DeKalb County reports more than 120 new COVID-19 cases, multiple deaths over weekend

Also: More than 1,000 additional COVID-19 vaccination boosters administered to residents over weekend

DeKALB – Multiple DeKalb County residents died over the weekend from COVID-19, including one linked to Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion in Sandwich, according to health officials Monday.

There were also 128 new virus cases identified in DeKalb County, according to the DeKalb County Health Department.

DeKalb County health officials confirmed Monday there were three more deaths reported due to COVID-19, two residents 80 years old or older and one in their 40s. One death was reportedly linked to Willow Crest.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 1,081 more COVID-19 vaccination booster shots were administered to residents.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DeKalb County is back in the high community transmission rating. As of Monday, the county reports about 485 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.

The new cases reported Monday bring the total coronavirus case count to 14,100 in the county, according to the DeKalb County Health Department. The COVID-19 death count rose to 145.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate for Region 1, which runs north to Rockford and west to the Iowa border, is 9.9%. The DeKalb County positivity rate is at 8.6%. Positivity rates are reported with a three-day data lag. Region 1 also reported a seven-day average of 236 COVID-19 patients hospitalized.

Hospitals to the north in Winnebago County, which is in the same health region as DeKalb County and has a 10.8% 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, 122,434 total vaccine doses have been administered to DeKalb County residents and 53,416 residents – or 53.2% of the county’s population of 100,420 according to 2020 U.S. Census Bureau data – have been fully vaccinated. As of Monday, 14,042 booster shoots have been administered to county residents. The seven-day rolling average of doses administered to county residents is 267.

By the numbers

According to the county health department, five long-term care facilities remain in outbreak mode.

DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center in DeKalb reports cases among four staff members and three residents. According to the IDPH, the county nursing home reports 67.01% of its employees are fully vaccinated, along with 92.62% of residents, as of Dec. 3.

Bethany Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in DeKalb reports two cases among employees. According to the IDPH, Bethany reports 90.82% of its employees are fully vaccinated, as are 87.67% of residents.

Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion in Sandwich reports an outbreak of 50 total cases of COVID-19: 10 staff members and 43 residents and one death. The data does not specify if the death was an employee or a resident. The facility reported the deadliest outbreak in a county nursing home in 2020. As of Dec. 3, 82.91% of Willow Crest staff are fully vaccinated, as are 81.32% of the residents.

Oak Crest DeKalb Area Retirement Center in DeKalb reports an outbreak of four cases: three employees and one resident. According to the IDPH, 97.11% of Oak Crest employees are fully vaccinated, as are 99.61% 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 72.34% of its employees are fully vaccinated, as are 90% 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.

In total, there have been 2,976 cases in residents age 19 or younger, 3,249 in their 20s, 2,153 in their 30s, 1,841 in their 40s, 1,662 in their 50s, 1,140 in their 60s, 586 in their 70s and 493 in their 80s or older.

Of the 145 deaths reported in DeKalb County, 78 were in residents in their 80s or older, 23 were in their 70s, 24 in their 60s, 13 in their 50s, four 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 Monday, there have been between 5,931 and 5,935 cases in DeKalb. Other cases include 2,846 and 2,850 in Sycamore, 1,231 and 1,235 in Sandwich and Plano (listed as one region on the site), 1,121 and 1,125 in Genoa, 321 and 325 in Kingston, 666 and 670 in Cortland, 376 and 380 in Hinckley, 356 and 360 in Kirkland, 296 and 300 in Somonauk, 201 and 205 in Waterman, 186 and 190 in Malta, 166 and 170 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. Big Rock, Elburn, Hampshire, Marengo and Rochelle each reported between one and five cases.

The IDPH reported that 1,854,186 people in Illinois have tested positive for COVID-19, while 26,620 people have died statewide. The department reported that 40,063,543 tests have been administered to date.

According to testing and recovery data released by the county every Friday, 12,715 DeKalb County residents have fully recovered and 253,860 tests of county residents had been completed as of Dec. 3.

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