PEORIA, Ill. – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Tri-County region continues to average less than 100 per day, but that’s counting what officials say is an outbreak at a local long-term care facility.
Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson says the outbreak involves about 20 residents at Grandview Memorial Care, but could have been worse.
“The population we are working with was one that was on the initial drive to get vaccines early on because of their higher risk,” said Hendrickson. “They are currently vaccinated.”
Hendrickson says the cases are not transitioning into severe cases or ones that require hospitalizations. But she says it highlights the need for those eligible for booster vaccines, to start getting them.
Meanwhile, with approval expected soon for the COVID-19 vaccine to be given to some of the youngest population, the Peoria City/County Health Department says it will be ready.
Administrator Monica Hendrickson says an order to that end has already been made.
“Our area hospital systems, our [Federally Qualified Health Center], and our local health departments were able to do a pre-order of Pfizer pediatric vaccine, to get it stationed and ready for us, when that news gets released,” said Hendrickson.
Hendrickson says the agencies were only able to order a limited supply of the pediatric Pfizer vaccine. But she says that could help as many as 15,000 youth get vaccinated in Peoria County alone.
Thirty percent of the confirmed cases in the past week in the tri-county region were on those aged zero to 19.
As of Thursday, according to statistics, the Tri-County region has 53,490 confirmed cases of COVID-19, up 429 over the past week. Peoria County has 27,081 confirmed cases; Tazewell County has 20,556, and Woodford County has 5,853.
The seven day average sits at 61 new cases per day, 33 of those in Peoria County.
828 total deaths have been recorded, up five in the past week.
552 active cases are currently in isolation at home. 26 new hospitalizations were recorded in the past week, up from 23 the week before. Fourteen ICU beds in local hospitals are in use for COVID cases, with 57 cases not in the ICU.
