A day after Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker joined several other Democratic governors in lifting COVID mask mandates, the Rock Island County Health Department and CDC urge people to continue masking in public.
“The lifting of the mask mandate later this month is an important milestone to returning to pre-pandemic life. However, we all still must live with the virus and take appropriate precautions,” Janet Hill, chief operating officer for Rock Island County Health Department, said Thursday. “Masking is part of a layered approach to help curb viral transmission everywhere people with mixed vaccination status gather.
“Other layers to that protection include getting vaccinated and boosted, staying home when you are sick, and washing your hands frequently,” she said.
On Wednesday, Gov. Pritzker said that lllinois would remove the statewide indoor mask requirement on Monday, Feb. 28. Mask requirements will continue where federally mandated, such as on public transit and in high-risk settings including healthcare facilities and congregate care, according to a Wednesday release. Masking requirements will also continue to apply in all daycare settings.
The state intends to continue masking requirements in PreK-12 schools subject to pending litigation which impacts a number of schools.
“We in public health always have appreciated how the governor’s office has followed the science since the start of the pandemic,” Hill of Rock Island County said Thursday. “Rock Island County hospitalizations have declined since all-time highs after the holiday season. The CDC reports that almost every county in the country still has high virus transmission, including in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas. We also worry that cases are underreported due to home-based testing.”
Virus transmission remains high in Rock Island County, she said, noting there have been 408 new COVID cases since last Friday, and five additional deaths. In Scott County, there have been 558 new cases in the past week, and fewer than 10 COVID deaths, according to the CDC.
“Recently, COVID-19 case counts have been less reliable, as the case counts reported only include those done through a health provider/laboratory and don’t include the large number of at-home tests that are being conducted,” Brooke Barnes, deputy director of Scott County Health Department, said Thursday.
“We anticipate even further data changes as the state of Iowa begins to modify what is reported beginning next week,” she said.
In Scott County, there were 36 new COVID hospitalizations in the past week, and the rate of full vaccination (for people over 5) is 63.5 percent. On Thursday, 41 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Rock Island County. The average age of newly infected patients is 40.
“We also noted a change in the vaccination data reported by the CDC,” Hill said, noting the CDC data tracker showed the county’s vaccination rate as 63%. This week, it is 60.2%; she said they don’t know the reason for the discrepancy.
You can see the CDC COVID Data Tracker for Scott County HERE. For CDC data in Rock Island County, click HERE. Everyone in Scott and Rock Island counties should wear a mask in public, indoor settings, according to the CDC.
