McLean County health officials reported five more COVID-related deaths Friday, including a man in his 30s.The McLean County Health Department (MCHD) said the four other deaths were all tied to long-term care facilities. They include a woman in her 80s, two women in their 90s and a man in his 90s.
That brings McLean County’s COVID death toll to 170.
Meanwhile, the county’s overall coronavirus count dropped Friday as the health department removed 32 coronavirus cases that it said were the result of false positives or from people outside of McLean County.
MCHD added 31 new probable or confirmed coronavirus cases to bring its caseload since the start of the pandemic to 14,320.
The county reports 224 people are isolating at home at 13,906 people have completed their time in quarantine and are considered recovered.
The department said 20 McLean County residents are hospitalized with COVID-19--up two from Thursday.
Hospital capacity in Bloomington-Normal remains limited as 90% of beds are occupied, including 65% of intensive care beds. Thirteen people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in McLean County hospitals.
The county’s rolling testing positivity rate dropped a half-point to 2.7%, matching the statewide mark, while the county’s cumulative positivity rate since the start of the pandemic holds at 6.1%, based on more than 234,700 tests conducted since last March.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 63 additional deaths on Friday, including a Livingston County man in his 80s and a Piatt County woman in her 80s.
Coronavirus In McLean County
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Vaccinations update
IDPH reports 27,164 COVID vaccine doses have been put into people’s arms in McLean County so far, and 4.1% of the county’s population has received both vaccine doses. That’s higher than the state average of 4%.
MCHD administrator Jessica McKnight warned first-dose vaccines will remain limitedin the coming weeks due to weather-related delays in distribution. The county’s four second-dose clinics are still scheduled for next week, but McKnight has said they could be postponed if expected vaccine doses are delayed.
The clinics are scheduled for:
- Tuesday, Feb. 23, at Grossinger Motors Arena in downtown Bloomington
- Wednesday, Feb. 24, at the Activity and Recreation Center (ARC) in Normal
- Thursday, Feb. 25, at Grossinger
- Friday, Feb. 26, at the ARC
Vaccine hesitancy forum
MCHD has teamed up with the Bloomington-Normal NAACP to address vaccine hesitancy.
The agency has scheduled a virtual town hall from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 22.
Local NAACP chapter president Linda Foster said doctors and nurses of color will address concerns people may have about the vaccine.
“Hopefully to dispel any type of myth, misinformation and having those entities that have the background, the experience, the skills,” Foster said.
The moderator will be Jennifer Mata, a registered nurse and secretary of the Black Nurses Association of Central Illinois.
Presenters include Dr. Gustavo Galue, a Spanish-speaking family practice specialist with OSF Healthcare; Dr. Ansel Johnson, president of Healthy Living with a Vision Foundation; Dr. Dele Ogunleye, an OBGYN with Advanced Women’s Healthcare in Bloomington; Dr. Dionna Pendleton, a hospitalist with Carle Family Medicine; Dr. James Thompson, an Orland Park-based immunologist with the Healthy Living with a Vision Foundation; and Dr. Anita Tillman, a pediatrician with Carle Family Medicine;
The Zoom link is available here.
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