000 using case data provided by IDPH and assuming that the population of Suburban Cook County is 2.469 million, that the population of Chicago is 2.710 million, and that the population of Illinois is 12.671 million.
5/ Northwestern University COVID-19 Cases. Ike C. Ogbo, Director of Evanston’s Health & Human Services Department, told the RoundTable that the COVID-19 cases reported by the City include cases of faculty, staff, and students attending Northwestern University who live in Evanston. The RoundTable asked the City in an FOIA Request to provide the number of NU students who tested positive for COVID-19 and who live in Evanston. The City refused to provide the data. On Oct. 26, the RoundTable appealed the City’s decision to the Public Access Counselor of the Attorney General’s Office. On Nov. 13, 2020, the City filed a response claiming it does not have any records showing the number of NU students who tested positive for COVID-19 and who live in Evanston.
The RoundTable has asked Northwestern University on several occasions to provide information breaking out the number of new COVID-19 cases of its faculty, staff and students by residency in Evanston. NU did not respond.
