April 25, 2024
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5 La Salle County residents died from COVID-19 complications; 50 hospitalized in 7-day span

Of 401 deaths since start of virus, 7.5% of them occurred to those fully vaccinated

By Derek Barichello
After providing the sample and having it scanned, a vial is placed in a holder during COVID-19 Shield Illinois testing at Sterling High School.

After providing the sample and having it scanned, a vial is placed in a holder during COVID-19 Shield Illinois testing at Sterling High School. (Alex Paschal)

Five La Salle County residents died from complications related to COVID-19 from Jan. 7-14, the La Salle County Health Department said.

Three men in their 60s, a woman in her 70s and a woman in her 90s died.

There have 15 COVID-related deaths this month in La Salle County. There were 27 last month and 26 in January 2021.

There have been 401 COVID-19 related deaths countywide since the beginning of the pandemic and 30 of them (or 7.5%) are believed to have been caused by breakthrough cases, which are defined as cases of someone who tests positive more than 14 days after completing their vaccination.

In La Salle County, 50 hospitalizations from COVID-19 have been reported in the past seven days as of Monday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is an increase of 14 hospitalizations from the previous week.

OSF Health didn’t release a new hospitalization report Jan. 13. At Morris Hospital, there were 36 patients hospitalized Jan. 14 with COVID-19 (24 unvaccinated); eight were in ICU (five unvaccinated); five on a ventilator (three unvaccinated).

The health department reported 2,734 new COVID-19 cases and 619 cases removed from isolation Jan. 7-14. The new cases are made up of 255 boys younger than 13, 203 girls younger than 13, 182 teenage boys, 158 teenage girls, 307 men in their 20s, 223 girls in their 20s, 246 men in their 30s, 198 women in their 30s, 217 men in their 40s, 177 women in their 40s, 127 men in their 50s, 158 women in their 50s, 77 men in their 60s, 90 women in their 60s, 36 men in their 70s, 27 woman in their 70s, 12 men in their 80s, 20 women in their 80s, six men in their 90s, 13 women in their 90s, a man in his 100s and a woman in her 100s.

La Salle County is experiencing high community transmission based on the 7-day moving average of new cases per 100,000 (2,631.85 per 100,000) of COVID-19 (as of Jan. 12). In addition, there are 9.6% of ICU beds available in the North Central health region, which includes La Salle County, which is below the 20% target.

In addition, per the county-level risk metrics provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health, the weekly percent of COVID-like illness emergency department visits has increased for two consecutive weeks by more than 20% and the county’s test positivity is at 20.3%. Test positivity at or less than 8% indicates there is sufficient testing. If the test positivity exceeds 8%, then the number of tests is considered insufficient.

Until La Salle County can get a handle on the number of new cases being identified each week and slow the spread that is occurring, La Salle County will continue to be in the state’s warning level. A warning level means the county saw increases in two or more COVID-19 risk indicators.

People should continue to take the recommended public health precautions — vaccinate, booster, wear a mask, avoid crowds, physically distance, stay home when you are sick and test, the La Salle County Health Department said.

Because most of Illinois is experiencing high transmission rates, the LCHD recommends anyone who may have recently been exposed to someone who has COVID-19 be tested approximately 5-7 days after that exposure, even if they have no symptoms. Early detection allows individuals to gain guidance for medical treatment during early stages of the disease, which can reduce the need for hospitalizations, and can also reduce deaths. Testing also helps us quickly identify and isolate new cases, which reduces further spread of the disease.

The La Salle County Health Department is now scheduling all COVID-19 tests online. Access the link at: https://hipaa.jotform.com/220026540796151

The agency urges everyone 5 years and older to get vaccinated and all eligible individuals to get a booster. To search for vaccine available near you visit https://lasallecounty.org/covid-19-vaccine-update/ or vaccines.gov

Individuals who need to start the COVID-19 vaccination series, call the La Salle County Health Department at 815-433-3366 to schedule an appointment. The health department has Johnson and Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer available.

To schedule a Booster Dose or a Pfizer Child Vaccination, go to www.lasallecounty.org and click on the “COVID-19 Vaccine Information” icon. The La Salle County Health Department offers these type of vaccinations on a weekly basis, by appointment only.

As of Jan. 14, 60,201 La Salle County residents are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, which is 55.01% of the county’s population; 65,667 residents have had at least one dose of the vaccine, which is 60.01% of the county’s population; 27,873 residents have had boosters.