About 56% of tests for the novel coronavirus in one Lake County zip code came back positive, and that statistic has raised alarm bells for some.
The zip code is 60085, which is located primarily in Waukegan but also includes parts of North Chicago and Park City.
The Lake County Health Department has taken note of the high positive rates for Waukegan, said Jefferson McMillan-Wilhoit, one of the department’s incident commanders.
Of the six zip codes across the state of Illinois have test rates above 50%, three are in Lake County. In addition to 60085, the others include 60064 and 60088, both of which cover parts of North Chicago.
When Waukegan residents look at the positive test rate, McMillan-Wilhoit said he’d like for them to be asking a few questions, including what is the availability of testing to those who live there and does the number reflect what they’re seeing in their lived reality.
“If testing is not readily available, then the high positive test rate might just be an anomaly,” he said. “It might be that only those who are the sickest are getting tested. But if there’s widespread testing, then that might not be true.”
Mayor Sam Cunningham said the focus on this particular statistic among some in Waukegan is because of Margaret Carrasco, an activist who some in the community tried to get tossed from a city committee and was sued by school district leaders for defamation.
“She’s trying to tarnish our community, and I’m just about tired of it,” Cunningham said.
The novel coronavirus pandemic was not something a mayor — or even a governor or president — could have prevented, Cunningham said. All he can do is “manage through it,” emphasizing the need for more testing.
The state opened a new community-based COVID-19 drive-thru testing site in Waukegan Sunday, something Cunningham said he had pushed for in conversations with the governor.
“When you test and you come up positive, you know you have to quarantine,” Cunningham said. “If we don’t know that you’re sick, you could be endangering the lives of others. The way prevent that is to test everyone.”
The drive-thru site is “really great” but two months too late, Carrasco said. She pushed back against the notion she is fear mongering and said Cunningham did not take the virus seriously enough.
“I believe that his true character has stood out in this pandemic, and he has proven to our community that he has been totally useless,” Carrasco said. “He has put money and politics before the health and safety of our community.”
The data also isn’t perfect: One zip code covering part of Joliet shows nearly twice as many positive test results than the total number of tests administered, officials said.
Carrasco said she thinks access to testing played a role in Waukegan’s high positive test rate but that more of its residents may also have gotten COVID-19. Many Waukegan residents don’t have the option of staying home because they work frontline jobs, some where they don’t have access to paid leave.
More Top Picks Best Mechanical Watches Under 200
Inequities in health outcomes and well-being existed prior to the pandemic for places like Waukegan and North Chicago, McMillan-Wilhoit said.
The pandemic has really highlighted them, he said. When the pandemic started, cases first appeared in places like Lake Forest and Highland Park before jumping north to Waukegan and North Chicago, he said.
“Somebody who doesn’t have regular access to care may not be able to get a test right away,” McMillan-Wilhoit said.
North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham said he’d like to see more access to testing for the general public, even beyond the new drive-thru facility in Waukegan.
He said the Lake County Health Department has provided tests like other health care providers to its own patients, but he’d like more, expanding that testing beyond just its patients and prioritizing areas like North Chicago.
Rockingham also emphasized the city of North Chicago’s efforts around communication, something Cunningham also said was a focus.
The city of North Chicago is using a variety of avenues to get information out, including direct mail, electronic messages, in-person visits to businesses and other establishments, and a hotline number, said Deb Waszak, the mayor’s chief of staff.
“People are scared,” Cunningham said. “They’re terrified. We have to manage through that fear through information, information, information.”