Regional weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations dip, state data shows

DeKALB – Regional hospitalizations related to COVID-19 fell slightly in the past 24 hours, according to state data updated Friday, which shows a weekly average of 22 patients in regional hospitals due to the virus.

The eight new COVID-19 cases reported Friday bring the total to 23,293, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. 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 deaths were reported, leaving the death toll at 194.

According to the IDPH, 17 more residents became fully vaccinated as of Friday and 28 more booster shots were administered.

Hospitalizations and positivity rate

As of Friday, 29 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 1.4%. The DeKalb County positivity rate is 2.2%. Positivity rates are reported with a three-day data lag. Region 1 also reported a seven-day average of 22 COVID-19 patients hospitalized.

According to the IDPH, 147,344 total vaccine doses have been administered to DeKalb County residents.

And 58,380 residents – or 58.13% of the county’s population of 100,420, according to 2020 U.S. Census Bureau data – have been fully vaccinated.

A total of 29,564 booster shots have been administered to county residents. The seven-day rolling average of doses administered to county residents is 51.

The IDPH reports on its website that all vaccine data, which is updated every business day, is provisional.

The IDPH reported 3,069,650 cases in Illinois of people testing positive for COVID-19, while 33,394 have died statewide. The department reported that at least 57,392,864 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 30. This data is provisional and will be updated every Wednesday, according to the IDPH, and uses 2018 federal population data.

As of March 30:

• 60111 (includes Clare) ZIP code, 100% of the population is fully vaccinated.

• 60112 (Cortland) ZIP code, 63.77% is fully vaccinated.

• 60115 (DeKalb) ZIP code, 50.71% is fully vaccinated.

• 60135 (Genoa), 62.5% is fully vaccinated.

• 60145 (Kingston), 46.46% is fully vaccinated.

• 60146 (Kirkland, Fairdale), 46.59% is fully vaccinated.

• 60150 (Malta), 53.9% is fully vaccinated.

• 60151 (Maple Park), 57.78% is fully vaccinated.

• 60178 (Sycamore), 66.38% is fully vaccinated.

• 60520 (Hinckley), 55.59% is fully vaccinated.

• 60548 (Sandwich), 54.99% is fully vaccinated.

• 60550 (Shabbona), 49.24% is fully vaccinated.

• 60552 (Somonauk), 52.35% is fully vaccinated.

• 60556 (Waterman), 52.98% is fully vaccinated.

Congregate care settings

Three 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.

Sandwich Rehabilitation and Health Care Center and DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center were removed from outbreak mode this week.

As of April 1:

• Oak Crest DeKalb Area Retirement Center in DeKalb has reported 66 cases: 55 employees and 11 residents. According to the IDPH, 97.72% of Oak Crest employees are fully vaccinated, along with 100% of residents. Oak Crest did not report new cases this week.

• Aperion Care in DeKalb has reported 45 cases: 27 staff members, 18 residents and one death. Per IDPH, 84.62% of staff and 95.12% of residents are fully vaccinated. Aperion did not report new cases this week.

• Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion in Sandwich reported new cases this week, including two in residents.

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 April 1 there have been 5,744 cases in residents age 19 or younger, 5,046 in their 20s, 3,571 in their 30s, 2,954 in their 40s, 2,681 in their 50s, 1,746 in their 60s, 872 in their 70s and 678 in their 80s or older.

Of the 194 total deaths have been reported in DeKalb County by local health officials as of April 1: 100 were in residents in their 80s or older, 30 were in their 70s, 35 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.