DAVENPORT, IOWA – Quad-Cities health officials reported two more deaths Wednesday from COVID-19-related causes — one each in Rock Island and Scott counties.
The days leading up to Christmas have not been kind for those sickened by the virus. Since Friday, Dec. 18, the Quad-Cities has lost 32 people to COVID-19 — 18 in Rock Island County and 14 in Scott County.
The month of December has been cruel, too. Since Dec. 1, a combined 146 deaths in Rock Island and Scott counties are linked to the virus. That’s an average of 6.6 people per day through the first 22 days of the year.
Rock Island County health officials reported 72 new cases Wednesday, increasing the total since the start of the pandemic to 10,391. The death toll in Rock Island County is 228.
In the Q-C area, the Henry and Stark County Health Department reported a total of 3,528 COVID-19 cases in Henry County since the start of the pandemic and another 416 cases in Stark County.
New case counts remained high throughout Illinois, as state officials reported 6,762 new cases Wednesday, increasing the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic to 918,070. Since March, 15,547 deaths are linked to the virus.
Scott County health officials reported 108 new cases Wednesday, increasing the total to 13,646. The county has confirmed 142 deaths linked to the virus.
Iowa health officials reported an uptick in new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, as the 2,089 cases gave it 271,291 since the start of the pandemic. The virus has claimed the lives of 3,668 people across the state.
Just when the local and state death rates will drop on both sides of the Mississippi River is not clear. Rock Island health officials reported 55 patients hospitalized Wednesday with COVID-19 in Rock Island County.
UnityPoint-Trinity reported 54 COVID-19 patients Wednesday, with 16 in ICU.
Trinity said its hospital capacity is 78% utilized in Rock Island and 75% utilized in Bettendorf. Trinity’s regional ICU operating capacity is 51%.
Trinity’s daily average testing positivity rate for month of December is 28.13%, while the 7-day average is slightly lower at 26.17%.
Trinity also reported a drop in the number of employees out with COVID-19 or a suspect illness to 55, the lowest in over two weeks.
Genesis reported 49 patients with COVID-19 symptoms Wednesday, including 37 in Davenport, 10 in Silvis, one in Aledo and one in Jackson. On Tuesday, 22 of 152 completed tests returned positive — a rate of 14.47%.
Since Wednesday, Dec. 16 the test positivity rate at Genesis has fluctuated between a high 17.7% Monday and a low of 13.48% on Saturday.