Two more COVID-related deaths reported in Sangamon County

Two more COVID-19-related deaths were reported by the Sangamon County Department of Public Health on Thursday.

According to the health department, a man in his 70s who tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 12 died Tuesday. A man in his 60s who tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 21 died on Wednesday.

Neither were vaccinated, the county health department reported.

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The county's number of fatalities now stands at 341.

It comes on a day when the 406 new positive cases were recorded. The health department said 118 persons were hospitalized locally.

Menard County reported 25 new cases Thursday.

Statewide, 14,422 newly confirmed and probable cases and 149 deaths were reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Some 4,824 people were being hospitalized for COVID including 864 people in the ICU and 485 on ventilators.

Jacksonville public school students were out Thursday on the first day of a "pause" in learning initiated by School District 117 because of COVID cases among students and faculty and staff. Students will be out Friday as well before returning Monday.

District 117 Superintendent Steve Ptacek had made the announcement last week because he wanted to give parents and other agencies advance notice.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois COVID update: Sangamon County reports two more deaths