Students across Monroe County have started a new fall semester as the COVID-19 community rate of transmission reaches a high level locally and Illinois eases restrictions for schools per Centers of Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

For Monroe County, the CDC reports 48 known cases of the virus over the past week. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health also reports that Monroe County is at a high rate of community transmission, joining neighboring counties St. Clair and Randolph in that regard.

Monroe County Health Department Administrator John Wagner expressed skepticism about the statistics, saying at-home testing and self-quarantine make accurate case numbers difficult to find.

He also said the number of hospitalizations in Monroe County is at least five, with one in the ICU. Again, he said it is difficult to know how many local residents are hospitalized due to COVID.

The IDPH did report a COVID-related death involving a Monroe County resident on Friday.

Residents listed in counties with a high level of COVID transmission are encouraged to wear masks indoors, stay up-to-date on COVID vaccines and get tested if showing symptoms, per the IDPH.

Wagner said the biggest problems with COVID in this county continue to be in senior care centers and among the elderly population.

“We’re not seeing any big issues with the general public and hospitalizations,” Wagner said. “Most of them are short-term. I say most, I don’t want to say all. There are still some severe cases, but a lot of those are people with underlying health conditions.”

During Monday’s meeting of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, Oak Hill Administrator Shari Kruep reported a recent uptick in COVID at the county-operated senior living and rehabilitation center in Waterloo.

Since the beginning of May, Kruep said 37 employees had tested positive for COVID with 18 residents also testing positive since the beginning of July.

Symptoms for both employees and residents were mostly minor. 

Commissioner Vicki Koerber also asked about recent changes to CDC guidance. She surmised that the move shows a new national perspective about COVID that will treat the latest variants of the virus in the same manner as other more common, less severe ailments. 

“I think maybe this year or next year we’ll see the COVID vaccine fall in line with the flu shots,” Kruep said.

Koerber also asked if the relaxation of CDC guidance would have any immediate impacts on the medical industry. Kruep explained that no changes would be implemented at Oak Hill until the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services officially adopted the CDC’s recommendations.

Kruep said she was hopeful that IDPH would adopt the new standards within the next month. Kruep added that testing and other COVID-related requirements “affect (Oak Hill’s) bottom line.”

Wagner added that the current situation seems to indicate COVID might become comparable to influenza in terms of treatment, with annual vaccines and a generally much more relaxed approach to containment.

“What we’re trending to with this is flu season, basically. Stay home when you’re sick, come back when you’re better,” Wagner said.

He urged individuals to use common sense when it comes to quarantine and interaction with at-risk individuals.

Wagner said he would also encourage individuals, particularly the elderly, to get vaccinated and stay up-to-date on their boosters.

A press release from the State of Illinois described the recent easing of COVID guidelines for K-12 schools.

State Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala said the new guidelines are meant to allow schools to decide how to respond to COVID in their community while keeping classes in-person as much as possible.

“Administrators can have more flexibility to be able to make the necessary adjustments they need to maintain consistent in-person learning,” Ayala said.

The same press release also included a message from IDPH Director Sameer Vohra, who said the conditions of the pandemic are far different than in 2020.

“We want all Illinois residents to continue to remain safe and use all available tools to protect themselves and their families from acquiring COVID-19,” Vohra said. “Vaccination continues to be the single strongest tool in our toolbox to contain the virus and protect people from the most serious outcomes. It is never too late to get up to date.”

Per the IDPH, 67.13 percent of eligible Monroe County residents have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine, with 62.03 percent considered fully vaccinated. 

A total of 11.527 booster doses have been administered in Monroe County, per IDPH figures.

Monroe County schools have started the new year with the knowledge they might see an uptick in COVID cases.

At Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Columbia, students who test positive for COVID will be required to quarantine for five days, at which point they can come back to school so long as they don’t have any symptoms.

Students will also be required to wear a mask at school for five days following quarantine, observing social distancing during that period.

Waterloo Superintendent of Schools Brian Charron said his district will be adopting similar standards. They will also be maintaining a contact tracing system on an unofficial basis.

Contact tracing, Charron said, is currently just intended to help keep parents aware of their child’s potential exposure to COVID.

“We do want to continue communicating with parents anytime their child has been exposed to a positive case of COVID so that they can know and be making personal decisions that are in their best interest,” Charron said.

Anyone interested in receiving a free COVID vaccination or booster dose may call the Monroe County Health Department at 618-939-3871.