Knox County reports 65 new COVID cases for the past week; testing, masks, boosters available

GALESBURG — The Knox County Unified Command is announcing 65 new cases of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), between Monday, Aug. 1 and Monday, Aug. 8. According to Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) the total positive cases in Knox County is 14,235. Due to federal privacy restriction, release of any additional information is prohibited.

The Health Department will offer Curbside COVID-19 Testing this week from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, weather permitting. Appointments are made same day by calling (309) 344-2225 beginning at 7:15 a.m. Additionally, health care providers in the community are offering testing options as well as local pharmacies.

The Knox Community Health Center will be at the following locations handing out free at home self-test COVID-19 Kits & N95 masks while supplies last. Limit two test kits per household and a limit of three N95 masks per person.

  • Tuesday, Aug. 9 at Goodwill, Galesburg from 9 to 11 a.m.

  • Wednesday, Aug. 10 at the Galesburg Public Library from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

  • Wednesday, Aug. 10 at St. Vincent De Paul Society Food Pantry from 1 to 2 p.m. (Corpus Christi Church)

  • Thursday, Aug. 11 at VNA Community Services from 11 a.m. to noon

  • Thursday, Aug. 11 at First Lutheran Church Food Pantry from 1 to 2 p.m.

  • Thursday, Aug. 11 at Knox Prairie Community Kitchen from 5 to 6 p.m.

  • Saturday, Aug. 13 at NAACP Community Cookout, Kiwanis Park from 10 a.m. to 2 pm

In addition to these dates, self-test COVID-19 Kits & N95 masks will be available at the Knox Community Health Center Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Knox County Health Department is following the IDPH, Food and Drug Administration’s, and CDC’s recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines.

Primary and First Booster Shots

  • The Pfizer COVID-19 primary vaccine is authorized for infants 6 months of age and up. Adolescents 5 years and older are recommended to get a first booster shot at least five months after completing the primary vaccine series.

  • The Moderna COVID-19 primary vaccine is authorized for anyone 6 months of age and older. Adults 18 years and older are recommended to get a first booster shot at least five months after completing the primary vaccine series.

Second Booster Shots

  • Second Booster shots of Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for individuals aged 50 and older at least 4 months after the initial booster vaccine.

  • Second Booster shots of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for Children and teens ages 12-17 years who are moderately or severely immunocompromised at least 4 months after initial booster vaccine.

COVID-19 vaccines are widely available, each clinic offers primary series, additional doses first boosters and second boosters of Moderna for adults 18 and up and Pfizer boosters for those 5 years and up. Pfizer and Moderna primary, infant, pediatric and adolescent series is available to those 6 months of age and up. Registration links can be found at www.knoxcountyhealth.org.

Walk-ins are welcome:

  • Tuesday, Aug. 9 at the Unified Command Vaccine Center 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

  • Thursday, Aug. 11 at the Unified Command Vaccine Center 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

  • Thursday, Aug. 13 at NAACP Community Cookout, Kiwanis Park, Galesburg 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Illinois reporting fewer cases

Illinois reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 30,762 new cases. That's down 13% from the previous week's tally of 35,371 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Illinois ranked 20th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 14.2% from the week before, with 781,487 cases reported. With 3.81% of the country's population, Illinois had 3.94% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 13 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Across Illinois, cases fell in 68 counties, with the best declines in Cook County, with 11,438 cases from 13,394 a week earlier; in Kane County, with 1,251 cases from 1,771; and in DuPage County, with 2,368 cases from 2,814.

Illinois's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Aug. 7. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 3,448

  • The week before that: 3,330

  • Four weeks ago: 3,169

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 72,801

  • The week before that: 72,098

  • Four weeks ago: 67,603

Hospitals in 24 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 24 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 33 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

​The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control.

This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Knox County, IL reported 65 new COVID-19 cases this week this week