COVID-19 cases skyrocketing across Sauk Valley

Coronavirus cases continue to rise across the Sauk Valley as the latest surge moves into 2022.

As of Saturday, Whiteside County had 996 cases and one death during the last 7 days, according to the most recent information available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 data tracker.

The positivity rate was nearly 25% and the case rate is 1805.17 per 100,000 people. There were also 23 hospitalizations.

Lee County saw 575 cases during the week and is at a 22.33% positivity rate. The case rate is 1686.41 per 100,000 people, and there were 12 new hospitalizations.

All counties are at high risk for transmission.

Ogle County had 770 cases across the week with a positivity rate of 20.35% and a case rate of 1,520.45 per 100,000 people and five new hospital admissions.

Carroll County had 138 new cases, a positivity rate of 13.9% and a case rate of 964.70 per 100,000 people.

Whiteside County has administered 66,079 total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 27,390 people (49.24%) fully vaccinated. Lee County has had 47,114 doses, with 19,161 people (55.99%) fully vaccinated. Carroll County has administered 15,241 vaccine doses, with 6,369 people (44.49%) fully vaccinated. Ogle County has had 66,834 doses, with 27,179 people (53.37%) fully vaccinated.

The North (Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago counties) region’s positivity rate stayed flat at 21.2%.

Currently, 5.6% of ICU beds are available.

Hospitalizations decreased or remained stable two out of the past 10 days in this region. The region is down to 330 total COVID-19 hospitalizations.

There are 8 ICU beds available out of 141 across the region, one of two of the state’s 11 health care regions that remains in the single digits for ICU beds available.




Rachel Rodgers

Rachel Rodgers

Rachel Rodgers joined Sauk Valley Media in 2016 covering local government in Dixon and Lee County.