LEE COUNTY — The Lee County Health Department announced on Aug. 6, that there were 13 new cases of COVID-19, eight of which are from the Jack Mabley Center.

Since Aug. 6, the Lee County Health Department has reported eight new cases: one in his or her teens, three in his or her 20s, two in his or her 40s, and two in his or her 50s

This brings the total cases to 169 as of Aug. 9. The Lee County Health Department reports that 133 of the 169 positive cases have recovered thus far.

Please continue, or if you haven’t been, start, to follow the recommendations. It’s easy to remember as the 3 Ws:  wash your hands; watch your distance; and wear your mask. The health department does not want to backtrack from the great work our community has done. Everyone has to do their part.

Also, the health department would like to mention the process of contact tracing. If your local health department tries to contact you, please answer or return their call. Some people may feel distrustful or afraid of the term “contact tracing.” This is actually a strategy used for many years in public health to reduce the spread of infectious disease. Contact tracing is a critical piece of our mitigation efforts against COVID-19. More information can be found at this link:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/contact-tracing.html

What to do if you think you have or have been exposed to COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, 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:

Testing

Anyone with COVID-19 like symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, muscle pain, chills, sudden loss of taste and or smell and fever) or who have a risk factor, such as contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19, a compromised immune system or a serious chronic medical condition can get a test, even without a doctor’s order. And 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.

Call the KSB Hotline Monday-Friday, 9-5 at 285-7777 to determine eligibility for testing.

Residents can go to the following websites for additional information:

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

• https://www.ksbhospital.com/coronavirus-outbreak-covid-19/
• http://www.lchd.com
• 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