Jackson County Health Department reported 17 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.

The cases included one teen, four in their 20s, three in their 30s, two in their 40s, two in their 50s, three in their 60s, one in their 70s and one in their 90s.

As of Thursday, there have been 2,609 confirmed cases in Jackson County and 32 deaths, according to the release, and 2,141 individuals have been released from isolation in accordance with CDC guidelines.

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According to a health department press release, Jackson County is at elevated risk for local COVID-19 exposure. This week, the health department renewed its recommendation to schools to consider halting in-person learning due to continued community spread and an increase in youth (under 20) COVID-19 cases.

“Final decisions regarding school operations rest with each school district,” the release said. “Schools that have significant issues successfully conducting remote learning, and have the ability to provide for adequate masking and social distancing throughout the school day, make the best candidates for continuing in-person learning.”

Franklin and Williamson Counties reported 114 cases Thursday.

Statewide, the Illinois Department of Health reported 12,022 confirmed cases on Thursday and 131 additional deaths.

As of Thursday, there have been 697,489 positive cases in the state of Illinois and 11,963 deaths.

“As of last night, 6,032 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19.  Of those, 1,224 patients were in the ICU and 724 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators,” according to a release from IDPH. “The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from November 19 – November 25, 2020 is 10.3%.  The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from November 19 – November 25, 2020 is 12.0%.”

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.

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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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