PEORIA, Ill. – “Grim.”
That’s how Peoria City-County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson describes the most recent weekly COVID-19 statistics in the Tri-County area.
The Tri-Counties now average 444 new cases every day, up almost 100 from a week before, and the grand total is 66,810, up 3,107 from the week before.
Peoria County, as of Tuesday, is up to 33,570 cases, up 1,798 in the past week. Tazewell County is now at 25,906 cases, up 1,070. Woodford County increased 239 cases in a week, to 7,334.
Deaths are up to 921, up 17 in the last week. Peoria County has 442 deaths, Tazewell County has 368, and Woodford County has 111.
After 2,770 cases were at in-home isolation last week, officials say this week, that’s increased to 4,471.
If you do test positive, Hendrickson says you may start getting a text message that is not spam.
“It will read that ‘IDPH (Illinois Department of Public Health) COVID. this is important info for you. Call (312) 777-1999 or click’ and it will have a link for further information,” said Hendrickson.
But, that will come if you test positive at a healthcare facility, which you should go to for accurate results after you use an at-home COVID test.
Unless you are seriously ill, don’t go to the emergency room, especially to get tested for COVID-19.
“If you’re having symptoms, talk to your appropriate primary care provider to get tested, or of course now at the (Peoria) Civic Center” said Hendrickson, noting that it will be open six days a week starting January 3.
The region the Tri-Counties are in now sits at 8.6% of all ICU beds being available.
Also at Tuesday’s briefing, Hendrickson again confirmed that the Omicron variant is in the Peoria area. That’s a story WMBD News first brought you last week.
