Day before Thanksgiving, another DeKalb County resident dies from COVID-19

Also: 77 more virus cases reported, 125 more fully vaccinated, 310 more boosters given

Editor’s note: Local COVID-19 data will not be updated on Thanksgiving Day or the Friday after Thanksgiving because the DeKalb County Health Department is closed for the holiday. The Daily Chronicle will bring updated numbers back to readers Monday, and those totals will include cases and numbers from midday Nov. 24 through noon on Monday, Nov. 29.

DeKALB – One day before Thanksgiving, another DeKalb County resident in their 50s died due to complications from COVID-19, according to health officials Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 140.

It’s the sixth death reported since Nov. 15, marking a noted uptick in fatalities along with a steady increase in viral cases this month. “Based on the information we have at this time, there does not appear to be a connection,” to the recent deaths, said Lisa Gonzalez, DeKalb County public health administrator.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DeKalb County is back in the high community transmission rating. Since Tuesday, the county reports about 265 cases per 100,000 residents, and 13 new hospital admissions. According to the CDC, everyone in DeKalb County should wear masks in public indoor settings.

There were also 77 new virus cases reported in DeKalb County Wednesday, and 125 more residents were fully vaccinated. The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported 310 more COVID-19 vaccination boosters were administered to residents.

The new cases bring the total coronavirus case count to 13,505 in the county, according to the DeKalb County Health Department. The death toll rose to 140.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate for Region 1, which runs north to Rockford and west to the Iowa border, is 7.7%. The DeKalb County positivity rate is at 5.9%. Positivity rates are reported with a three-day data lag. Region 1 also reported a seven-day average of 171 COVID-19 patients hospitalized.

Hospitals to the north in Winnebago County, which is in the same health region as DeKalb County and has a 9.1% positivity rolling average, have reported surges. According to the Winnebago County Health Department, hospitals in the north region are overrun with cases, largely among the unvaccinated.

According to IDPH data, 118,094 total vaccine doses have been administered to DeKalb County residents and 52,688 residents – or 52.4% of the county’s population of 100,420 according to 2020 U.S. Census Bureau data – have been fully vaccinated. As of Wednesday, 11,314 booster shoots have been administered to county residents. The seven-day rolling average of doses administered to county residents is at 521.

By the numbers

According to the county health department, there remain three longterm care facilities in outbreak mode, with 14 additional cases (four employees and 10 residents) at Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion in Sandwich reported Wednesday.

Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion in Sandwich reports an outbreak of 31 cases of COVID-19: six staff members and 25 residents. The facility reported the deadliest outbreak in a county nursing home in 2020. As of Nov. 14, 78.6% of Willow Crest staff are fully vaccinated, as are 80.4% of residents, according to the IDPH.

Oak Crest DeKalb Area Retirement Center in DeKalb reports an outbreak of two cases: one employee and one resident. Sandwich Rehabilitation and Health Care Center reports five cases: two residents and three employees.

The health department considers a facility in outbreak mode if new virus activity is reportedly linked to the facility within 30 days. If the facility goes 30 days without reporting new activity, it will be taken off the health department’s outbreak website, health officials have said.

The health department does not update long-term care facility numbers if a person has fully recovered. The numbers remain listed in total through the duration of the outbreak.

Updated vaccination by ZIP code data shows the percentages of residents in DeKalb County ZIP codes who have been fully vaccinated as of Nov. 24. ZIP code population data used by the IDPH used unofficial 2018 census data, including those 12 and older, IDPH spokesperson Melaney Arnold said.

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

In the 60111 (includes Clare) ZIP code, 94% of the population is fully vaccinated (100% of residents have had at least one dose). In the 60112 (Cortland) ZIP code, 55.9% is fully vaccinated. In the 60115 (DeKalb) ZIP code, 46.3% is fully vaccinated. In 60135 (Genoa), it’s 56.7%. In 60145 (Kingston), 42% is fully vaccinated. In 60146 (Kirkland, Fairdale), 41.9% is fully vaccinated. In 60150 (Malta), 48.5% is fully vaccinated. In 60151 (Maple Park), 54.4% is fully vaccinated. In 60178 (Sycamore), 59.9% is fully vaccinated. In 60520 (Hinckley), 51% is fully vaccinated. In 60548 (Sandwich), 50.9% is fully vaccinated; in 60550 (Shabbona), 47.2% is fully vaccinated; in 60552 (Somonauk), 48.9% is fully vaccinated; and in 60556 (Waterman), 48.7% is fully vaccinated.

Of the 77 new virus cases reported Wednesday in DeKalb County, there were 25 in residents age 19 or younger, 10 in their 20s, 15 in their 30s, three in their 40s, eight in their 50s, 13 in their 60s and two in their 70s and one in their 80s or older.

In total, there have been 2,800 cases in residents age 19 or younger, 3,152 in their 20s, 2,074 in their 30s, 1,760 in their 40s, 1,596 in their 50s, 1,094 in their 60s, 557 in their 70s and 472 in their 80s or older.

Of the 140 deaths reported in DeKalb County, 76 were in residents in their 80s or older, 23 were in their 70s, 24 in their 60s, 11 in their 50s, three in their 40s, one in their 30s, one in their 20s and one infant.

The DeKalb County Health Department does not specify how many COVID-19 cases are linked to the delta or any other virus variant. Testing for variants in positive COVID-19 results is done randomly and at the state level, according to local health officials.

According to DeKalb County data most recently updated as of Tuesday, there have been between 5,786 and 5,790 cases in DeKalb. Other cases include 2,726 and 2,730 in Sycamore, 1,181 and 1,185 in Sandwich and Plano (listed as one region on the site), 1,046 and 1,050 in Genoa, 306 and 310 in Kingston, 631 and 635 in Cortland, 351 and 355 in Hinckley, 341 and 345 in Kirkland, 276 and 280 in Somonauk, 191 and 195 in Waterman, 181 and 185 in Malta, 151 and 155 in Shabbona, 116 and 120 in Maple Park, 36 and 40 in Earlville, 26 and 30 in Clare, 11 and 15 in Leland, 16 to 20 in Esmond, and 11 and 15 in Lee. Hampshire, Marengo and Rochelle each reported between one and five cases.

The IDPH reported that 1,784,900 people in Illinois have tested positive for COVID-19, while 26,313 people have died statewide. The department reported that 38,528,321 tests have been administered to date.

According to testing and recovery data released by the county every Friday, 12,403 DeKalb County residents have fully recovered and 241,890 tests of county residents have been completed as of Nov. 19.

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