The state of Illinois announced Wednesday the formation of 11 new Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Regions. The regions had previous tied areas like Kankakee and Will County to the City of Chicago.
Under the newly announced EMS regions, Kankakee and Will Counties have become the “South Suburban Plan Region” in the state, stepping away from Chicago. It’s a local area politicians from both counties have pressed for since the pandemic began.
“This plan ensures we are looking at all available data to make timely decisions to protect the health of our communities,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “By assessing key metrics that indicate both the disease burden and the capacity of each COVID-19 region to respond, we can then take targeted actions within specific regions to help mitigate the spread of this deadly disease while keeping as much of our state open as possible.”
Under the newly alighted regions, any region that sees three consecutive days averaging a seven day rolling average above 8% positivity could move back in Phase reopening. Other metrics that could be used to set a state back include an increase in hospitalization threatening surge capacity or a sustained seven day increase in hospitalizations for COVID-19 like illnesses.
The regions are utilized to enforce the resurgence of disease and have been in place for decades under the Illinois Department of Public Health. With the announcement, any metrics that warrants a warning will now fall unto Kankakee County, and vice versa to step back or move forward in COVID-19 related prevision strategies.
Newly formed regions include:
NORTH: Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, Winnebago
NORTH-CENTRAL: Bureau, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Kendall, Knox, La Salle, Livingston, Marshall, McDonough, McLean, Mercer, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Tazewell, Warren, Woodford
WEST-CENTRAL: Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Christian, Greene, Hancock, Jersey, Logan, Macoupin, Mason, Mason, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott
METRO EAST: Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair, Washington
SOUTHERN: Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Marion, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union, Wabash, Wayne, White, Williamson
EAST-CENTRAL: Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Iroquois, Jasper, Lawrence, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, Richland, Shelby, Vermillion
SOUTH SUBURBAN: Kankakee, Will
WEST SUBURBAN: DuPage, Kane
NORTH SUBURBAN: Lake, McHenry
SUBURBAN COOK: Suburban Cook
CHICAGO: City of Chicago
