Two new cases of the coronavirus were reported in McLean County on Saturday, including one of the youngest patients seen to date.
There have been 16 new cases reported in the past week, according to the McLean County Health Department. There were just seven new cases the week before that.
The two new cases reported Saturday include a girl between age 10 and 19, and a woman in her 80s, the health department reported. They are both isolating at home.
McLean County has now seen 241 confirmed cases since the pandemic began. The vast majority (209) already have recovered. Thirteen people have died, including nine residents and one employee at a single Bloomington nursing home.
One potential factor in the uptick in new cases is more testing. The drive-thru testing site at the Interstate Center averaged 110 people per day over the past week. That's up from the 78-per-day average during the first week after Pekin-based Reditus Labs took over the site on May 23.
State data also suggests a slight uptick in testing locally. Around 460 new test results from McLean County were reported to the state Saturday—the highest total in week.
Another factor could be the reopening economy. More businesses were allowed to reopen at the end of May as the state entered Phase 3 of the governor's Restore Illinois plan.
There also have been more large gatherings in the past few weeks as groups have protested racism and police brutality locally. The McLean County Health Department said earlier this week that it was working proactively to encourage those attending demonstrations to wear masks, wash their hands, and keep their distance from one another.
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