Illinois placed 20 counties on warning status today, as cases and positivity rates continue to climb. In the WSIU area, seven counties are on the warning list.
Clay, Franklin, Jefferson, Randolph, Union, White, and Williamson Counties are all under warning from the Department of Public Health.
The warning status is triggered when a county's new cases top more than 50 per 100,000, positivity rate tops 8%, if there aren't enough tests performed, if deaths spike, or if hospitalization rates grow too high.
In this region, counties made the list for high positivity rates, low numbers of tests performed, and for new cases higher than 50 per 100,000 residents.
County health departments will continue working with businesses, schools, and organizations to try to mitigate the high numbers. As a region, southern Illinois is hovering at 7.5%. If it crosses 8%, new restrictions will be added.