Will County health officials have a simple message as students head back to school and COVID-19 cases continue to increase: Get vaccinated and mask up.
“If you aren’t vaccinated, get vaccinated,” Health Department spokesman Steve Brandy said. “It will provide protection and even if you still get sick you’re going to be less sick.”
Brandy also reminded residents to wear their face masks, regardless of vaccine status, and practice social distancing.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Will County reported a 5.5% test positivity rate for the week of July 25 to July 31. Region 7, which includes Will and Kankakee counties, reported a 5.6% test positivity rate Aug. 3, up from 3.7% for the region July 25. The region also has seen a steady increase over the past 10 days of hospitalizations due to COVID-19, with 26 patients in Region 7 hospitals July 27 and 55 patients Aug. 5, according to state health department data.
COVID-19 cases have been on the increase as the delta variant has emerged.
“It’s happening everywhere,” Brandy said.
County health officials returned to providing daily updates on COVID-19 cases including case and death counts. On Friday, the county reported 141 new cases. No new COVID-19 related deaths were reported for Will County Friday.
Health officials are hopeful a number of planned pop-up clinics will increase the number of residents who are vaccinated. Will County ranks 5th in the state with 348,553 residents who are fully vaccinated.
Data released Friday also outlined who is receiving the vaccine. Of the 721,321 vaccines given:
* 434,095 doses, or 60%, went to Caucasian residents
* 100,512 doses, or 13.9%, went to Hispanic residents
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* 64,421 doses, or 8.9%, went to Black residents
* 53,876 doses, or 7.5%, went to Asian residents
* The remaining 68,380 doses went to American Indian or Alaska Native (2,813 doses), Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (1,245) or residents of other or unknown backgrounds (64,322 doses).
The Health Department recently awarded $138,000 in grants to 10 agencies to aid in community outreach and serving communities with limited access to vaccines.
The 10 organizations receiving grant funds are Holsten Human Capital Development at Riverwalk Homes in Joliet, Fairmont Community Partnership Group, Inc., National Hook Up of Black Women, Spanish Community Center, Warehouse Workers for Justice, Warren-Sharpe Community Center, Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project, Child Care Resource & Referral, Easter Seals and the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic.
All but one agency received a $15,000 grant. Easter Seals was awarded $3,000. Though specifics of how the money would be used by each agency was not available, health officials said the money will be used for things such as providing transportation to and from vaccination appointments, door to door and neighborhood canvassing, pop-up vaccination clinics and educational campaigns.
Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter.