December 02, 2021
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Coronavirus

2 Livingston County residents die from COVID-19 complications

County has had 98 COVID-19 related deaths since beginning of the pandemic

By Derek Barichello

Livingston County Public Health Department

Two Livingston County residents died from complications related to COVID-19 between Nov. 16-22.

A woman in her 50s and a woman in her 70s were the 97th and 98th COVID-19 related deaths in the county since the beginning of the pandemic.

Additionally, there were 77 Livingston County residents who tested positive for COVID-19 between Nov. 16-22. That’s an increase of 27 cases from the previous week.

As of Monday, there have been 16,233 residents fully vaccinated, which is 45.39% of the county’s population. At least 17,728 residents have had one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, which is 49.57% of the county’s population, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Families are welcome to visit the Livingston County Health Department, 310 E. Torrance Ave, Pontiac, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday for COVID-19 vaccinations. Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson are all be available free of charge to the public for first, second, third and booster doses, including Pfizer pediatric doses for ages 5-11. Appointments are encouraged for those younger than 18, and all children ages 5-17 must be accompanied by a legal guardian. Adult walk-ins are welcome, and must have their driver’s license/state ID as well as their vaccination card for all doses except the first. Masks must be worn when interacting with LCHD staff. For those with limited mobility, your vaccination may be brought to your vehicle. For more information or to schedule an appointment, go to www.lchd.us.

Individuals who smoke and/or vape may be at a higher risk for complications should they contract COVID-19, the Livingston County Health Department said in a Monday press release. Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including more than 41,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke exposure. This is about one in five deaths annually, or 1,300 deaths every day. Created in partnership between the Illinois Department of Public Health and the American Lung Association of Illinois, the Illinois Tobacco Quitline is a tobacco cessation program offering a wide range of free resources, including counseling and nicotine replacement therapy. If you need help quitting tobacco, contact the Illinois Tobacco Quitline at 1-866-QUIT-YES or visit www.QUITYES.org.