The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported that 51 counties in Illinois are considered to be at a warning level for COVID-19.

As of Saturday, there have been 1,531 confirmed cases in Jackson County and 26 deaths, according to the release, and 1,355 individuals have been released from isolation in accordance with CDC guidelines.

Franklin and Williamson counties reported 20 new cases and one death as of Saturday.

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The spike in cases in the Franklin and Williamson counties are believed to be due to local contact with known cases, social gatherings, church settings, events, or through transmission in the community.

Statewide, the Illinois Department of Health reported 6,161 new confirmed cases on Friday.

On Oct. 12-18, SIU reported eight positive student cases with a total of 56 cases since Sept. 11. As of Oct. 16, there were three on-campus residents in isolation.

As flu season approaches researchers are worried there will be peaks of flu and COVID-19 cases at the same time according to UCSF.edu. The next Flu Shot Clinic will be held on Tuesday, October 27 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m at the Student Services Building in Carbondale, Ill.

The Jackson County Health Department asks all residents to follow public health guidelines by wearing a mask in public, maintaining social distance, avoiding social gatherings, washing hands frequently, and working with health department officials as they conduct contact tracing.

If you are experiencing fever, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle aches, loss of taste or smell, nausea, or diarrhea, you should contact your healthcare provider for further guidance.

The Daily Egyptian’s News Desk can be reached at 1-618-536-3329, by email at [email protected], or on Twitter at @dailyegyptian.

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