DeKalb County records third COVID-19 death in a week, most in a week since March 2021

DeKALB – DeKalb County marked its third COVID-19 related death in a week, with a resident in their 70s reported dead Friday, marking the 128th local death since the pandemic began, according to the county health department.

A resident in their 80s or older was reported dead a week ago, Sept. 17, and a resident in their 60s, the 127th death, was reported Tuesday, Sept. 21. The county has not recorded more than one virus-related death in a week since the week of March 3.

County health officials also added 108 more residents to DeKalb County’s fully vaccinated total, while 31 new virus cases were reported Friday. The new cases bring the total virus case count to 12,023, according to the DeKalb County Health Department. There were also 212 more residents who fully recovered from the virus this week.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate for Region 1, which runs north to Rockford and west to the Iowa border, is 4.7%. The DeKalb County positivity rate is at 4.6%. Positivity rates are reported with a three-day data lag. Region 1 also reported a seven-day average of 108 COVID-19 patients hospitalized.

[ How vaccinated is DeKalb County? New zip code data breaks it down. ]

According to Illinois Department of Public Health data, 100,864 total vaccine doses have been administered to DeKalb County residents, and 49,937 residents – or 49.7% of the county’s population of 100,420, according to 2020 U.S. Census Bureau data – have been fully vaccinated.

The seven-day rolling average of doses administered to county residents is at 128, with 1,580 doses of total reported inventory – 1,148 at the health department and 432 at community partners, according to state numbers. The inventory numbers are according to state health officials and might differ from local numbers, DeKalb County health officials said.

[ As local vaccine demand drops, health department shifts gears ]

By the numbers

Three local long-term care facilities are reporting COVID-19 cases as of Friday.

DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center reports an outbreak of five, including three employees and two residents. Oak Crest DeKalb Area Retirement Center reports seven employees have contracted the virus. Bethany Rehabilitation and Health Care Center reports two employees with COVID-19.

[ Hesitant about your 2nd dose of COVID-19 vaccine? Here’s why local health officials say you still need it, how to manage fears ]

Updated vaccination by ZIP code data shows the percentages of residents in DeKalb County ZIP codes have been fully vaccinated as of Sept. 22. ZIP code population data used by the IDPH utilized unofficial 2018 census data, including those 12 and older, according to IDPH spokesperson Melaney Arnold.

This data is provisional and will be updated every Wednesday, according to IDPH:

In the 60111 (includes Clare) ZIP code, 90% of the population is fully vaccinated. In the 60112 (Cortland) ZIP code, 52.3% is fully vaccinated. In the 60115 (DeKalb) ZIP code, 43.8% is fully vaccinated. In 60135 (Genoa), it’s 53.17%. In 60145 (Kingston), 39.39% is fully vaccinated. In 60146 (Kirkland, Fairdale), 39.21% is fully vaccinated. In 60150 (Malta), 46.69% is fully vaccinated. In 60151 (Maple Park), 51.09% is fully vaccinated. In 60178 (Sycamore), 56.94% is fully vaccinated. In 60520 (Hinckley), 48.26% is fully vaccinated. In 60548 (Sandwich), 47.65% is fully vaccinated; in 60550 (Shabbona), 44.5% is fully vaccinated; in 60552 (Somonauk), 45.13% is fully vaccinated; and in 60556 (Waterman), 46.77% is fully vaccinated.

Of the new cases reported Friday, there were 10 in residents age 19 or younger, six in their 20s, five in their 30s, four in their 40s, three in their 50s, two in their 60s and one in their 70s.

In total, there have been 2,329 cases in residents age 19 or younger, 2,900 in their 20s, 1,826 in their 30s, 1,600 in their 40s, 1,435 in their 50s, 988 in their 60s, 504 in their 70s and 441 in their 80s or older.

Of the 128 deaths reported in DeKalb County, 73 were in residents in their 80s or older, 21 were in their 70s, 20 in their 60s, eight in their 50s, three in their 40s, one in their 30s, one in their 20s and one infant.

According to DeKalb County data most recently updated Thursday, there have been between 5,296 and 5,300 cases in DeKalb, 2,371 and 2,375 cases in Sycamore, 1,041 and 1,045 in Sandwich and Plano (listed as one region on the site), 931 and 935 in Genoa, 266 and 270 cases in Kingston, 571 and 575 cases in Cortland, 296 and 300 cases in Hinckley, 276 and 280 in Kirkland, 246 and 250 cases in Somonauk, 166 and 170 in Waterman, 161 and 165 in Malta, 136 and 140 in Shabbona, 106 and 110 in Maple Park, 31 and 35 in Earlville, 26 and 30 in Clare, 11 and 15 in Leland, 16 to 20 in Esmond, and six and 10 in Lee. Hampshire, Marengo and Rochelle each reported between one and five cases.

The IDPH reported that 1,612,129 people in Illinois have tested positive for COVID-19, while 24,783 people have died statewide. The department reported that 31,192,769 tests have been administered to date.

According to testing and recovery data released by the county every Friday, 11,255 DeKalb County residents have fully recovered and 200,439 tests of county residents have been completed.