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WGLT's reporting on the coronavirus pandemic, which began in McLean County in March 2020.

McLean County Adds 14 COVID Cases; Positivity Rate Dips Below 2%

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Ashley Binkowski
/
WGLT
McLean County announced 14 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday..

McLean County health officials announced 14 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.
The number of active cases increased to 66 (three people are hospitalized, 63 are  isolating at home), while the seven-day testing positivity rate fell below 2% for the first time in three weeks. The rate of 1.9% is below state and national averages.

The cumulative positivity rate in McLean County since the start of the pandemic remains 2.1%, based on more than 23,300 tests conducted.

The COVID-19 testing site at the Interstate Center in Bloomington broke its single-day testing record with 606 tests conducted on Tuesday. The previous record of 579 was set Monday.

The testing site is open to anyone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Fifteen people have died of the coronavirus in McLean County since the start of the pandemic while 405 people have recovered. The county has reported 486 confirmed COVID-19 cases. 

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Contact tracing compliance

McLean County Health Department Administrator Jessica McKnight said the public has generally complied with county's contact tracers when they call to get information that could help contain the spread of COVID.

“If they are putting the community at risk with noncompliance in that way, we can seek a court order for isolation or quarantine, but we always try to work for voluntary compliance with those orders,” McKnight said.

The county is hiring more contact tracers to deal with the rise in COVID-19 cases.

Contact tracers try to find out who a COVID-19 patient has come in contact with so they can have them go into quarantine.

Often, she said the hard part is reaching them.

“One of the difficulties is in this day and age we don’t always answer our phone when there is an unknown number that shows up, but we will always leave a voicemail identifying ourselves as the health department and ask for an individual to call back,” McKnight said.

Shet said the health department calls from multiple phone numbers.

We’re living in unprecedented times when information changes by the minute. WGLT will continue to be here for you, keeping you up-to-date with the live, local and trusted news you need. Help ensure WGLT can continue with its in-depth and comprehensive COVID-19 coverage as the situation evolves by making a contribution.

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