BREAKING: Iowa covid-19 numbers are heating up as the weather cools down, pushing Iowa into the red zone of “high” contagion and causing some to call for a statewide shutdown and new mask mandates. The 14-day positivity rate of COVID-19 for the state climbed from 8.9% to 9.2% in the last week, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Iowa has had 8,047 new positive cases in just the last week. Of those hospitalized with COVID-19, 75.8% are unvaccinated, while 87.1% of those listed in intensive care with COVID-19 are unvaccinated. Numbers from the Iowa Department of Public... Read More

Genesis Health Systems released its latest numbers for covid cases in its Quad-Cities hospitals. The release states the following: Genesis Health System COVID-19 Hospitalization Update: GMC-Davenport @ 24 GMC-Silvis @ 7 GMC-DeWitt @ 0 Jackson County Regional Health @ 2 GMC-Aledo  @ 0 Total COVID hospitalization @ 33 COVID Hospitalization In ICU GMC-Davenport @ 6 GMC-Silvis @ 3 Age Distribution 30-39 = 2 40-49 = 4 50-59 = 6 60-69 = 9 70-70 = 7 80+ = 5 Total = 33 Notes: Genesis has extended deadline for employee vaccination or approved exemption to Nov. 15 The percentage of... Read More

Alongside your turkey, pumpkin pie, and mashed potatoes, should we expect to see masks once more at Thanksgiving dinner this year? It’s looking like it. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker talked to the media at an event to showcase him getting his covid-19 booster shot (Pfizer) and didn’t rule that out. Pritzker said there’s a possibility he might lift the statewide indoor mask mandate in time for the holidays, but he doesn’t see it happening any time soon. Given that there’s only three weeks until Thanksgiving, it’s not looking promising. “What we’re trying to evaluate... Read More

Illinois’ mask mandate could be off the table by Thanksgiving, according to comments made yesterday by Gov. JB Pritzker, allowing families to gather for the holidays without following covid mandates on the holiday to do list. During his weekly covid-19 status update for the state, Gov. Pritzker said he’s hoping to be able to lift mask mandates in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. “State health officials are continuing to watch the numbers to determine when the right time is to remove the mask mandate,” Pritzker said, while noting that he wasn’t going to be doing... Read More

As Illinois covid numbers continue to improve, pressure is mounting for Gov. JB Pritzker to remove the covid-19 restrictions and mask mandate which has been in place since August, but yesterday in a press conference Pritzker renewed the mask mandate and said it was still “way too early” to remove it. “If you go look at the hospitalizations — the new hospitalizations, as well as the ones that are, you know, existing in total — they are not dropping at the rate that they were dropping even a couple of weeks ago,” Pritzker said. “So I’m concerned about... Read More

Illinois schoolchildren ages 5-11 could be able to get the covid vaccine before the end of the year if the vaccine is approved as expected, according to reports. Pfizer and its German partner BioNtech have made a formal request to the Food and Drug Administration to extend emergency use of their COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 5 to 11. The two-dose vaccine is already authorized for children aged 12 to 15 and fully approved for ages 16 and up. If U.S. regulators approve the vaccine for younger children, schoolkids nationwide could begin getting shots before the end of the year. “We’re... Read More

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed an Executive Order that requires all Illinois higher education employees and students, as well as K-12 employees, receive the COVID-19 vaccine. For employees and students who cannot, or will not, get vaccinated, the governor has also mandated weekly COVID testing, which is already in place at WIU. Those individuals who are unvaccinated and who attend classes and/or work on either of our WIU campuses (Macomb and Quad Cities) must comply with the required weekly testing to avoid disciplinary action. Test clinics (saliva-based tests) are held on both the... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: The latest surge of covid-19 delta variant infections has roared through Illinois, pushing the state to its highest one-day total in covid cases since late January and its highest week for infections in months. This comes the same day that new indoor mask mandates go into effect throughout the entirety of Cook County, requiring everyone over the age of two to be masked in indoor public spaces, regardless of whether they’re vaccinated. Businesses also must post signs on all entrances telling customers about the rule. Given that the new, wider mask mandates into Cook County come... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Patients in the Illinois and Iowa Quad-Cities and Muscatine may experience longer than usual wait times due to the current spread of Covid-19 and other illness, according to a Friday release from UnityPoint Health – Trinity. It says the Covid situation remains critical as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads in our community. UnityPoint Health – Trinity encourages the use of online scheduling options to visit a UnityPoint Clinic Express or Express Care location to be evaluated by a medical provider for a Covid test. This is a faster and more cost-effective option... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: As the covid delta variant rages across the state, in alignment with CDC guidelines and other school districts around the country, Eastern Iowa schools — including those in the Quad-Cities Davenport and Bettendorf districts — are “strongly encouraging” mask use and putting in place other covid precautions. The Davenport District released its revised the plan for the 2021-2022 school year to align with updated guidance from local and state public health officials. Face coverings are strongly encouraged. Read the Return to Learn plan, here: https://bit.ly/3CPluXX. Linn... Read More