COVID cases on the rise in Grundy County
Coal City School Superintendent Dr. Kent Bugg urged parents on Monday to keep children at home if they display any symptoms of COVID.
“Given the current surge in cases we are seeing, not just in our school district but throughout the county, it is very important that you keep your child home if he/she is showing any COVID symptoms,” Bugg said.
The message to parents came as the district witnessed an uptick in student and staff cases of the virus. Since Thanksgiving break, the district has been made aware of 12 new student cases and four staff cases—nine of those student cases were reported Monday.
“And we have much higher numbers than usual out for COVID symptoms,” the superintendent said.
Symptoms requiring exclusion from school include fever of 100.4 or higher, new onset of moderate to severe headache, shortness of breath, new cough, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, new loss of sense of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle or body ache from an unknown cause.
“
Sending a symptomatic child to school who later tests positive needlessly puts other students at risk of exclusion due to close contact,” Bugg said.
Heading into the holiday week, the district’s 10-day case count was 24 students and two staff members. The largest number of student cases were at the early childhood center and intermediate school.
In a report from the Grundy County Health Department, the Illinois Department of Public Health [IDPH] reports an increase of 67 youth cases countywide during the most recent reporting period—Nov. 14-20.
County level COVID risk metrics put Grundy County in warning level based on the number of new cases per 100,000 population—335— and a ICU bed availability of 17.9%.
The metrics, reported Nov. 26, lag by one week.
As of Monday, the total number of positive cases in the county reached 8,139 with 90 deaths resulting from COVID complications.
Currently the health department is following 83 people who have recently tested positive and are in isolation, as well as each of their close contacts.
Along with data shared by the local and state health departments, Morris Hospital and Healthcare Centers provide a daily report on COVID hospitalization.
On Monday, the hospital noted a substantial increase in COVID hospitalization with 22 patients—18 of those individuals are unvaccinated.
The hospital posted that is the highest number of hospitalized patients with COVID since December of 2020. It’s seven-day positivity rate stands at 19.5%
Among the 22 patients being treated for COVID, five are in the intensive care unit—four unvaccinated and one vaccinated— and one [unvaccinated] individual is currently on a ventilator.
According to IDPH 51.22% of the county’s population is fully vaccinated. This includes 16 children ages 5-11 years old, 1,857 kids aged 12-17 years, 17,983 people aged 18-64 years of age and 6,252 aged 65 and older.
The health department will hold walk-in vaccine clinics every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until Christmas at the Grundy County Administration Center, 1320 Union St., Morris.
All three vaccines —Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson—intend to be offered at each clinic, while supplies last.
The clinics will be open from 9 a.m. to noon, or by appointment by calling the health department at 815-941-3404.
First, second and third doses are available for residents age 12 and older, and booster doses are available for anyone 18 years of age and older, regardless of medical condition or work setting.
Unless obtaining a first dose, vaccine record of previous doses must be presented.
Local residents needing COVID testing can take advantage of a service offered by the Unit 1 School District.
Healthy Medical, Inc. provides testing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon at the Unit 1 Administration Center, 550 S. Carbon Hill Rd. Any asymptomatic adult or child wanting to take advantage of this testing option should enter the district office through the door on the east side of the building.
Symptomatic individuals should remain in their vehicle and call 815-450-5504 upon arrival at the administration center.
The cost is $30 per test.