The Covid-19 outbreak is likely to grow, mature, and decline. Governments at all levels should aim to (1) FLATTEN the growth curve, and (2) collectively FIGHT the virus, to preserve public health, and reopen the economy.
To gain insights into the status of the disease in Illinois counties, it is suggested that a set of metrics be assembled on a weekly basis and presented visually and in tabular forms to policymakers 2 . The metrics, assembled at the county-level, should include daily growth rate of total cases, cumulative number of confirmed cases, number of Covid-19 tests performed, and correlates of daily growth rate of infections and healthcare assets such as number of physicians and intensive-care-unit (ICU) beds.
To restart the Illinois economy, Illinoisans’ sentiments about the virus should also be monitored on a continual basis, once a week or so. This will help policymakers learn about Illinoisans’ anticipated consumer behavior and spending.
In the paper, these metrics are compiled for rural Illinois 3 and presented as an illustration of the proposed work 4 . The Covid-19 cases are as at April 15, 2020.