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McLean County reaches 15 COVID-related deaths in October, the highest monthly total since February

face masks hang from IV pole
Jenny Kane
/
AP
McLean County has reported 15 COVID-related deaths in October.

McLean County health officials reported Monday two more people have died of COVID-19. That brings the county's COVID death toll in October to 15, thecounty's highest monthly total since February, when few people had access to the COVID vaccine.

The McLean County Health Department (MCHD) said the two deaths are of a man in his 50s and a man in his 70s. The older man was associated with long-term care.

There have been 272 COVID-related deaths in McLean County since the start of the pandemic.

The county topped 23,000 coronavirus cases on Monday with 95 new cases recorded from the weekend. Seventeen McLean County residents are hospitalized with COVID-19, and 233 people are isolating at home.

The county’s seven-day testing positivity rate dipped to 1.9%. The rate of fully vaccinated in McLean County is 55.2%, compared to the state average of 56.7%.

School cases

Weekly coronavirus caseloads have dropped in Bloomington-Normal public schools.

Unit 5 reported on its COVID dashboard 34 new cases among students and staff last week — down from 48 the week before. Student and staff quarantines were nearly cut in half from 203 the week of Oct. 10-16 to 115 for the week of Oct. 17-23.

District 87 noted on its dashboard seven students tested positive for the coronavirus last week. The district had 15 student cases the week before. However, the district reported a rise in the number of students who had to quarantine either because they were a close contact, or they experienced COVID-like symptoms. That count rose from 226 the week of Oct. 11-15 to 249 the following week.

Eric Stock is the News Director at WGLT. You can contact Eric at ejstoc1@ilstu.edu.
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