Officials are citing the success of the shelter-in-place order.
A new report from the City of Chicago reveals that the rates of COVID-19 cases are beginning to flatten as a result of the success of the stay-at-home order. At the time the order was first implemented, on March 21, the number of cases were nearly doubling every day.
After the initial stay-at-home measure was instated, those numbers dropped to a doubling rate of every four days, and then to every eight days once the city closed the Lakefront.
Since then, as Chicago residents continue to stay home and practice social distancing, the number of new COVID-19 is slowing starting to drop and level out, according to the city’s newly released data.
“These gains represent some of the most hopeful signs yet; that we are on the right path and our work is paying off,” Lightfoot announced in yesterday’s press briefing.
“Each and every one of us should be very proud of this. Especially when considering where we thought we would be at this point just a few weeks ago.”
Chicago is beginning to flatten the curve on COVID-19 cases.
Despite our recent gains, I want all of Chicago to hear me loud and clear: We still have a long way to go.
Learn more at https://t.co/jPUdaRJZKX. pic.twitter.com/ofTjSj4u7k
— Mayor Lightfoot #StayHomeSaveLives (@chicagosmayor) April 16, 2020
As of April 15, there are 10,264 cases of COVID-19 identified in Chicago. According to the city’s data, that number could have been as high as 62,424 had the stay-at-home order not been implemented.
“We flattened that curve just over this last month,” says Dr. Allison Arwady, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
At this moment, the stay-at-home order is to remain in place until April 30, however, officials suggest that date may be extended into May.
[Featured image via @chicagosmayor on Twitter]