Hello Knox, 

As a reminder, Knox data comes from the Knox Together Page, and these numbers include both staff and students. Data for the State of Illinois and Knox Country comes from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). 

The State of Illinois has changed their Covid-19 reporting tactics and are no longer reporting tests performed, only how many cases there are. This means that I can no longer provide test positivity numbers. Most tests are done at home now, meaning they are not reported regardless. This means that numbers may be higher than they appear, though hospitalizations appear to be holding steady.

Knox has also slowed down in their reporting of Covid-19 numbers, posting the results almost a week late.

The week of April 4-April 8, Knox performed 102 Covid-19 tests. Of those, only 1 was positive.

Galesburg had 19 reported Covid cases in the last week.

Knox County reported 23 cases last week.

The State of Illinois reported 32,208 cases in the last two weeks.

Maks policies have been lifted on campus, across the state, and across the country. This has been quite the controversial choice. There have been many harsh words shared on the campus Yik Yak. Professors have sent out surveys to determine what their classes would be comfortable with, while others are leaving it up to each individual student. Many students are still wearing masks regardless of the rules in each class. 

While Covid-19 cases are significantly down on campus, good handwashing and other germ protection strategies are still important. A spring cold is going around, and everyone and their roommate has it. Be sure to wash your hands often, cough and sneeze into your elbow, and stay home if you are feeling unwell. Plus, if you are feeling sick, though it is likely just the campus cold, be sure to get Covid-19 tested just in case.

Stay healthy out there everyone!