PEORIA, Ill. — Health officials say all eleven regions of Illinois are showing over six days of continued positivity rates at or above 8% for COVID-19.
Region 2, which includes the tri-county area, has had eight days of positivity increases.
Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson said Thursday that even as med surge and positivity rates remain above 40%, our region has seen three days of increases in hospital admissions.
“Our to date total for cases sits at 7,495. That’s an increase of 613 cases from last week,” Hendrickson said.
Tri-county COVID-19 totals between Wednesday and Thursday went up by 106 new cases and one new death.
The death was to a Peoria County woman in her 90s who lived at Christian Buehler Memorial Home.
That long-term care facility in the past week has had two COVID-related deaths.
126 people have died from the virus since the pandemic began.
Peoria County reported the highest amount of new cases, with 49. Tazewell accounted for 46, and 11 Woodford residents tested positive.
62 people were hospitalized, including 15 in intensive care.
Recovery rate for the area fell slightly, to 83.54%.
With the Halloween and the holidays approaching, social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing your hands are more important than ever.
Hendrickson emphasizes that social gatherings during the holidays could pose an increased risk of COVID-19 infections.
“No one is cancelling your ability to celebrate. All we’re asking is that you do it slightly different this year,”
Hendrickson said the key to staying ahead of the virus during the holidays is taking all the necessary precautions.
Students at Peoria Public Schools are currently on Fall break. But, as more students return to the classroom, social gatherings with family and friends pose a real risk of COVID-19.
Hendrickson said limiting holiday celebrations to immediate family or smaller gatherings, will help reduce the potential spread of the virus in schools.
“We as a community, as parents and as guardians, need to really work in terms of how we help those kids and our schools keep them in play when they are outside the facility,” Hendrickson said.
Hendrickson adds,”If you travel over the holidays, and someone starts feeling sick, don’t send them to school.”
The Peoria City/County Health Department resumed weekly COVID-19 press briefings Thursday in response to the increase in local coronavirus cases, positivity rates and hospitalizations.
