DeKalb County reports 77 more COVID-19 cases in past 24 hours as positivity rate rises

Also: 243 more boosters administered in DeKalb County within past 24 hours

A City of DeKalb firefighter receives an injection of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from DeKalb County Health Department public health nurse Alex Diehl Thursday in DeKalb.

DeKALB – Health officials identified 77 more cases of COVID-19 in DeKalb County Wednesday and a fifth longterm care facility was reported back in outbreak mode.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DeKalb County is back in the high community transmission rating. As of Wednesday, the county reports about 265 cases per 100,000 residents and 19 new hospital admissions. According to the CDC, everyone in DeKalb County should wear masks in public indoor settings.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 243 more COVID-19 vaccination booster shots were administered to residents.

The new cases bring the total coronavirus case count to 13,805 in the county, according to the DeKalb County Health Department.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate for Region 1, which runs north to Rockford and west to the Iowa border, is 9.3%. The DeKalb County positivity rate is at 7.5%. Positivity rates are reported with a three-day data lag. Region 1 also reported a seven-day average of 206 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% 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, 120,237 total vaccine doses have been administered to DeKalb County residents and 52,994 residents – or 52.77% of the county’s population of 100,420 according to 2020 U.S. Census Bureau data have been fully vaccinated. As of Wednesday, 12,704 booster shoots have been administered to county residents. The seven-day rolling average of doses administered to county residents is 306.

By the numbers

According to the county health department, five long-term care facilities are in outbreak mode. DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center in DeKalb reentered outbreak mode Wednesday, with two cases among employees.

According to IDPH, the county nursing home reports 67.01% of its employees are fully vaccinated, along with 92.62% of residents, as of Nov. 24.

The update comes after Bethany Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in DeKalb reentered outbreak mode Tuesday, with two cases among employees. According to IDPH, Bethany reports 90.77% of its employees are fully vaccinated, as are 84.42% of residents.

Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion in Sandwich reports an outbreak of 37 total cases of COVID-19: seven staff members and 30 residents. The facility reported the deadliest outbreak in a county nursing home in 2020. As of Nov. 24, 78.63% of Willow Crest staff are fully vaccinated, as are 80.44% of the residents.

Oak Crest DeKalb Area Retirement Center in DeKalb reports an outbreak of three cases: two employees and one resident. According to the IDPH, 97.12% of Oak Crest employees are fully vaccinated, as are 99.6% of residents.

Sandwich Rehabilitation and Health Care Center reports five cases: two residents and three employees, with one death. According to IDPH, Sandwich Rehab reports 74.42% of its employees are fully vaccinated, as are 86.96% of residents.

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 Dec. 1. 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, 56.47% is fully vaccinated. In the 60115 (DeKalb) ZIP code, 46.5% is fully vaccinated. In 60135 (Genoa), it’s 57.08%. In 60145 (Kingston), 42.2% is fully vaccinated. In 60146 (Kirkland, Fairdale), 42.26% is fully vaccinated. In 60150 (Malta), 48.58% is fully vaccinated. In 60151 (Maple Park), 54.55% is fully vaccinated. In 60178 (Sycamore), 60.42% is fully vaccinated. In 60520 (Hinckley), 51.25% is fully vaccinated. In 60548 (Sandwich), 51.19% is fully vaccinated; in 60550 (Shabbona), 47.39% is fully vaccinated; in 60552 (Somonauk), 49.19% is fully vaccinated; and in 60556 (Waterman), 48.94% is fully vaccinated.

Of the 77 new virus cases reported Wednesday in DeKalb County, there were 33 in residents age 19 or younger, 11 in their 20s, nine in their 30s, seven in their 40s, eight in their 50s, six in their 60s, one in their 70s and two in their 80s or older.

In total, there have been 2,893 cases in residents age 19 or younger, 3,195 in their 20s, 2,117 in their 30s, 1,803 in their 40s, 1,625 in their 50s, 1,121 in their 60s, 575 in their 70s and 476 in their 80s or older.

Of the 141 deaths reported in DeKalb County, 76 were in residents in their 80s or older, 23 were in their 70s, 24 in their 60s, 12 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 Wednesday, there have been between 5,886 and 5,890 cases in DeKalb. Other cases include 2,801 and 2,805 in Sycamore, 1,216 and 1,220 in Sandwich and Plano (listed as one region on the site), 1,101 and 1,105 in Genoa, 321 and 325 in Kingston, 651 and 655 in Cortland, 371 and 375 in Hinckley, 356 and 360 in Kirkland, 291 and 295 in Somonauk, 201 and 205 in Waterman, 186 and 190 in Malta, 156 and 160 in Shabbona, 116 and 120 in Maple Park, 36 and 40 in Earlville, 26 and 30 in Clare, 16 and 20 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 1,815,994 people in Illinois have tested positive for COVID-19, while 26,459 people have died statewide. The department reported that 39,229,345 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 had been completed as of Nov. 19.

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