Will County region’s COVID-19 hospitalizations fall to lowest level since August

The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in the Will County region has fallen to the lowest mark since last summer, according to the latest public health data.

As of Thursday, there were 51 COVID-19 hospitalizations in the South Suburban Region, which includes Will and Kankakee counties, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Aug. 5 was the last time the hospitalization number was that low, around the time that the highly contagious delta variant caused cases to increase.

Will County’s rolling average COVID-19 test positivity rate also continues to fall. It hit 3.2% as of last Tuesday. The county hasn’t had a positivity rate that low since early November, right before the omicron variant hit, forcing cases and hospitalizations to hit all-time highs.

While the number of daily vaccinations in Will County has slowed, the IDPH recently recorded that 65% of the county’s nearly 700,000 residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

About 90.2% of Will County residents age 65 and older are fully vaccinated and 31.3% of residents between the ages of 5 and 11 are fully vaccinated, according to IDPH data.

Also, 71% of residents have received at least one vaccine dose.

The IDPH also reported that 1,487 Will County residents have died from COVID-19 throughout the pandemic.

The Will County Health Department announced this month that it will begin to offer free drive-up COVID-19 PCR testing at its main office at 501 Ella Ave. in Joliet.

Testing will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 28 to March 3 and March 7 to 10.

Those interested in getting tested are asked to drive up, complete a short registration process and give a self-test as directed. There will not be any need to leave the vehicle throughout the process.

Participants should enter from Neal Avenue and move to the north end of the parking lot. Test results will be emailed to participants as soon as two days after the test.

For information on COVID-19 or to find the nearest vaccine clinic, visit willcountyhealth.org or call 815-774-7386.