Health officials in Rock Island County announced new cases and a “concerning” number of patients in the hospital with COVID-19 on Wednesday.
As of Wednesday, health officials say the county has 33 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the county total to 3,157. The county death toll remains at 85.
There are currently 23 patients in the hospital due to COVID-19. “The number of people hospitalized is near an all-time high,” the health department’s Chief Operating Officer Janet Hill said in a release. “We regularly had more than 20 hospitalized in April and early May. The highest number was 25 on April 23 and May 3.”
In the release, Hill said this is “particularly concerning” heading into flu season. “Our health care delivery system quickly could become overwhelmed with a flood of seriously ill COVID and flu patients,” Hill said. "Both viruses use the same resources: ICU beds, ventilators and specialized medical staff. We don’t yet have a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, but we do have effective preventative measure for influenza. Please get your flu shot.