Darrell Hoemann
For one Champaign Unit 4 school parent, vaccinating his child is important. “How can you go against science?” Daniel Martinez said. “I lost my…
Illinois Department of Public Health
Influenza-like illness (ILI) activity has decreased compared to previous years in Illinois. The highest ILI rate was in mid-February of 2020 at 7.4%. That is a 93.2% decrease to 0.5% of ILI activity in February of 2021 compared to 2020.
Gavin Good
A review of more than 400 complaints about partying and public health violations, multiple disciplinary actions and partial lockdowns at apartment complexes show the impact of the partying and social gathering was far wider than previously recognized. While many students obeyed guidelines that included wearing masks and social distancing, a significant number of students held or attended large parties and social gatherings at Greek houses, dorms and apartments. Public records show that four fraternities and one sorority have been disciplined and more than 1,000 students were disciplined.
Outside of private homes, bars and restaurants have been the largest source of COVID-19 exposures among cases in Champaign County, according to data from the health district. In November and thus far in December, hospitals or clinics were the top source of COVID-19 exposure. The health district’s graphic shows 26% of reported COVID-19 cases - or 23 cases - within Champaign County were tied to a hospital or clinic in December. There were 112 cases tied to a hospital or clinic in November.
Google Street View
On Monday, Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department Administrator Julie Pryde, joined by officials from Carle Foundation Hospital and OSF HealthCare Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana, warned that hospitals are approaching capacity. The officials said that Region 6 — which covers 21 counties in east-central Illinois including Champaign County — has only 29% of its Intensive Care Unit capacity and 29% of its hospital bed capacity remaining as virus cases surged.
CU-CitizenAccess
There has been concern nationally about the ability of people of color to get tested for COVID-19, especially because they have been identified as more vulnerable to the virus. Melaney Arnold, public health information officer at the Illinois Department of Public Health, wrote in an email, “The data show Black and Hispanic populations are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.”
Darrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess
Cases and deaths have been rising in Champaign County and the other 20 counties that make up what the state public health officials designate as Region 6, which covers East central Illinois. The county is also on a state alert because of the rate of infection, 471 cases per 100,000, which nine times the target rate of 50 cases per 100,000.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s revised calculation of the campus positivity rate of COVID-19 has potentially lowered the rate substantially by reducing the number of reported positive tests. Epidemiologists say the more accurate way to calculate positivity would be to divide unique positive tests by unique total tests, but that information is not always available.
From May 1 to Oct. 31, 2018 public health officials temporarily closed or failed 16 restaurants, eateries and cafes, according to a review of inspection records from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. Inspectors failed eight restaurants between Jan. 1, 2018 and April 30, 2018.
Darrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess.org
Altogether, from June 1 to September 30, 16 food establishments were closed or failed inspections for health code violations, according to a review of inspection records by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District.
