The McLean County Health Department on Tuesday reported six more COVID-19 related deaths. That’s the highest single-day death toll since the start of the pandemic.
The new deaths all involved older adults. They include three women associated with long-term care facilities—one in her 70s and two in their 90s. Two men—one in his 70s and one his 90s—and another woman in her 80s also died. Fifty-six McLean County residents have now died from the coronavirus.
Currently, there are 20 people from McLean County hospitalized with COVID, as hospital bed capacity continues to constrict. Eighty-eight percent of intensive care unit beds are currently in use, up from 85% on Monday. Only 6% of total hospital beds are open--the first time in more than a week that figure is in the single digits.
The health department reported 101 new confirmed COVID cases Tuesday, as the county’s testing positivity rate climbed to 11.3%. This put the number of cases confirmed in November to more than 4,000.
More than 1,300 McLean County residents are isolating at home. An additional 225 are now considered recovered.
Hospitalizations and deaths are a lagging indicator. Health department officials anticipate an increase in reported hospitalizations and deaths could follow several weeks after a surge of new infections.
This story will be updated.
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