On Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported that Region 3 is the first region to exceed 90% occupancy and that 35% of all ICU beds are COVID-19 patients. They reported that there are 600 ICU beds available in the state of Illinois. 288 of the 600 are in Cook county, leaving 312 beds throughout the other counties.

In region 5, there are only 19 ICU beds available out of 92 total.

Jackson County Health Department reported 52 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday and two deaths.

The cases included two under ten, one preteen, four teens, 16 in their 20s, eight in their 30s, five in their 40s, six in their 50s, six in their 60s, three in their 70s, and one in their 90s. The two deaths were both in their 60s.

As of Friday, there have been 2,917 confirmed cases in Jackson County and 34 deaths, according to the release, and 35 individuals have been released from isolation in accordance with CDC guidelines.

Franklin and Williamson Counties reported 108 new cases on Friday.

Statewide, the Illinois Department of Health reported 10,526 new confirmed cases on Wednesday and 148 additional deaths.

As of Friday, there have been 770,088 positive cases in the state of Illinois and 12,974 deaths.

SIU Carbondale and SIU Edwardsville have had a combined 416 positive COVID-19 test results since the start of the fall semester.

See more: SIU Board of Trustees plan for an uncertain 2021 and grants six honorary degrees

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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