A McLean County woman in her 30s is the latest person to die from COVID-19 related complications.
She was not known to have any underlying health conditions and was not affiliated with a long-term care facility, according to the McLean County Health Department (MCHD).
Her death is the 39th reported since the start of the pandemic. Just one other person that young has died in McLean County. Andrea Schwalb, 34, passed away in September.
Health officials reported 104 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, as the county’s testing positivity rate jumped to 7.1%. That’s up from 5.8% on Wednesday.
Coronavirus - Testing Positivity Rate
Infogram
The number of hospitalizations also is on the rise. There are now 12 patients in the hospital; none are in intensive care. Another 508 people are isolating at home.
The new cases were found in a batch of about 1,000 test results returned in the last 24 hours. Testing has increased significantly in the past week, with positivity rates and active caseloads continuing to rise.
"Our daily case counts in McLean County have been increasing, and our positivity rate points to the prevalence of the virus in our community," said health department Administrator Jessica McKnight. "We currently have over 500 active cases, which we haven’t seen since right before and right after our previous surge. We know that hospitalizations and deaths are a lagging indicator, with increases in both often seen several weeks after surges in new cases. We cannot wait for our hospitals to be at capacity to take steps that will slow the spread of this virus and save lives. It is imperative that we all do our part."
Illinois State University conducted 1,592 tests on campus in the last week -- above its weekly goal of 1,500. Those tests returned 80 positive cases.
The university's testing positivity rate is now 5%. That's up from 2.9% a week ago.
There were 103 active cases on ISU's campus as of Thursday. That number was 58 last week. The university's quarantine bed use dropped by half, to 1%.
Loading...
There's no subscription fee to listen or read our stories. Everyone can access this essential public service thanks to community support. Donate now, and help fund your public media.
