One-year-old's birthday party sickens all six attendees and wedding leads to at least 15 new coronavirus cases as Chicago's top doctor urges family and friends to avoid gatherings as infections soar

Chicago's top doctor is warning against gathering with family and friends who live in a different household after new coronavirus cases were linked to a string of parties, including the birthday of a one-year-old. 

The birthday party led to all six people who attended being infected, while there have been at least 15 new cases so far linked to a wedding in the city.  

Chicago's health officials are urging residents to take on recommended protections against the spread of COVID-19, as the city experiences its worst spike in cases since the start of the pandemic.  

Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said that Chicagoans must heed public safety advice, cautioning that there is now a one-in-three chance that a person in a group of ten has coronavirus. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot also warned that the city needs to step up as its positive test rate reached over 11 percent as of Friday morning, according to the city department of health.   

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady warned on Thursday of gatherings between family and friends who do not live in the same household as cases rise

Chicago is now seeing the worst levels of new daily cases since the start of the pandemic

The city is now averaging around 1,400 new daily coronavirus cases, as of Friday

In a press conference Thursday, Arwady warned that the cases in the city are reaching new heights, in large part because of gatherings between households, no matter how small. 

'Let's turn these numbers into what this means for your life,' Arwady said during a press briefing. 

'Right now, if you take a random number group of people here in Chicago, you get 10 people together, there is a one in three chance that someone in that randomly selected group of 10 Chicagoans has COVID-19 right now.' 

She referenced the birthday party hosted by the parents of a one-year-old, where no attendee was showing symptoms on the day but they all later tested positive. 

'Because people are very efficient, unfortunately, at spreading COVID in the two days before they get symptoms,' Arwady said. 

'And there are people who don't develop symptoms at all, but can spread COVID that is why even if you are feeling well.' 

She also cited the wedding that is fast becoming a superspreader event with cases emerging in attendees aged in their 30s to their 60s. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot opposed stricter lockdown measures being implemented in the state at the end of October but has warned Chicago residents that they must now step up

Chicago, shown to top right of map, is experiencing a troubling spike in cases

'People are picking up COVID in the community, and then bringing it to whatever setting they are next in. But the risk remains highest when folks are getting together with those they love and letting down their guard,' Arwady said. 

'I continue to hear people here in Chicago who think we're not talking about them... my goal is that every one of you is recognizing that when we are asking you to double down on the things we know work, we absolutely mean you,' she added.

 'There is not a single person in Chicago is not in some way at risk.' 

Arwady stated that it is vital that gatherings come to an end before new case numbers climb even higher. 

The city is now reporting an average of 1,400 new coronavirus cases a day, a figure they had tried to keep under 200 a day over the summer months, according to NBC Chicago. 

There are currently at least 15,000 active cases in the city, Arwady said Thursday, 'but we know there are five to seven times that', amounting to 105,00 active cases. 

Arwady said there has been a 'small uptick' in deaths with the rising cases, and that cases themselves are now doubling, on average, every 12 days.

'If we don't slow this down... we will have hundreds of thousands of new cases by the end of the year,' she said. 

'What can I do today to limit my risk? I'm not going to invite somebody into my home who doesn't live there unless it's essential. I'm not going to gather with people in really any setting without strict precautions. I'm absolutely not going to attend a party. I'm absolutely not going to take risks with other people's lives,' Arwady continued. 

'We know what to do. It's just time that we buckle down and do it.'     

The rise in cases and deaths linked to coronavirus in Illinois has led Gov. JB Pritzker, pictured, to announce he is considering even stricter measures to combat the spread

Mayor Lightfoot also urged residents to take heed, stating that the city would not get past the second wave until gatherings and homes and in public ended. 

'We will not get past this second wave unless people step up,' Lightfoot said. 'Shake up the COVID fatigue and step up... we take a lot of great pride in Chicago. We take care of ourselves, we are second to none - if that's all true, prove it.'

Chicago and the rest of Illinois is currently under heightened coronavirus mitigation which has lead to the closures of indoor dining and bar service, despite the Mayor's protests. 

Illinois recorded 9,935 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, a record high for the pandemic so far. The previous record of 7,899 was set on October 31 

It also reported 97 additional deaths, the highest daily death toll since June 4. 

According to ABC 7 Chicago, just four or five weeks ago, Illinois was averaging 23 COVID-19 deaths per day. 

Hospitalizations are also on a dramatic increase. ABC reports that every region in the Chicago area has seen hospital admissions double or more than triple in the past 30 days. 

The rise in cases and deaths has led Gov. JB Pritzker to announce he is considering even stricter measures. 

'If the current trajectory continues, if our hospitals continue to fill up, if more and more people continue to lose their lives to this disease, we're going to implement further statewide mitigations, which nobody, and I mean nobody wants,' Pritzker said Thursday.  

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 110,757 cases reported in Chicago and 447,491 statewide. The city has also recorded 3,085 deaths, with 10,030 deaths in total in Illinois. 

The United States has recorded more than 9.6million cases and 2345,000 deaths.