Lee County Unified Executive Leadership Team COVID-19 Update: April 8, 2020

Posted 4/7/20

IDPH Reports 1,529 New Cases in Illinois for a total of 15,078 in 78 Illinois Counties

The State Death Toll has Risen to 462

Lee County has 1 additional positive case of COVID-19 for a total of 6

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Lee County Unified Executive Leadership Team COVID-19 Update: April 8, 2020

Posted

LEE COUNTY — There was one new positive test received in Lee County. The person is in their 70’s and is hospitalized. Lee County now has 6 confirmed cases. Today, KSB Hospital had 14 people tested through the drive-through screening and received 30 pending test results, 29 negative and 1 positive. A total of 236 Lee County residents have been tested.

State labs are now working 3 shifts, which has resulted in increased numbers of tests being done each day across Illinois. Today, the state surpassed 6,000 tests completed. The goal is 10,000 tests per day.

SOCIAL DISTANCING REPORT CARD:

There have been many questions surrounding the “F” Lee County is receiving from the research company conducting this study. This grade is not related to staying at home, but whether or not people are staying at least 6 feet apart from one another. If a person drives to work in Rochelle, this does not impact the grade at all. If a person at work in Lee County stands around the coffee pot with three co-workers and they are less than 6 feet apart, this negatively impacts our score.

So how do they get this information? This information comes from our cellular telephones. No information is being accessed from anyone’s cell phone; however, mapping can show the exact location of each phone. A name or other personal information is not associated with this information. It just shows that 2 or more phones are closer than 6 feet apart. This is how the score is calculated.

EASTER WEEKEND:

All of us want social distancing and the “stay at home” order to be over. We are all inconvenienced by this. Many people are a lot more than inconvenienced. They have lost their jobs or had to close their business and can’t pay their employees or their bills. This is tough on everyone, but now more than ever, we have to practice good social distancing and follow the “stay at home” order. If we don’t, we will only prolong these restrictions. More people are going to become infected and more people are going to die. It will take longer for us to get businesses back open and people back to work. This whole situation is awful. It is for all of us, but the only way to get to the other side of this is to pull together as a community and do what has to be done. We have a great community and we are confident we can all make this collective sacrifice.

CDC Related to Masks:

From the CDC: “In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.”

This comes on the heels of the federal government asking the public not to even go to grocery stores or pharmacies unless absolutely necessary. The Lee County Unified Leadership team asks people to keep others in mind and only get what they need from the grocery store.

SNOW BIRDS ARE ASKED TO CONTACT THE LEE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT:

It is that time of year where “snow birds” will be returning north to their primary homes. These are people who live at a secondary residence during certain times of the year, generally traveling to areas of the country with a warmer winter temperature. If you are returning to Lee County, please contact the health department at 815/284-3371. The health department will make recommendations to keep you, your family, and our community safe.

What to do if you think you have COVID-19: (UPDATED INFORMATION)

During the current Corona Virus outbreak, individuals with symptoms SHOULD NOT GO to health care facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and urgent care centers without CALLING FIRST. Instead, they can seek care by using one of the following options:

  • Use the “KSB Care Anywhere” virtual care app (https://ksbhospital.zipnosis.com/) for a free 5 question screening in order to help differentiate your symptoms between the virus and other seasonal maladies. While a credit card is required for a more involved assessment, no charges will be applied if a COVID-19 testing referral is made.
  • KSB is offering a Coronavirus HOTLINE, by which symptoms can be evaluated against federal screening guidelines, and if appropriate, a referral is made to their Drive-Thru Screening site. The screening site is available ONLY through the hotline and between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm on weekdays by calling 815-285-7777.
  • Residents with a Primary Care Practitioner can also CALL their office for advice. Again, CALL FIRST before going to the office.

Residents can go to the following websites for additional information:

Go to KSB, IDPH, or CDC websites. Lee County Health Department provides regular updates on its Facebook page.

  • https://www.ksbhospital.com/coronavirus-outbreak-covid-19/
  • http://dph.illinois.gov/…/dis…/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus
  • https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
  • For businesses: https://www.cdc.gov/…/commu…/guidance-business-response.html
  • Facebook: Lee County IL Health Department

For general questions about COVID-19, call the IDPH hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or 211.