COVID infections in Winnebago County highest since pandemic began
Local hospitals say they only have a few intensive care beds left.
Today the Winnebago County Health Department announced 997.3 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 during the preceding week (12/29/2021-01/04/2022), the highest number of infections since the beginning of the pandemic in December 2019.
The average age of COVID cases is getting younger in Winnebago County and statewide. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the number of children hospitalized at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Park Ridge and Oak Lawn has tripled in the past month, a quarter of them in intensive care, especially those under 5, who are too young to be vaccinated. In Winnebago County, hospitals say they only have a few intensive care beds left. Almost 55% of the county is now vaccinated. State health officials say that about 90% of new patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
The CDC has shortened its isolation and quarantine recommendation from 10 days to 5 days. However, Illinois students, including those at Hononegah Community High School, must continue to stay home for 10 days after a positive COVID test or symptoms.
Testing is available on Hononegah Road for people with symptoms or close exposure: by appointment at Walgreens or walk-in near Schnuck's at the Center for COVID Control (also known as Doctors Clinical Laboratory (DCL). You can register for a vaccine or booster through the Winnebago County Health Department.
Below, you can view a comparison of daily statistics from the last month, courtesy of the Winnebago County Health Department.
