COVID-19 cases surge to record numbers in DeKalb County, with 9 ICU beds available in region

DeKALB – Coronavirus cases are surging in DeKalb County, which over the past week recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, all while nine Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds are available in the whole region, according to new state and local data published Monday.

DeKalb County recorded 848 more coronavirus cases over the long holiday weekend, and three more deaths among residents in their 60s, 70s and 80s or older, according to the DeKalb County Health Department. Cases represent those reported between midday Dec. 30 and midday Monday. That brings the death toll to 158, and the weekly case count to 1,172.

It’s nearly double the previous weekly record of 615 cases, recorded the week of Nov. 10, 2020, before a COVID-19 vaccine was available. To date, there have been 16,589 virus cases reported in the county.

According to state data, 88 more county residents became fully vaccinated, with 527 booster doses of the vaccine given since data was last reported Dec. 30.

[ ‘If you don’t have to come to the hospital, please don’t’ Northwestern Medicine doctor says amid COVID-19 surge ]

DeKalb County continues to report a high community transmission of the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Monday, the county reported about 714 cases per 100,000 residents and 28 new hospital admissions. According to the CDC, everyone in DeKalb County should wear masks in public indoor settings.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate for Region 1, which runs north to Rockford and west to the Iowa border, is 16.1%. The DeKalb County positivity rate is at 21.3%. Positivity rates are reported with a three-day data lag. Region 1 also reported a seven-day average of 294 COVID-19 patients hospitalized.

According to the IDPH, 132,927 total vaccine doses have been administered to DeKalb County residents and 54,872 residents – or 54.6% of the county’s population of 100,420, according to 2020 U.S. Census Bureau data – have been fully vaccinated. As of Monday, 21,480 booster shoots have been administered to county residents. The seven-day rolling average of doses administered to county residents is 286.

[ Dr. Ezike: Northern Illinois hospital bed availability reaching ‘critically low levels’ amid COVID-19 surge ]

By the numbers

Long-term care settings

Seven long-term care facilities are experiencing virus outbreaks. One additional death was reported at Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion in Sandwich, bringing the facility’s death toll to six.

As of Monday, Prairie Crossing Rehabilitation in Shabbona reports four cases: Two each in employees and residents. Grand Victorian in Sycamore reports 12 cases: 10 residents and two employees. Vaccination data is not available per the IDPH.

There have been six cases at Heritage Woods in DeKalb, five in residents and one employee. Vaccination data for Heritage Woods is not available per IDPH.

DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center in DeKalb reports 18 cases, including 15 employees and three residents, and one death. According to the IDPH, the county nursing home reports 73.21% of its employees are fully vaccinated, along with 92.37% of residents, as of Dec. 22.

Bethany Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in DeKalb reports 28 cases: 13 employees and 15 residents. According to the IDPH, Bethany reports 90.86% of its employees are fully vaccinated, as are 79.45% of residents.

Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion in Sandwich reports an outbreak of 58 total COVID-19 cases: 14 staff members, 44 residents, and six resident deaths. As of Dec. 22, 82.91% of Willow Crest staff are fully vaccinated, as are 83.95% of the residents.

[ Inside DeKalb County's deadliest COVID-19 outbreak at Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion ]

Oak Crest DeKalb Area Retirement Center in DeKalb reports an outbreak of 12 cases: 11 employees and one resident. According to the IDPH, 97.52% of Oak Crest employees are fully vaccinated, as are 99.22% of residents.

The health department considers a facility in outbreak mode if new virus activity is reportedly linked to the facility within 30 days. If the facility goes 30 days without reporting new activity, it will be taken off the health department’s outbreak website, health officials have said.

The health department does not update long-term care facility numbers if a person has fully recovered. The numbers remain listed in total through the duration of the outbreak.

[Hesitant about your 2nd dose of COVID-19 vaccine? Here’s why local health officials say you still need it, how to manage fears]

Vaccination data

Updated vaccination by ZIP code data shows the percentages of residents in DeKalb County ZIP codes who have been fully vaccinated as of Dec. 29.

This data is provisional and will be updated every Wednesday, according to the IDPH.

In the 60111 (includes Clare) ZIP code, 97.33% of the population is fully vaccinated (100% of residents have had at least one dose). In the 60112 (Cortland) ZIP code, 59.23% is fully vaccinated. In the 60115 (DeKalb) ZIP code, 47.8% is fully vaccinated. In 60135 (Genoa), it’s 59.04%. In 60145 (Kingston), 43.36% is fully vaccinated. In 60146 (Kirkland, Fairdale), 43.5% is fully vaccinated. In 60150 (Malta), 50.06% is fully vaccinated. In 60151 (Maple Park), 55.86% is fully vaccinated. In 60178 (Sycamore), 63.05% is fully vaccinated. In 60520 (Hinckley), 53.56% is fully vaccinated. In 60548 (Sandwich), 52.52% is fully vaccinated; in 60550 (Shabbona), 46.97% is fully vaccinated; in 60552 (Somonauk), 50.12% is fully vaccinated; and in 60556 (Waterman), 50.17% is fully vaccinated.

[ How vaccinated is DeKalb County? New zip code data breaks it down  ]

COVID-19 cases and deaths

Since Dec. 21, when an age breakdown of cases was last reported, there have been 289 new cases in DeKalb County residents 19 & under. There’s been 266 new cases in their 20s, 218 new cases in their 30s, 145 new cases in their 40s, 132 new cases in their 50s, 94 new cases in their 60s, 39 new cases in their 70s, and 17 new cases in their 80s.

In total, there have been 3,553 cases in residents age 19 or younger, 3,662 in their 20s, 2,527 in their 30s, 2,093 in their 40s, 1,903 in their 50s, 1,301 in their 60s, 665 in their 70s and 546 in their 80s or older.

Of the 158 deaths reported in DeKalb County, 84 were in residents in their 80s or older, 25 were in their 70s, 27 in their 60s, 14 in their 50s, four in their 40s, one in their 30s, one in their 20s and one infant. The age of the person who was the 155th reported death was not made available Wednesday.

The DeKalb County Health Department does not specify how many COVID-19 cases are linked to the delta, omicron or any other virus variant. Testing for variants in positive COVID-19 results is done randomly and at the state level, according to local health officials.

According to DeKalb County data most recently updated as of Monday, there have been between 6,411 and 6,415 cases in DeKalb. Other cases include 3,101 and 3,105 in Sycamore, 1,331 and 1,335 in Sandwich and Plano (listed as one region on the site), 1,211 and 1,215 in Genoa, 366 and 370 in Kingston, 736 and 740 in Cortland, 416 and 420 in Hinckley, 396 and 400 in Kirkland, 326 and 330 in Somonauk, 231 and 235 in Waterman, 216 and 220 in Malta, 186 and 190 in Shabbona, 126 and 130 in Maple Park, 41 and 45 in Earlville, 31 and 35 in Clare, 16 and 20 in Leland, 21 to 25 in Esmond, and 21 and 25 in Lee. Big Rock, Elburn, Hampshire, Marengo and Rochelle each reported between one and five cases.

The IDPH reported that 2,238,743 Illinoisans have tested positive for COVID-19, while 27,998 have died statewide. The department reported that 45,179,593 tests have been administered to date.

According to testing and recovery data released by the county every Friday, 13,329 DeKalb County residents have fully recovered and 282,533 tests of county residents had been completed as of Jan. 3.