ILLINOIS (WAND) - Regions covering central Illinois counties are getting close to a COVID-19 positivity rate of 8 percent.

Region 3 and Region 6 both had a rolling seven-day average positivity rate of 7.8 percent as of Friday, Oct. 23, per the Illinois Department of Public Health. Regions with seven-day positivity rates of higher than 8 percent for three straight days have seen mitigation measures put into place, such as restrictions to bar and restaurant service. 

Region 3 includes Morgan, Sangamon, Christian, Macoupin, Cass, Menard, Logan and Montgomery counties in the central Illinois region. Region 6 includes the central Illinois counties of Macon, Champaign, Coles, Shelby, Effingham, Piatt, Vermilion, Douglas, Edgar, Cumberland, Fayette, Ford, Iroquois, Dewitt, Moultrie and Clark.

State regions that have seen mitigation measures as of Oct. 26 include Region 7 and Region 8 in the Chicago area, Region 1 in northern Illinois  and Region 5 in southern Illinois.

Health officials with the Chris-Mont EMA, which services two counties in Region 3, released the following statement Monday urging people to take COVID-19 prevention measures seriously:

"We must work together locally to reduce the spread of COVID to prevent any further restrictions on our already suffering business and schools. Please wear masks when around others outside of your home, honor business signs at doors that ask for you to wear masks when entering to keep them from violating the health code, social distance, frequently clean common touch areas and stay home if you are ill.

"Regardless of your beliefs, this is a virus and the failure to adhere to public health measures will have ramifications. Our goal locally is not close anything or take freedoms of anyone away, but to work together to keep our schools open to in-person learning, keep our brick and motor businesses from facing further restrictions, and protecting our vulnerable loved ones. As public safety entities, we can provide guidance and direction on how best to mitigate this virus as we do with all public/health-related issues, but only you can actually slow the spread by doing your part!"