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Grundy County announces COVID update

MORRIS – The Grundy County Health Department provided information Monday about vaccination efforts, cases, county and regional metrics.

Vaccination

Illinois Department of Public Health data shows that about 53% of the eligible population (residents age 12 and older) are fully vaccinated, or 45.7% of the entire Grundy County’s population.

Third doses: People who are immunocompromised now may consider obtaining a third dose after consultation with a physician. Included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation are people with a range of conditions, such as recipients of organ or stem cell transplants, people with advanced or untreated HIV infection, active recipients of treatment for cancer, people who are taking some medications that weaken the immune system, and others.

Boosters: The CDC does not recommend additional doses or booster shots for any other population at this time. More direction is forthcoming regarding boosters, and the Grundy County Health Department has begun assessing local resources to determine how these will be offered. More information is expected to be available by mid-September.

Vaccination efforts continue through the Grundy County Health Department and local retail pharmacies.

Appointments for Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson are available each week through the Grundy County Health Department. Appointments may be scheduled by calling 815-941-3404.

A walk-in clinic in Minooka is planned for next week, and available to residents of any county. Walk-ins are welcome at the Minooka Community Room from 3 to 6 p.m. Sept. 8 for Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Those seeking to get vaccinated at this clinic must be 18 or older.

Cases

To date, the total number of positive cases in Grundy County is 6,566, with 80 residents who have died from COVID-19 complications.

The Grundy County Health Department currently is following 68 people who have recently tested positive and are in isolation, along with each of their close contacts. To date, the health department has processed 336 cases in August, while only 69 cases were processed in July and 46 cases in June.

Grundy County remains at an “orange” warning level for community transmission this week, according to the IDPH. The IDPH uses numerous indicators when determining if a county is experiencing stable COVID-19 activity, or if there are warning signs of increased COVID-19 risk in the county. Orange indicates that there are warning signs of increased COVID-19 risk in the community. Below are the updated metrics for Grundy County:

• New cases per 100,000: The number of new cases per 100,000 people in Grundy County last week was 314, up from 210 the previous week.

• Number of deaths: The number of deaths in Grundy County last week was zero, the same as the previous week.

• Test positivity percentage: The test positivity percentage in Grundy County last week was 12.5%, up from 9.1% the previous week.

• Tests performed: The number of tests performed in Grundy County last week was 1,449, up from 1,295 the previous week.

Emergency department visits for COVID-19-like illness: The percentage of COVID-19-like illness visits to the emergency department among adults in Grundy County last week was 10%, up from 4% the previous week.

Number of COVID-19-like illness admissions: The number of COVID-19-like illnesses admitted to the hospital in Grundy County last week was fewer than five, the same as the previous week.

Clusters: The percentage of cases that were caused by clusters in Grundy County last week was 0.8%, up from zero the previous week.

Intensive care unit bed availability: The percentage of intensive care units available in Grundy County last week was 21.6%, up from 20.4% the previous week.

According to the CDC, the level of community transmission for all of Illinois, including Grundy County, is high. Therefore, the CDC recommends that unvaccinated and fully vaccinated people continue to wear a mask in public indoor settings. It is also recommended that unvaccinated and vulnerable people consider avoiding crowded outdoor gatherings, or mask while in crowded outdoor spaces.

Residents may visit the Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers webpage at morrishospital.org to learn the latest information about Morris Hospital hospitalizations, test positivity, testing locations and visiting guidelines.

Source: The Daily Chronicle

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