PEORIA, Ill. — The Peoria City/County Health Department Monday announced six new cases of COVID-19 in the Tri-County area along with one new death.
The death reported was a male in his 80’s from Tazewell County. He is the fourth death due to COVID-19 in the Tri-County area and the third in Tazewell County.
Public Health Administrator Monica Hendrickson said that the individual who died was not part of the investigation ongoing at Generations at Riverview in Tazewell County.
Previously, both of Tazewell County’s deaths resided at Generations at Riverview.
In the local hospitals, Hendrickson said 22 intensive care unit (ICU) beds are in use.
“Sixteen for persons under investigation, and six for confirmed cases,” Hendrickson said. “There are 30 non-ICU beds in use.”
There are now 59 total confirmed cases in the Tri-County area: 31 in Peoria County, 19 in Tazewell County, and nine in Woodford County.
In Peoria County, nine of those who have tested positive are now considered recovered, 18 are in home isolation, and three are currently hospitalized. 68% of those who have tested positive in Peoria County have been female with 32% being male.
Hendrickson says the higher percentage of females could be related to women typically living longer than men.
“Also, those that live in congregate settings such as nursing homes, overall in those communities you’re going to have older females that live in those settings,” Hendrickson said. “The truth of the matter is from the mortality data point is that females live longer than males, and they tend to live in those nursing homes.”
COVID-19 is now being reported across all age ranges from 20-99 in the Tri-County area.
Hendrickson said that COVID-19 will be in local communities for a long-time, even if stay-at-home restrictions are eased or lifted.
“We will continue to see cases, as well as deaths, throughout the year,” said Hendrickson.
