DeKalb County virus cases remain lowest since 2021 summer, hospitalizations continue decline

DeKALB – Health officials reported nine new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours as DeKalb County’s positivity rate remains below 2%.

The new reported virus cases bring the total to 23,135, according to state data. Case data doesn’t include positive cases identified through at-home virus testing and might not include test results waiting to be reported from backlogged laboratories.

No new deaths were reported, leaving the death toll at 194.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 11 more residents became fully vaccinated over the past 24 hours, while 41 more booster shots were administered in the county.

Hospitalizations and positivity rate

As of Wednesday, 20 of 138 intensive care unit beds are available in Region 1, according to state data.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate for the region, which runs north to Rockford and west to the Iowa border, is 2%. The DeKalb County positivity rate is 1.7%. Positivity rates are reported with a three-day data lag. Region 1 also reported a seven-day average of 39 COVID-19 patients hospitalized.

According to the IDPH, 146,661 total vaccine doses have been administered to DeKalb County residents and 58,186 residents – 58% of the county’s population of 100,420, according to 2020 U.S. Census Bureau data – have been fully vaccinated. As of Wednesday, 29,239 booster shots had been administered to county residents. The seven-day rolling average of doses administered to county residents is 44.

The IDPH reported that 3,050,647 Illinoisans have tested positive for COVID-19, while 33,164 have died statewide. The department reported that at least 56,101,517 tests have been administered to date. That does not include self-tests administered at home.

Vaccination by ZIP code

Updated vaccination by ZIP code data shows the percentages of residents in DeKalb County ZIP codes who have been fully vaccinated as of March 16. This data is provisional and will be updated every Wednesday, according to the IDPH, and uses 2018 federal population data.

As of March 11:

• 60111 (includes Clare) ZIP code, 98.67% of the population is fully vaccinated (100% of residents have had at least one dose).

• 60112 (Cortland) ZIP code, 63.43% is fully vaccinated.

• 60115 (DeKalb) ZIP code, 50.59% is fully vaccinated.

• 60135 (Genoa), 62.37% is fully vaccinated.

• 60145 (Kingston), 46.17% is fully vaccinated.

• 60146 (Kirkland, Fairdale), 46.4% is fully vaccinated.

• 60150 (Malta), 53.37% is fully vaccinated.

• 60151 (Maple Park), 57.53% is fully vaccinated.

• 60178 (Sycamore), 66.34% is fully vaccinated.

• 60520 (Hinckley), 55.41% is fully vaccinated.

• 60548 (Sandwich), 54.82% is fully vaccinated.

• 60550 (Shabbona), 49.04% is fully vaccinated.

• 60552 (Somonauk), 52.51% is fully vaccinated.

• 60556 (Waterman), 52.83% is fully vaccinated.

Congregate care settings

Eight congregate care settings have reported outbreaks in the past 30 days, according to the DeKalb County Health Department. Some facilities’ vaccination data isn’t publicly available.

As of Mar. 11:

• Oak Crest DeKalb Area Retirement Center in DeKalb has reported 64 cases: 53 employees and 11 residents. According to the IDPH, 98.45% of Oak Crest employees are fully vaccinated, along with 100% of residents.

• Prairie Crossing Supportive Living has reported 12 cases: five employees and seven residents.

• DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center in DeKalb has reported 53 cases: 49 employees and four residents, and two deaths. 78.57% of its employees and 92.25% of residents are fully vaccinated at the facility.

• Sandwich Rehabilitation and Health Care Center has reported 12 cases: 10 staff members and two residents. According to the IDPH, 84.78% of its staff and 90.91% of its residents are fully vaccinated.

• Aperion Care in DeKalb has reported 44 cases: 26 staff members, 18 residents and one death.

The state 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 state 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.

Cases, deaths in DeKalb County

The following is a breakdown of cases and deaths from COVID-19, according to the DeKalb County Health Department, updated on Fridays. Reported cases may not convey how many actual cases are in the county because local and state data do not include cases identified through at-home tests, which are not reported to laboratories.

As of Mar. 11, there have been 5,705 cases in residents age 19 or younger, 4,986 in their 20s, 3,544 in their 30s, 2,935 in their 40s, 2,662 in their 50s, 1,735 in their 60s, 863 in their 70s and 673 in their 80s or older.

Of the 193 total deaths have been reported in DeKalb County by local health officials as of Mar. 11: 100 were in residents in their 80s or older, 30 were in their 70s, 34 in their 60s, 18 in their 50s, six in their 40s, three in their 30s, one in their 20s and one infant.

Neither state nor local data specifies how many cases are linked to COVID-19 variants.