DeKalb County records deadliest week of COVID-19 pandemic so far with 2 more deaths Thursday

DeKalb County has recorded its deadliest week on record amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as the DeKalb County Health Department on Thursday reported two more deaths, marking seven county residents who died from complications because of the virus in the past six days.

The two deaths, a man in his 70s and a man in his 90s, were both residents of local long-term care facilities: one at Lincolnshire Place in Sycamore, bringing that facility’s death toll to three. The other was a resident at Bethany Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, the facility’s first death. It’s unclear which death was linked to which facility.

The county health department also announced nearly 100 more cases Thursday, one day after reporting the lowest daily increase of 33 cases since Oct. 27. There were 90 more cases Thursday, bringing the total to 5,831, though with 3,890 recovered as of Dec. 4. So far in December, there have been 730 cases of COVID-19 identified in the county. November reported 2,338.

It’s the fourth day in a row new deaths linked to the viral respiratory disease were reported -- only the second time that’s happened locally. During Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion’s deadly long-term care facility outbreak in Sandwich over the summer, five deaths were reported from July 28 through July 31.

There were also six new cases at long-term care facilities: 15 more at Prairie Crossing Living and Rehabilitation Center, two more at Oak Crest-DeKalb Area Retirement Center, two at Bethany Rehabilitation and Health Care Center,

The seven-day rolling positivity rate in the county fell to 13.1%, down from 13.8% the day prior, according to the most recent data available because of a three-day lag in Illinois Department of Public Health data. The positivity rate for Region 1, which includes DeKalb, Winnebago and Whiteside counties, dropped slightly at 14.2%.

Of the new cases Thursday, 18 were reported in residents 19 or younger, 22 in their 20s, 13 in their 30s, 12 in their 40s, 17 in their 50s, 13 in their 60s, 18 in their 70s and eight 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 reports 32 cases (29 in staff and three in residents), the Oak Crest-DeKalb Area Retirement Center in DeKalb reports 51 cases (24 in staff and 27 in residents with one death) and the Bethany Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in DeKalb reported 51 cases (28 in staff and 23 in residents and one death). Additionally, the Prairie Crossing Living and Rehabilitation Center in Shabbona reported 70 cases (22 in staff and 48 residents and one death), and Heritage Woods in DeKalb reported seven cases (five in staff and two in residents). Lincolnshire Place in Sycamore reported 48 cases (16 in staff and 28 in residents and three deaths), Sandwich Rehabilitation reported four cases (three in staff and one resident) and Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion in Sandwich reported three cases (two in employees and one 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 Wednesday.

In total, there have been 969 cases in DeKalb County residents 19 or younger, 1,393 in their 20s, 849 in their 30s, 852 in their 40s, 756 in their 50s, 499 in their 60s, 267 in their 70s and 246 in their 80s or older.

To date, there have been 31 deaths reported in DeKalb County residents in their 80s or older, eight 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 2,541 and 2,545 cases. There are between 1,226 and 1,230 cases in Sycamore, 491 and 495 in Sandwich and Plano (listed as one region on the site), 476 and 480 in Genoa, 266 and 270 cases in Cortland, 151 and 155 cases in Kirkland, 131 and 135 in Kingston, 121 and 125 cases in Hinckley, 91 and 95 cases in Somonauk, 76 and 80 in Malta and Shabbona, 66 and 70 in Waterman, 41 and 45 in Maple Park, 16 and 20 in Clare and six and 10 in Esmond, Earlville and Leland. Lee, 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 2,464 cases reported and 36,006 tests administered (a positivity rate of 6.8%); the 60178 ZIP code, including Sycamore, had 1,234 cases and 13,211 tests (9.3%); the 60111 ZIP code, including Clare, reported 18 cases and 161 tests (11.1%); the 60112 ZIP code, including Cortland, had 265 cases and 2,761 tests (9.5%); the 60135 ZIP code, including Genoa, had 470 cases and 4,191 tests (11.2%); the 60145 ZIP code, including Kingston, had 130 cases and 1,134 tests (11.4%); the 60146 ZIP code, including Kirkland, had 165 cases and 1,572 tests (10.4%); the 60150 ZIP code, including Malta, had 69 cases and 925 tests (7.4%); the 60151 ZIP code, including parts of Maple Park in both DeKalb and Kane counties, had 200 cases and 2,104 tests (9.5%); the 60520 ZIP code, including Hinckley, had 117 cases and 1,449 tests (8%); the 60548 ZIP code, including Sandwich, had 725 cases and 8,167 tests (8.8%); the 60550 ZIP code, including Shabbona, had 83 cases and 921 tests (9%); and the 60556 ZIP code, including Waterman, had 64 cases and 810 tests (7.9%).

The IDPH reported 823,531 people in Illinois have tested positive for COVID-19 to date, while 13,861 people have died statewide. There have been 11,481,848 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.