Champaign County COVID-19 risk level increases to “medium”

By Amanda Brennan

On Sunday, the CDC elevated Champaign County’s COVID-19 risk to “medium.” In the last week, there have been 961 reported cases in the county and it sits at a 5.66% positivity rate.

According to the CDC, The COVID-19 community risk level is determined by the higher amount of the new admissions and inpatient bed metrics based on the current level of new cases per 100,000 in population over the past seven days.

Using the data results, the CDC then determines each county’s risk level as low, medium, or high. All other Illinois counties are still in the “low risk” category, but cases are slowly rising statewide.

The Public Health Director with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is urging residents to continue monitoring their local numbers and staying up to date on their COVID vaccinations, especially if you are at a higher risk.

In Champaign County, 65.2% of the total population is fully vaccinated with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Of those, 55.8% have their first booster dose as well.

The Urbana School District will remain in “mask recommended” instead of “mask required” learning. Masks will once again be required if the level increases to the “high” category.

Unit 4 schools in Champaign will continue to follow the Governor's mask mandate as they make their masking decisions.

On the University of Illinois campus in the last seven days, there have been 733 reported cases, 590 of those being undergraduate students. This increases the University positivity rate to 4.61%.

95% of students and staff at the University are fully vaccinated.