Martinez blamed the district’s reporting system, in part, saying that some positive tests were being reported multiple times. What changed is that CPS had begun reporting only cases that had been investigated and closed, instead of all open cases. They found that while the number of districtwide cases was increasing after winter break, the number of cases from individual schools were not following suit. The discrepancy was first noticed by CPS parent Jakob Ondrey who runs the CPS COVID-19 Dashboard Twitter account that tracks COVID-19 cases being reported at schools daily. “I think the goal was, can we just try to make sure we have more accurate data? But I think the unintended consequence was, well the answer is not (to) close off so much of the information.” “There was no ill intent at all,” CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said during a press conference Tuesday. This winter, experts are also concerned about a potential sharp rise in flu cases, with a growing expectation that flu cases will rise to pre-pandemic levels.CPS has been criticized in recent days for not telling students and families that it changed the way it reports positive cases among students and staff in school on its online dashboard. Flu: Determining Your Risk Levels This Fall and Winter and Why They May Be Harder to CompareĪs more people shift activities indoors with dropping temperatures across much of the country, health experts are concerned about a potential rise in flu and COVID-19 cases this coming winter. Once again, no counties in the state were at a high level of COVID-19 transmission, although 14 Illinois counties have seen a medium level of transmission over the past week. Illinois health officials reported 11,447 new COVID-19 cases over the past week, along with 62 additional deaths over the past seven daysĬases climbed slightly from last week, when just 10,945 new cases were reported, which marked the lowest number of weekly cases since April 8. COVID Cases Climb Slightly From Last Week, Remain Near Lowest Levels of Year While health experts believe COVID-19 isn't nearly the threat it was at the start of the pandemic, vaccinations for both COVID and the flu are being encouraged as an uptick in both viruses is expected due to more activities moving indoors and the overall lack of mitigation measures. With the COVID-19 pandemic heading into its third winter and many mitigation measures no longer in place, it may start to feel like the pandemic is over. Is COVID Over? Chicago's Top Doctor Says She's Watching for One Thing This Winter How Many COVID Tests Should You Take Before Determining You Don't Have the Virus?ĬOVID testing is the first line of defense against the virus, and the key to its effectiveness may be taking multiple.Įxperts caution that one negative test may not be enough to determine if those feeling ill, particularly those who were knowingly exposed to COVID, have stayed clear of infection. In each of the last two winters, COVID cases and hospitalizations have dramatically spiked in the state of Illinois, with last winter seeing the switch from the delta variant to the more contagious omicron variant that has since spawned even more contagious subvariants now making up a majority of cases. Will We See Another COVID Wave This Winter? What Experts Are SayingĬould another COVID wave be in store this winter? The seasonal shift has marked dramatic changes each year of the pandemic so far, but as a third winter approaches, experts are on edge for what could happen - and there's one early sign they're watching. Family Struggles to Cope After Boy Killed in Humboldt Park Why This Winter Could Be Pivotal Moment in the Pandemic, According to Chicago DoctorĪs the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third winter, many Americans have resumed pre-pandemic activities and many mitigation measures that were a mainstay of the early days of the pandemic are no longer in place.Īfter the winter of 2021 saw a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the then-recently spread omicron variant, health experts are concerned about both a potentially new COVID variant emerging as well as the resurgence of the flu, which has been mostly subdued since the start of the pandemic.
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