51 new COVID cases in McLean County; Case total surpasses 800

Local health officials said 33 additional people have recovered from the virus. (Graphic courtesy McLean County Health Department)

 

By Neil Doyle

BLOOMINGTON – The McLean County Health Department on Wednesday announced 51 new cases of coronavirus, which is a new single-day high.

The number of active cases in the county went up to 159, four people are currently hospitalized, and 155 are isolating at home. Of the 830 confirmed cases, 655 people have recovered from the virus, and there have been 16-COVID related deaths.

The county’s rolling seven-day positivity rate went up to 2.7%.

MCHD Administrator Jessica McKnight shared an age breakdown for the new cases:

  • 1-9 years: 1

  • 10s: 26

  • 20s: 13

  • 30s: 4

  • 40s: 1

  • 50s: 5

  • 70s: 1

“As a community it is important for us to come together and prioritize public health prevention practices that lower our risk of becoming infected or infecting others,” said McKnight. “To lower your risk of infection, avoid closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded spaces with many people nearby, and close-contact settings.”

McKnight said everyone is at risk for getting COVID-19 if they are exposed to the virus.

She added face coverings remain one of the most effective tools we have available to us to slow the spread, particularly when used universally in a community setting.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…