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Tri-County begins February with 13 COVID-19 deaths in four days

A computer rendering of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Radoslav Zilinsky
/
Getty Images
A computer rendering of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Following the region’s second-deadliest month of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tri-County public health officials on Friday reported 13 additional fatalities attributed to the disease since Monday.

Meanwhile, active cases in Peoria County dipped below 1,000 for the first time since mid-December.

After their offices were closed for two days by the midweek winter storm, the Peoria City/County Health Department accounted for eight deaths in the past 72 hours while the Tazewell County Health department added two; each had reported one new death on Tuesday. Woodford County announced its 120th fatality on Friday.

The region's death toll since March 2020 now stands at 1,072, while the cumulative case count is up to 89,888 with 703 new infections recorded since Tuesday.

Peoria County’s COVID-19 caseload is down to 925, with 39 residents hospitalized and 886 isolating at home. That represents the fewest active cases in the county since 893 were reported Dec. 13.

Woodford County has 461 active cases, while caseload figures for Tazewell County are not available. Health department totals do not include individuals whose over-the-counter test results are not reported to public agencies.

The latest figures from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) show 56.6% of Tri-County residents are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and 60.9% have received at least one dose. Children under age 5 are now eligible to get the shot.

The IDPH on Friday announced 60,389 new COVID-19 cases statewide over the past seven days, less than half as many as were recorded in the previous week (123,812).

Contact Joe at jdeacon@ilstu.edu.