As vaccinations increase, some of McLean County’s COVID-19 data is trending in the wrong direction.The number of McLean County residents hospitalized for COVID-19 reached a two-month high at 27 on Thursday, according to data from the McLean County Health Department (MCHD).
The department announced 53 new coronavirus cases on Thursday.
The county’s testing positivity rate of 4.6% is the highest it has been since early February.
The active COVID caseload of 335 also is the county's highest since early February.
The county's rise in COVID cases and emergency room visits also have given McLean County a warning designation from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), based on data from March 7-13.
The health department said 308 people are isolating at home and 28 people have recovered since Wednesday. The county counted 14,705 people who have competed their time in quarantine.
Bloomington-Normal hospitals are 82% full and 62% of ICU beds are in use. Those numbers are about the same, 82% and 65%, respectively, from a day earlier. Those hospitals have nine COVID patients.
McLean County’s cumulative positivity rate is 5.6%, based on more than 269,500 tests conducted since the start of the pandemic.
The county's COVID death toll stands at 177.
Coronavirus In McLean County
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COVID vaccines
MCHD has announced it has opened appointments for four first-dose vaccination clinics March 30-April 2 at Grossinger Motors Arena in downtown Bloomington. The clinics are open to everyone who has Phase 1A, 1B and 1B+ eligibility.
Nearly 64,000 vaccines have been put into people’s arms in McLean County. More than 21,700 McLean County residents have received both vaccine doses. The county’s rate of fully vaccinated is 12.6%. That trails the state average of 15.1%.
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