LEE COUNTY — Lee County has received two more positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of 4 cases. One person in their 50’s and one in their 20’s. Nineteen additional people were tested today at KSB Hospital. 

NEW CDC RECOMMENDATIONS:

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.”

Yesterday, Surgeon General Jerome Adams told Fox News Sunday, “This is going to be the hardest and the saddest week of most Americans’ lives, quite frankly, this is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment, only it’s not going to be localized. It’s going to be happening all over the country. And I want America to understand that."  

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. 

In Governor Pritzker’s press conference today, Dr. Ngozi Ezike said tomorrow’s temperatures will be the warmest we have seen this spring, but we need to stay home or it will set us back.  Her statements came after announcing 1,006 new Illinois cases for a total of 12,262. There were 33 more deaths for a total of 307.  There are now positive test results in 73 of the 102 Illinois counties. 

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.   

Today’s Statistics:

A total of 198 Lee County residents have been tested at KSB Hospital. 49 tests are pending, 145 are negative, 4 are positive, and 7 people remain in quarantine. Test results continue to take up to 10 days. The Lee County Health Department and KSB Hospital continue to work on “contact tracing” for individuals who have tested positive. Appropriate notifications are being made.  

All 9 counties in our IDPH region now have confirmed cases of COVID-19. 

If you are experiencing symptoms, DO NOT go to the emergency room or your doctor’s office.  Call the KSB Coronavirus Hotline at 815-285-7777 or go to ksbhospital.com and click on “KSB Care Anywhere.”  For complete details see the information at the bottom of this press release.

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.