BOURBONNAIS – The Illinois Department of Health announced for the third straight time since Friday over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases in the State Sunday afternoon, including 42 deaths.
New cases announced a day after IDPH announced Saturday a record high 12,000+ cases. There have now been over 70,000 newly confirmed cases in Illinois since November 1st, and over 400 COVID deaths.
The rolling seven-day positivity rating for the state was 10.6% Sunday afternoon. Indoor dining is one of those activities limited under statewide mitigation efforts, yet few statewide are enforcing the measures proven to be linked to rising case numbers.
Inflated case numbers showed their nasty head last week at businesses and schools across the area. As of Friday a Bourbonnais school, Bradley School District #61, Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School, and Olivet Nazarene University all moved to remote or altered students’ movements through the end of the month to mitigate inflating case numbers.
Meanwhile, COVID reared it’s ugly head at long-term care facilities across Region 7 once again last week, including Shapiro Developmental Center, Manteno Veterans Home, Citadel of Kankakee, Beecher Manor, and Frankfort Terrace, all reporting newly active cases to IDPH.
Locally, Kankakee officials insist locals remain calm while Region 7 climbed to a record high 15.4% rolling weekly positivity rating Sunday. Kankakee County’s rolling seven-day positivity hit a record high 15.1% Sunday, while Will County sits close but ahead at a record 15.5%. New hospital restrictions were announced in Kankakee Friday at Riverside Healthcare who entering the weekend was treating 31 of the county’s 39 cases of COVID Friday.
Last week, Kankakee County Health Department set new daily records for cases, announcing 238 Friday, caping off a week that added nearly 1,000 cases in the community of just over 100,000 residents.
Due to the rising case numbers, Region 7 will enter Tier 2 mitigation this Wednesday, which include:
- No indoor dining
- Bars and Restaurants limiting tables to six people or less
- Limit to 10 guests in both indoor and outdoor settings
- Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity both indoors & outdoors
- Groups limited to 10 or fewer people
