The Knox County Health Department (KCHD) is announcing 109 new cases of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), between Friday, October 23, 2020 through Monday, October 26, 2020, bringing the total positive cases to 1,340. Due to federal privacy restriction, release of any additional information is prohibited. In every effort to reduce the risk of additional transmission, local public health officials are working to identify and actively monitor individuals who were in direct contact with these individuals.
The new cases include:
● 2 Males < 1
● 3 Female <10
● 3 Males <10
● 6 Females 10s
● 6 Males 10s
● 6 Females 20s
● 10 Males 20s
● 11 Females 30s
● 7 Males 30s
● 6 Females 40s
● 8 Males 40s
● 3 Females 50s
● 9 Males 50s
● 4 Females 60s
● 6 Males 60s
● 3 Females 70s
● 6 Males 70s
● 4 Females 80s
● 3 Males 80s
● 2 Females 90s
● 1 Female 100s
“The continued elevated number of new cases is concerning and should be a reminder to everyone that we cannot become complacent,” said Erin Olson, Public Information Officer for the Knox County Health Department. “Everyone is encouraged to wear a face covering, social distance, avoid small and large gatherings, practice good hand hygiene, stay home if you are sick so we can stop this increase in its tracks.” By taking steps to protect yourself and those around you, you can help to fight COVID-19. Residents should also remember that if they are listed as a close contact to a positive or listed as having potentially been part of an outbreak, they will receive a call from the Health Department.
Positive cases have been identified geographically throughout Knox County; with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reporting 70.6% of all Knox County cases residing in Galesburg, 8.6% in Knoxville, 4.2% in Abingdon, 2.6% in Dahinda, 1.8% in Wataga, 1.8% in Oneida, 1.2% in Williamsfield 1.2% in Rio, 1.1% in East Galesburg, 1.0% in Gilson, 1.0% in Maquon, 1.0% in Yates City, 0.8% in Altona, 0.7% in Victoria, 0.6% in Henderson, and 1.9% in the remaining areas of the County. According to IDPH, data shown is >5 cases per zip code which is consistent with Collection, Disclosure, and Confidentiality of Health Statistics (77 Ill. Adm. Code 1005). It should be assumed that COVID-19 exposure can occur in every county in IL. Zip code is zip code of residence, which may not be the location of exposure.
The Knox County Health Department in conjunction with the State of Illinois will be holding a Free COVID-19 Testing on Saturday, October 31st, & Sunday, November 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Knox County Fair Ground, drive-thru or walk up. It is open to all Illinois residents, regardless of symptoms. Please bring your identification. At the drive-thru testing, staff will be practicing masking and social distancing throughout the event, and all individuals are being asked to wear face coverings as well.
COVID-19 testing is available at the Knox Community Health Center on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, regardless of symptoms or other criteria, please call the Knox Community Health Center at 309-344-2225 to schedule an appointment. available.
The Knox County Health Department urges all residents, for the health and safety of our community, to continue wearing face-coverings, practice social distancing, and stay home when you are ill. Trusted sources for information on COVID-19 include; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov and Illinois Department of Public Health www.dph.illinois.gov. http://gis.ci.galesburg.il.us/COVID , is the official source of information on COVID-19 numbers for Knox County. For general questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931, email dph.sick@illinois.gov or call your Knox County Health Department at 309-344-2224.
***Report Courtesy of the Knox County Health Department***
