MCHD reports 1 COVID-related death; Rolling positivity rate drops below 5%

Posted on April 26, 2021
McLean County’s rolling positivity rate went from 5.2% to 4.3% as of Monday. (WJBC file photo)

 

By Neil Doyle

BLOOMINGTON – McLean County health officials Monday reported another coronavirus-related death, bringing the number of lives lost to 217.

The health department says it was a man in his 60s not associated with a long-term care facility.

McLean County added 162 new cases of coronavirus since Friday. There are 58 McLean County residents in the hospital due to COVID and 545 are in home isolation.

Local hospitals are reporting 65% of ICU beds and 91% of total beds in use.

The county’s rolling positivity rate dipped down to 4.3%. 227 additional people were released from isolation, now 16,442 have recovered.

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…