90 new cases of coronavirus cases have been discovered over the weekend in our 4 county area according to public health departments. White County added 32 new cases Friday through Sunday including 10 aged in their teens or younger. Gallatin County added 15 new cases, just one male in his teens. Saline County reports 38 fresh cases from the weekend. Of them, 6 are teen aged or younger. Hamilton County officials announced 5 new cases from the weekend, four of them were diagnosed on Sunday, and the other Monday morning.
Most concerning is new data that shows Region 5 of the state which includes all of southern Illinois from Marion County south is currently with only 1 Intensive Care Unit bed currently open. Only 32 of the region’s 259 ventilators are in use, but having just one ICU bed experts agree is troubling. While many agree the coronavirus and the delta variant aren’t that deadly, having so many sick people puts a serious strain on healthcare workers and facilities. The worry is if beds are taken up by CoViD-19 patients, others suffering medical conditions and emergencies can’t or won’t receive the same level or as prompt care otherwise.
