Facing a resurgence of the coronavirus in the suburbs around Chicago, Cook County officials are launching a digital ad campaign to push the necessity of wearing a mask, officials announced days after the region was placed on a state COVID-19 warning list.
In addition to launching the “Mask Up Cook County” campaign, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle also warned of the potential for further restrictions should the rise in cases, which she said was driven by young people, not ebb.
“This has been a challenging year for everybody,” Preckwinkle said. “You know the challenge isn’t over. … Young adults must, must continue to be vigilant and wearing masks and not partaking in high risk or large group activities.”
The ads will appear on YouTube, Instagram and Spotify throughout September in English and Spanish, Preckwinkle said. The reason for the emphasis on social media is because the county saw a leading rise in cases among 20- to 29-year-olds between March and July, she said.
The worsening cases are pointing to “the beginning stages of a second surge” in suburban Cook County, said Dr. Kiran Joshi, a senior medical officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health.
On Friday, the region was one of 30 counties slapped with a warning designation by the Illinois Department of Public Health regarding a swell in virus transmission. Chicago is a region unto itself and is not on the warning list.
“There is no doubt that 2020 has been a rough year, and not just because of COVID-19,” Joshi said. “We are tired. And I know we just want it to be over. … Now is not the time to take our foot off the gas.
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Dr. Rachel Rubin, a senior medical officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health, said as of Monday there was no indication the suburbs will see additional guidance beyond the Aug. 3 non-mandatory recommendations for restaurants and other businesses to curtail in-person services. But that could change in the coming weeks should the numbers worsen, she said.
“I can’t give you an exact date, but we are watching this, and we imagine the state may push us to put more guidance in place, potentially enforceable, over the next several weeks,” Rubin said.
Statewide, public health officials said Monday there were 1,668 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and seven deaths, bringing Illinois’ total to 235,023 cases and 8,026 deaths. Four of the deaths were in Cook County.
