MCHD announces new cases of COVID-19, moving county total to 86

Posted on April 20, 2020
McLean County Health officials say that of the 86 cases, 73 have recovered. (Photo courtesy: McLean County Health Department)

By Blake Haas

BLOOMINGTON – The McLean County Health Department announced a new case of COVID-19, moving the county total to 86 confirmed cases.

“As we continue to say, it’s too early for us to say if we are through the worst of this yet. Again with the measures the public are taking it’s definitely helping.” Jessica McKnight McLean County Health Department Administrator said.

Of the 86 confirmed cases, three have died, one remains hospitalized, and nine remain in home isolation. Officials note that of the 83 cases, 73 have recovered.

Health officials say that 1,650 tests have been conducted at the McLean County Fairgrounds, with 40 of those tests resulting in positive cases.

However, McLean County Communicable Disease Supervisor Melissa Graven said only 1% of McLean County residents had been tested for COVID-19.

“All the studies that I’m seeing and your reading, I’m reading and the public health experts that I look too really say that you should be testing at least 50% of your population up too 80% so you know exactly how the virus is spreading in your community and you can do good contact tracing… Obviously, we are testing 1%, and I think throughout Illinois were testing 1% of our population. That’s not where we need to be in order to understand this virus and how it’s operating in our community.”

The McLean County Fairgrounds has tested 1,650 people. (Photo courtesy: WJBC/File)

Officials report that two long-term care workers at Luther Oaks have tested positive for COVID-19, but have fully recovered. No long-term care residents have tested positive for coronavirus.

During his daily press briefing heard on AM 1230 WJBC, Gov. Pritzker announced 1,151 new cases of COVID-19 including 59 deaths moving the statewide totals to 31,508 cases and 1,349 deaths.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected]

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