Grim COVID-19 milestone: death toll climbs to 50 over weekend in DeKalb County, nearly 200 more cases

DeKalb County reached a grim milestone related to the COVID-19 pandemic over the weekend, with the DeKalb County Health Department on Monday reporting two new deaths as the death toll climbed to 50, along with nearly 200 more cases.

One of the deaths was a resident in their 80s at Lincolnshire Place in Sycamore, the first death reported at that long-term care facility. The other death was a resident in their 40s, according to the health department

The county also announced 186 new cases, representing three days' worth of data. To date, there have been 5,644 cases reported in the county and 3,890 recovered as of Friday.

Eight of the new cases were at long-term care facilities: six at Bethany Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, one at DeKalb County Rehabilitation and Nursing Center and one at Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate in the county dropped to 14%, according to the most recent day available because of a three-day lag in state data. The positivity rate for Region 1, which includes DeKalb, Winnebago and Whiteside counties, remained at 14.7%.

There were 29 cases reported in residents 19 or younger Monday, 46 in their 20s, 35 in their 30s, 27 in their 40s, 16 in their 50s, 17 in their 60s, six in their 70s and nine in their 80s or older.

By the numbers

To date, there are eight long-term care facilities in outbreak mode in DeKalb County.

The DeKalb County Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in DeKalb reported 30 cases (27 in staff and three in residents), the Oak Crest-DeKalb Area Retirement Center in DeKalb reported 47 cases (22 in staff and 25 in residents with one death) and the Bethany Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in DeKalb reported 43 cases (26 in staff and 17 in residents). Additionally, the Prairie Crossing Living and Rehabilitation Center in Shabbona reported 50 cases (15 in staff and 35 residents), and Heritage Woods in DeKalb reported seven cases (five in staff and two in residents). Lincolnshire Place in Sycamore reported 40 cases (15 in staff and 25 in residents), Sandwich Rehabilitation reported four cases (three in staff and one resident) and Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion in Sandwich reported two cases (one each in an employee and resident).

Although the county health department doesn't designate Sycamore's Opportunity House as a long-term care facility and therefore doesn't list cases linked to the facility, the state health department does. A 15-case outbreak at Opportunity House was closed as of Friday, although a second outbreak is reported, with six cases as of Monday.

In total, there have been 944 cases in DeKalb County residents 19 or younger, 1,354 in their 20s, 817 in their 30s, 830 in their 40s, 731 in their 50s, 482 in their 60s, 253 in their 70s and 233 in their 80s or older.

To date, there have been 27 deaths reported in DeKalb County residents in their 80s, seven in their 70s, seven in their 60s, four in their 50s, three in their 40s, one in their 30s and one infant.

According to county data, DeKalb has seen between 2,486 and 2,490 cases. There are between 1,186 and 1,190 cases in Sycamore, 471 to 475 in Sandwich and Plano (listed as one region on the site), 466 to 470 in Genoa, 261 to 265 cases in Cortland, 146 to 150 cases in Kirkland, 126 to 130 in Kingston, 121 to 125 cases in Hinckley, 76 to 80 cases in Somonauk, 71 to 75 in Malta, 66 to 70 in Waterman, 56 to 60 in Shabbona, 41 to 45 in Maple Park, 11 to 15 in Clare and six to 10 in Esmond and Earlville. Lee, Leland, Marengo and Rochelle each report between one and five cases.

The DeKalb County website lists residents who only live within county lines for a municipality, while the Illinois Department of Public Health website lists everyone within a certain ZIP code. Numbers also may vary because of data lags.

The 60115 ZIP code, including DeKalb, had 2,400 cases reported and 34,774 tests administered (a positivity rate of 6.9%); the 60178 ZIP code, including Sycamore, had 1,188 cases and 12,762 tests (9.3%); the 60111 ZIP code, including Clare, reported 17 cases and 155 tests (11.0%); the 60112 ZIP code, including Cortland, had 275 cases and 2,715 tests (10.1%); the 60135 ZIP code, including Genoa, had 459 cases and 4,120 tests (11.1%); the 60145 ZIP code, including Kingston, had 126 cases and 1,115 tests (11.3%); the 60146 ZIP code, including Kirkland, had 158 cases and 1,543 tests (10.2%); the 60150 ZIP code, including Malta, had 67 cases and 903 tests (7.4%); the 60151 ZIP code, including parts of Maple Park in both DeKalb and Kane counties, had 191 cases and 2,054 tests (9.3%); the 60520 ZIP code, including Hinckley, had 117 cases and 1,424 tests (8.2%); the 60548 ZIP code, including Sandwich, had 704 cases and 8,037 tests (8.8%); the 60550 ZIP code, including Shabbona, had 75 cases and 903 tests (8.3%); and the 60556 ZIP code, including Waterman, had 63 cases and 794 tests (7.9%).

The IDPH reported 796,264 people in Illinois have tested positive for COVID-19 to date, while 13,343 people have died statewide. There have been 11,178,783 tests performed.

The entire state moved to Tier 3 mitigation measures Nov. 20 to help stop the spread of COVID-19, including a continued prohibition on indoor dining at bars and restaurants, closures of gaming facilities and casinos and the capping of all gatherings to 10 or fewer people, with officials urging residents to stay at home unless necessary and avoid holiday travel or family gatherings. DeKalb County’s health region has been under enhanced mitigations since Oct. 3. Under the new restrictions, each of the 11 health care regions can independently have restrictions eased if certain metrics improve.

In order for the region to move back to Tier 2 mitigation measures, with no restrictions on retail stores, gyms, casinos, gaming facilities, etc., the region needs to report three consecutive days of a regional positivity rate less than 12%. In order to lift restrictions on bars and restaurants, the region’s rates need to be below 8%. Region 1′s seven-day rate has not dropped below 8% since mitigation measures first went into effect Oct. 3.