LEE COUNTY — The Lee County Unified Executive Leadership Team was formed to create a unified team to provide for the safety of our community and to be the trusted source of information for Lee County residents.  This team, and its members, do not have authority to modify any of Governor Pritzker’s Executive Orders.  When team members receive calls related to specific events or incidents related to the Executive Orders, we simply look at the clauses of the Executive Order for any exceptions and inquire with the Governor’s Office on behalf of Lee County.  Again, this team does not have the authority to create rules that would conflict with the Governor’s orders. 

The second question that needs to be addressed is the lawsuit that was filed in the southern part of Illinois.  That lawsuit does not impact Governor Pritzker’s “Stay at Home” order in conjunction with Lee County.  It only applies to the individual who filed the lawsuit.  If that changes, we will let you know. 

Update on COVID-19 Cases:

Today, Lee County has one new case (a person in his or her 40’s) of COVID-19, bringing the total to 25.  12 of these 25 have fully recovered.  There is no one currently hospitalized in Lee County for COVID-19. 

The State of Illinois reported 2,253 new cases in 96 counties for a total of 50,355.  There were 92 new deaths bringing the death toll to 2,215. 

New Testing Criteria: 

The Illinois Department of Public Health has expanded testing guidelines. Now the following people can be tested with or without symptoms. 

• Work in health care facility
• Work in correctional facilities, such as jails or prisons
• Serve as first responders, such as paramedics, emergency medical technicians, law enforcement officers, or firefighters
• Support critical infrastructure , such as workers in grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, gas stations, public utilities, factories, childcare and sanitation.

Other individuals may be tested if they have COVID-19 symptoms (cough, shortness of breath and fever) OR

have a risk factor, such as contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19, a compromised immune system or a serious chronic medical condition.

Here are the new provisions that will take effect on Friday, May 1^st, unless the Governor makes changes before then: 

Public Health Requirements for Individuals Leaving Home and for Businesses

1. Wearing a face covering in public places or when working. Any individual who is over age two and able to medically tolerate a face-covering (a mask or cloth face-covering) shall be required to cover their nose and mouth with a face-covering when in a public place and unable to maintain a six-foot social distance. Face-coverings are required in public indoor spaces such as stores.

2. Requirements for essential stores. Retail stores (including, but not limited to, stores that sell groceries and medicine, hardware stores, and greenhouses, garden centers, and nurseries) designated as Essential Businesses and Operations under this Order shall to the greatest extent possible:

• provide face coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain a minimum six-foot social distance at all times;
• cap occupancy at 50 percent of store capacity, or, alternatively, at the occupancy limits based on store square footage set by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity;

• set up store aisles to be one-way where practicable to maximize spacing between customers and identify the one-way aisles with conspicuous signage and/or floor markings; communicate with customers through in-store signage, and public service announcements and advertisements, about the social distancing requirements set forth in this Order (Social Distancing Requirements); and discontinue use of reusable bags.

• Households must limit the number of members who enter stores to the minimum necessary.

      3.  Requirements for non-essential stores. Retail stores not designated as Essential Businesses and Operations may re-open for the limited purposes of fulfilling telephone and online orders through pick-up outside the store and delivery – which are deemed to be Minimum Basic Operations. Employees working in the store must follow the social distancing requirements, and must wear a face covering when they may come within six feet of another employee or a customer.

    4. Requirements for manufacturers. Manufacturers that continue to operate pursuant to this Order must follow Social Distancing Requirements and take appropriate precautions, which may include:

• providing face coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain a minimum six-foot social distance at all times;
• staggering shifts;

• reducing line speeds:
• operating only essential lines, while shutting down non-essential lines;
• ensuring that all spaces where employees may gather, including locker rooms and lunchrooms, allow for social distancing; and

• downsizing operations to the extent necessary to allow for social distancing and to provide a safe workplace in response to the COVID-19 emergency.

5. Requirements for all businesses. All businesses must evaluate which employees are able to work from home, and are encouraged to facilitate remote work from home when possible. All businesses that have employees physically reporting to a worksite must post the attached guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) regarding workplace safety during the COVID-19 emergency.

 We are still awaiting clarification of some items in the executive order in the form of a frequently asked questions document.  We will share that when we receive it.

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/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• For businesses: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/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.