MCHD Reports 3 More COVID Deaths; Pause on J&J Vaccine

Three more McLean County residents have died of COVID-19 complications.

All three were men – one in his 60’s and one in his 70’s who did not live in long-term care facilities, and another in his 90’s who did. There have now been 213 COVID-related deaths in McLean County since the start of the pandemic.

The McLean County Health Department (MCHD) on Tuesday reported 53 new confirmed or probable cases of coronavirus as the county’s test rate rose to 5.7%.

44 residents of McLean County have been hospitalized with COVID. The capacity of hospital beds remained at 4%. There are more patients in intensive care. That percentage is back to 88%.

The active caseload has dropped overnight. That figure is now 589, with 545 residents of the county isolating at home. Another 68 people are now considered recovered.

MCHD has suspended administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until further notice. That follows a joint statement from the CDC and the FDA pushing for discontinuation of the single-dose injections out of “an abundance of caution,” while health officials are reviewing reports of rare, potentially dangerous blood clots.

A vaccination clinic scheduled on Tuesday for Illinois Wesleyan University students has been postponed. MCHD and IWU notified those scheduled to receive an injection. Those agreements are being rescheduled.

All other MCHD clinics will continue as planned. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was not scheduled for distribution at any of the clinics in the Grossinger Motors Arena this week.

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