Marion and Jefferson County are back to the moderate level for hospitalizations for COVID-19.
During the most recent reporting week, the CDC tracker is reporting six new hospitalizations in Marion and Washington County. The rest of south-central Illinois remains at the low level. Jefferson and Wayne Counties fell back to the low level from moderate with just three new hospitalizations in the last reporting week. Clinton and St. Clair County have had 14 cases, Clay and Jasper County two, and Fayette and Effingham County none.
Marion County Health Department Administrator Melissa Mallow reports three congregate care facilities are currently on outbreak status. Two of them are in Salem and one in Centralia. One Salem facility has 11 positive residents and four staff testing positive. The other has seven positive cases in residents and one staff. The Centralia facility has three residents and no staff testing positive.
There are only six counties statewide currently at the moderate level of hospitalizations. The other four counties are in the northern part of the state. No counties are at the high level.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Department of Public Health says data indicates respiratory viruses are continuing to circulate around Illinois and the state’s overall respiratory virus level has moved up from low to moderate based on an uptick in flu reports.
