PEORIA, Ill. – COVID-19 cases continue to be on the rise in the Tri-County region, and that has the head of the Peoria City/County Health Department more than a little concerned.
Administrator Monica Hendrickson said at a briefing Thursday says with more than 45,500 cases of COVID-19 between Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford Counties, up more than 700 in the past week, it reminds her of another period of time.
“The Tri-County [area] is averaging more than 100 new cases per day, which is similar to May 9th,” said Hendrickson.
Hendrickson said at least in Peoria County, what’s more concerning is where many of those cases are coming from.
“The highest number of our active cases are among our 20- to 29-year-olds. They account for 21 percent of our cases,” said Hendrickson, “while our 10- to 19-year-olds account for our second-highest number of active cases at 17 percent.”
At UnityPoint Health’s hospitals in the area, Dr. Praveen Sudhindra, Infectious Disease Specialist, says more than 20 COVID patients are admitted there, and a third are on ventilators. But, that’s not the only problem.
“It leads to immense strain to our health care system, our health care workers, nursing staff, physicians, advance practice providers,” said Suhindra. “It also strains the supply chain in terms of medications that we are currently using.”
Sudhindra says the vast majority of cases are among the un-vaccinated. And, he says while there are some pediatric cases of COVID-19, there is also an uptick of RSV cases.
Officials say in the Tri-County area, there are 785 COVID-19 deaths, an increase of eight in the past week. Twenty-five ICU beds, and 65 non-ICU beds, are currently in use for COVID patients at the local hospitals.
A joint letter is being distributed to local children’s health care providers issuing guidance regarding exemptions to the in-school mask mandate for schools.
In regards to Thursday’s new indoor mask mandate issued by Governor JB Pritzker, Hendrickson said she is still waiting on guidance regarding enforcement and any penalties, but she feels education is still the best first method.
