Recent information from the Illinois Department of Public Health using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates Monroe County has a low level of COVID-19 in the community.

The county’s level of community spread of the virus was previously in the medium category within the past few weeks.

Information is based on  seven-day measurements of new COVID hospital admissions per 100,000 population, total new COVID cases per 100,000 residents and the average percent of staffed in-patient hospital beds occupied by COVID patients.

To the south, Randolph County is also listed in the low level of community spread. St. Clair County is currently in the medium category.

For counties at a low level of community spread, the IDPH recommends individuals and households stay up-to-date with COVID vaccines and boosters, maintain improved ventilation in indoor spaces and maintain ready access to rapid testing if immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease.

Citizens in counties at a medium level are also advised by the IDPH to take extra precautions if they have regular contact with someone at high risk while it is recommended that those in counties at a high level wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public regardless of vaccination status.

Monroe County Health Department Administrator John Wagner said the recent uptick in COVID cases observed throughout the state recently hasn’t hit locally. 

“There is an increase in cases just statewide,” he said. “We’re not seeing anything extraordinary in Monroe County.”

Wagner added that Monroe County has experienced a notable increase in cases recently, but counting cases has become increasingly difficult as the pandemic has dragged on since 2020.

“About a month ago, maybe, we saw this little uptick in cases and it’s kinda just held there for the past month,” Wagner said. “It’s really hard to judge because of all the home tests and everything that is going on.”

Wagner said his health department is not currently raising any alerts or making any major recommendations, leaving individuals to weigh the risks and make their own decisions regarding COVID.

“Just be smart and judge your own risk levels,” Wagner said. “And that’s how we’re gonna have to kind of go forward with this thing … Obviously people with higher risk levels need to take more precautions when they’re indoors – mainly with large groups of people.”

Some of the communities most severely hit by COVID have been nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, but Wagner said those facilities in Monroe County have come to handle COVID well by this point.

He specifically referenced the testing procedures in place at these facilities that are often able to catch any infected staff members before any large virus outbreak occurs. 

Most individuals in those facilities, he added, are also fully vaccinated.

Looking toward the future, Wagner said the current COVID vaccine is still somewhat effective against most strains while progress is being made toward a vaccine meant to handle future strains.

“The fall shot is looking like, if it comes to fruition, that it’s going to be specifically targeting the strain that’s out there at the time, so we’ll see how that comes into play this fall,” Wagner said.

For more information on COVID vaccines available through the Monroe County Health Department, which is located at 1315 Jamie Lane in Waterloo, call 618-939-3871.