The DeWitt/Piatt Bi-County Health Department is reporting a second DeWitt County resident has been hospitalized due to a COVID infection.

Health Department Director Dave Remmert reports the individual recently traveled to visit a relative in the Chicago area. The relative tested positive and soon after, the DeWitt County resident did too. She is hospitalized and the case is of concern to health department officials.

The two-county area saw a spike in cases a few weeks ago but since then, the situation has moderated. According to Remmert, they found the common theme among their cases during that time to be contracting the virus through household contacts and reinforces the recovery rate for everyone. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health Thursday listed a male in his 80s who died from COVID in DeWitt County. Remmert indicates they are looking into the case currently as the individual did not match local records.