Lee County Unified Executive Leadership Team COVID-19 Update: March 26, 2020

Posted 3/25/20

IDPH Reports 673 New Cases in Illinois for a total of 2,538 in 37 Illinois Counties

The State Death Toll has Risen to 26

There are still no reported cases in Lee County

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Lee County Unified Executive Leadership Team COVID-19 Update: March 26, 2020

Posted

LEE COUNTY — Random acts of kindness continue to occur throughout Dixon. Today, an anonymous donor sent more than 200 Salamandra lunches to KSB Hospital and a second anonymous donor sent Papa Murphy’s pizza to Lee County Health Department workers.  The support for our heroes on the front lines continues to strengthen, and it is very appreciated by those putting their health in danger to serve others.   

Business owners and adult residents are doing their part to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19. Police continue to see diminished traffic on the streets and call volumes for the Dixon Police Department and Lee County Sheriff’s Department continue to be low. However, over the past day numerous complaints have come in. 

Today in Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot acted swiftly to the blatant violation of Governor Pritzker’s “Stay at Home” executive order.  Governor Pritzker’s order is not a recommendation; it is the law.  Mayor Lightfoot has now issued a ban on all contact sports and has closed the lakefront trail, parks, and beaches. In Governor Pritzker’s press conference, he specifically said playing a game of basketball is prohibited by his order.

In Dixon, we have been getting similar complaints related to kids congregating at parks, playing basketball, and at least one bonfire party last night. The Lee County Unified Executive Leadership Team is asking parents to ensure their kids are following the “Stay at Home” executive order.

On the day where the total cases in the United States surpassed 80,000 and Illinois saw the biggest jump in COVID-19 cases, local leaders are re-stating the significance of this order.  Lee County Health Department Administrator Cathy Ferguson-Allen said, “We are talking about peoples’ lives.  We are going to be under this stay at home order much longer if people keep doing this.” 

While the police department is working with people to gain voluntary compliance, this order will be enforced. Businesses and employees are making incredible sacrifices and these sacrifices have to be made by everyone. We are one community and now is the time to pull together to ensure our grandma and grandpa, mom and dad, and other at-risk fiends and family are alive at the end of this pandemic.      

Local Numbers:

To date, 219 people who meet criteria for COVID-19 have been tested by KSB Hospital. 156 test results are pending. All 63 test results received have been negative. For Lee County specifically, 41 tests have come back negative and 85 tests are pending. Test results are taking up to 10 days to receive due to the back-up in labs across the state. There are still no confirmed cases in Lee County. 

State of Illinois Numbers:

Today, the State of Illinois saw the biggest single day jump in cases with 673 new cases being reported for a total of 2,538 cases of COVID-19 in Illinois across 37 counties. With test results being delayed as much as 10 days, these numbers are expected to continue to increase at significant levels.     

City of Dixon:

Today, the City of Dixon released information on the City Facebook page related to State and Federal stimulus support for businesses. For more detailed information on this, please go to the City’s Facebook page. City leaders are working with Dixon Chamber of Commerce and Main Street to ensure every business gets connected to support. 

Feeding the Hungry:

“Feeding The Hungry” will be moving from The Living Well Church to the KSB Emergency Department Parking Lot on Tuesday and Thursday’s from 5:00 - 6:00 PM.  St. Anne Church hosts the program on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 - 7:00. Meals are available to anyone in need with no questions asked.

Lee County Unified Executive Leadership Team Additional Information:

Donations:  LCHD and other departments have received inquiries about donations. We’ve designated a donations management person for Lee County: Lora Fassler.  She can be reached at 815/284-3371, extension116..

“Essential” Business Questions:

If you are a business and not sure how you are affected by the "Stay at Home" Executive Order: The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) can help you decipher the Executive Order.

Please feel free to direct questions to 1-800-252-2923 or CEO.support@illinois.gov. 

The Governor’s Office is in the process of collecting and responding to questions regarding the state’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. To help facilitate that process, they have created an email address, Gov.COVID19stakeholder@illinois.gov, where citizens may send questions, comments and recommendations. The Governor’s staff will then compile all inquiries and respond with answers.    

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.