McLean County health officials announced four more COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the local total to 17.The latest cases include two women in their 70s. Both women are hospitalized, with one of them in intensive care. The two other cases are men in their 40s who are both self-isolating at home.
The McLean County Health Department has not released new totals on testing, saying the new mobile testing site that opened in Bloomington on Saturday is difficult to track because it is open to more than just McLean County residents.
Fewer than 200 people were tested for COVID-19 in the first two days of drive-thru testing at the McLean County Fairgrounds.
The health department reported 80 tests were conducted on Saturday and 107 on Sunday.
David Hopper, emergency preparedness coordinator with the McLean County Health Department, called the turnout “underwhelming.”
“We were definitely hopeful there would have been more and we hope as the week goes along there will be more people taking advantage of this local screening opportunity,” Hopper said.
The testing site at the Interstate Center in Bloomington loosened its guidelines Sundayfor who can be tested after a light turnout Saturday. People no longer need to have a temperature of 100.4 or above.
The drive-up site remains open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hopper said it’s not clear how long the site will be open or if the state might further relax guidelines to open it to the general public.
Listed below is each McLean County patient and their status on the day the MCHD announced them:
- male, 70s, hospitalized in good condition
- male, 40s
- male, 20s
- female, 70s
- female, 20s, self-isolating at home
- female, 70s, hospitalized in intensive care (underlying health conditions)
- male, 50s, self-isolating at home (history of international travel)
- female, 60s, hospitalized in good condition
- female, 60s, hospitalized in ICU
- female, 80s, hospitalized in ICU
- female, 70s, self-isolating at home
- male, 70s, self-isolating at home
- female, 30s, self-isolating at home
- male, 40s, self-isolating at home
- male, 40s, self-isolating at home
- female, 70s, hospitalized
- female, 70s, hospitalized in ICU
Coronavirus in McLean County
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McLean County health officials say it's too soon to project when COVID-19 cases could peak locally, but communicable disease supervisor Melissa Graven said she expects the number to keep rising for a while.
“We knew we were going to see more cases. These cases are simply just the tip of a really big iceberg,” Graven said. “We know and fully anticipate we are going to see a lot more.”
Graven said the trend of patients age 60 and over being hardest hit by the coronavirus is consistent with the national trend, while those under 40 generally have less severe symptoms but still need to follow quarantine guidelines.
Four of the McLean County patients remain in intensive care, while three others remain hospitalized.
Gov. JB Pritzker projects the state will reach its COVID-19 peak in mid-April.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 461 additional cases and seven deaths Monday. The statewide total of COVID-19 cases grew on Monday to 5,056 and 72 deaths, including one in McLean County.
COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in 52 counties.
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