ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ill — The Metro East is seeing an uptick in positivity rates that could trigger the state to enact stricter COVID-19 measures if the region does not work to lower them.
As of Oct. 22, the region’s positivity rate is at 7.8%. That metric has increased steadily since restrictions were loosened on Oct. 9 when it was 6.5%. If the region sees a sustained positivity rate of 8% or higher, the Metro East could see restrictions that include bans on indoor dining and bar service.
"In other words, Metro East, it's time to step up and mask up," said Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who gave his daily COVID-19 briefing from the St. Clair County Health Department on Thursday. "The work is not yet. Nobody wants to go back tightened and heightened mitigations.”
Of the counties in Region 4, Bond County has the highest seven-day rolling average positivity rate: 16.6%. St. Clair has the lowest seven-day rolling average positivity rate: 5.7%.
Pritzker said people in the region have shown they are capable of limiting the spread of the virus and cautioned against becoming “fatigued” when it comes to practicing mitigation measures like wearing masks and social distancing.
If businesses repeatedly defy orders, Pritzer said his administration would explore stripping them of their liquor or gaming licenses – though it is a last resort.
"And if we need to close down restaurants and bars or take away their liquor licenses, take away their gaming licenses, we will do that because we are now headed into a peak that is beyond potentially where we were in March and April," he said.
The southern Illinois region, which includes Perry, Jefferson and Jackson counties, is under stricter mitigations as of Thursday.
Pritzker's Thursday briefing: