Whiteside County reports 135 COVID-19 cases across week; booster shots available in Sauk Valley

Whiteside County reported 135 coronavirus cases last week, and availability is growing throughout the area to receive vaccine booster shots.

Cases are down compared to the week before in Whiteside County, when there were 163 cases. There were 298 cases in the last 2 weeks, compared to 162 from Aug. 30 to Sept. 12.

Carroll County had 21 new cases last week. The Lee County Health Department had not released updated COVID-19 statistics as of Tuesday.

Whiteside County has administered 50,166 total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 25,659 people (46.13%) fully vaccinated. Lee County has had 34,252 doses, with 17,507 people (51.16%) fully vaccinated. Carroll County has administered 11,011 vaccine doses, with 5,855 people (40.91%) fully vaccinated. Ogle County has had 48,598 doses, with 24,444 people (48%) fully vaccinated.

The Whiteside County Health Department is offering additional Pfizer and Moderna doses for those who are immunocompromised from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Pfizer booster shots are also becoming available at Walgreens and Walmart throughout the area for those who qualify.

The Ogle County Health Department is offering the Pfizer booster shot in Oregon and Rochelle by appointment only.

The North (Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago counties) region’s positivity rate stayed flat at 4.2%.

Currently, 17% of ICU beds are available.

Lee County’s rate decreased to 2.6%, and Whiteside County’s went up to 4.1%.

Hospitalizations decreased or remained stable one out of the past 10 days in this region. The region is up to 118 total COVID-19 hospitalizations.