The CDC tracker shows all counties in South Central Illinois still at the low level for infection for COVID-19. However, statewide the Illinois Department of Public Health is now reporting eight counties at the high community level and 39 at the Medium Community Level. The Champaign, Peoria, and Rockford areas all have returned to the high category while Chicago and a large part of northern Illinois, four southern Illinois Counties and Madison and Calhoun Counties in the Metro-East have all returned to the medium level.
In Marion County last week 20 new cases were reported with no new hospitalizations. The Marion County Health Department reports for the first time in several weeks a congregate care facility has returned to outbreak status. At this time, Administrator Melissa Mallow says the outbreak is limited to two related cases at the facility but shows the on-going testing at the facilities is working.
Clinton County reported 46 new cases and two hospitalizations last week.
Jefferson County had 20 new cases and one new hospitalizations.
Washington County had 10 new cases, Fayette County 14 new cases, Clay County 16 new cases and Wayne County 12 new cases with no new hospitalizations in any of the counties.
Statewide, 40,193 new confirmed cases were reported along with 56 new deaths in the week ending on Friday.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has also announced its support for the new emergency use authorization by the FDA and CDC recommendation of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster dose for children aged 5 to 11 years of age at least five months after completion of the primary series of the vaccine.
