April 25, 2024
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As COVID-19 cases surge in Will County region, ICU beds fill up

Will County’s COVID-19 test positivity rate shot up to over 8% this past week

By Alex Ortiz

The number of ICU beds in Will and Kankakee counties decreased to single digits this past week as new COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the region. (Shaw Media)

As the number of COVID-19 cases in Will County continues to rise, the number of intensive care unit beds in the region has dwindled.

There were only eight available ICU beds in the South Suburban Region, which includes Will and Kankakee counties, as of Thursday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Over the past month, the number of COVID-19 patients in the region’s hospitals reached 150 as of Thursday, which is more than double the number only one month ago.

During a Will County Public Health & Safety Committee meeting, Sue Olenek, the executive director of the Will County Health Department, pointed out that much of the state is experiencing high transmission of the coronavirus.

“It’s been like this for several weeks now,” Olenek said during last Wednesday’s meeting. “And actually our positivity rate is getting extremely high.”

will county, covid-19, joliet, will county courthouse

A sign posted on the Will County Courthouse in downtown Joliet tells visitors face masks are required to enter the building. (Alex Ortiz)

Will County’s rolling average COVID-19 test positivity rate was 8.4% as of Tuesday. One month ago, the county’s positivity rate was hovering around 3%.

The spike is coming as cold weather forces people to stay indoors and after many gathered for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Olenek also pointed out during last Wednesday’s meeting that last year a region reaching an 8% test positivity rate meant the state would impose restrictions to slow the spread of the virus.

Still, those restrictions were placed at a time when highly effective vaccines were not widely available. In November 2020, the county’s COVID-19 test positivity rate reached an all-time high of about 20% and the number of hospital patients in the region eclipsed 300.

This past week, the IDPH also reported an outbreak of COVID-19 cases at Reed Custer High School in Braidwood of fewer than five cases among staff and students participating in sports.

A patient receives their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, April 1, 2021, in Joliet, Ill. Another mass vaccination site was opened in Joliet on Thursday, with help from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the National Guard. (Geoff Stellfox - gstellfox@shawmedia.com/Geoff Stellfox - gstellfox@shawmedia.com)

While cases have been on the rise, local health officials have stressed the need for eligible residents to get booster shots.

Cindy Jackson, the director of mass vaccination at the Will County Health Department, told the Herald-News a steady stream of residents have come in to get booster shots. The department also has focused on conducting clinics at local schools to vaccinate children ages 5 through 11 after federal regulators approved the Pfizer shot for them.

The IDPH reported that 59% of Will County’s nearly 700,000 residents were fully vaccinated and about 65.8% received at least one dose.

For information about COVID-19 vaccines or to schedule an appointment, visit willcountyhealth.org or call 815-774-7386.