Whiteside County saw a significant jump in its number of COVID-19 cases last month.
A graph provided by the county health department shows the difference in the spread of the virus from June, when there were 46 cases, to August when there were 223 new cases.
The county points out that on June 26, the state reopened restaurants and bars and allowed other activities under phase four. As of Monday, there were 523 cases and 18 deaths reported in the county.