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03-21-2020 Unified Leadership COVID-19 Press Release

March 21, 2020

Lee County Unified Executive Leadership Team COVID-19 Update:  March 21, 2020

COVID-19 Testing:  33 Negative Tests

Governor Pritzker’s “Stay at Home” Order Began at 5:00 p.m.

KSB Hospital has received a total of 33 results from COVID-19 testing and all results thus far are negative.  103 test results are still pending.  While leaders are excited about these results, they are still operating under the belief that there are unconfirmed cases in Lee County.  Today three additional cases were announced in our nine county IDPH region, two in Winnebago and the first case in DeKalb.  There are now a total of five confirmed COVID-19 cases in the region.

Today, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced 168 new cases, bringing the statewide total to 753.  Cases have occurred in ages 3 to 99.  One additional death has occurred in Cook County bringing the state total to 6 deaths.

Today at 5:00 p.m., Governor Pritzker’s executive order to “Stay at Home” goes into effect.

Essential services related to groceries, medical care, gas stations, and pharmacies remain open and will not close.  There are many other businesses that fall into the category of essential services that will remain open. 

Travel is restricted by the order for “essential” purposes only.  Interstates, highways, and other roadways will remain open.  The Illinois borders remain open.  Citizens are allowed to travel outside of their home to work, if they work for an essential business that is allowed to remain open.  Citizens can also travel to essential businesses for personal reasons, such as to get gas, groceries, pharmacies, doctor’s visits, and other purposes deemed essential and outlined in the order.

Citizens are allowed to leave their house for outdoor activity, such as taking your dog for a walk, going for a run, cycling, or hiking, provided that they follow the order related to social distancing.  The Governor’s order requires people to stay 6 feet away from each other while engaging in outdoor activities.

Citizens are allowed to leave their residence to take care of a family member, friend, or pet in another household, and to transport family members, friends, or pets as needed for medical care or to obtain essential goods.     

The Unified Executive Leadership team is asking our residents not to rush to the grocery store or gas station.  Please be responsible with your purchases, so there will be plenty of food and essentials for everyone.  Again, these essential businesses will remain open and the distribution centers who serve them will remain open. 

Now is a time for our community to pull together, stay positive, and create the positive change that will end this pandemic.  We must now find ways to take this “gift of time” to create positivity in our lives and the lives of others. 

Governor Pritzker “Stay at Home” Resources:

Governor Pritzker’s “Stay at Home” order can be found at this link:  https://www.iml.org/file.cfm?key=18394

The Governor’s office also released a FAQ document related to the “Stay at Home” order.  The order can be found at this link:  https://www.iml.org/file.cfm?key=18395

Lee County Unified Executive Leadership Team Next Steps:

The team is receiving questions related to “essential” businesses and will be submitting questions to the Governor’s office for guidance. 

The team wants to warn people of potential scams related to COVID-19.  This team is not currently aware of legitimate fundraising drives. 

Lee County Health Department:

The University of Illinois Extension office is attempting to gather a list of skilled individuals that could be deployed during the current crisis.  These might be medical personnel, laborers, seamstresses, local food producers, etc.  This list will be shared with local emergency management, health departments and hospitals as requested.  It will not be shared with individuals.

Please encourage people you know to sign up and push out through your channels.

https://go.illinois.edu/citizenhelp

KSB Hospital:

KSB Hospital is exploring the use of retired nurses and physicians to supplement current staff.  Efforts are under way to waive certain credentialing requirements.  Retired nurses and physicians are asked to contact KSB Hospital Human Resource.

KSB drive thru testing will resume Monday.

City of Dixon:

Beginning Monday, Dixon City Hall will be closed to non-employees.  Residents are asked to conduct city business by telephone, email, or mail.  Residents can make water bill payments on-line, by telephone, by mail, or by placing their payment in the drop box just outside the front door at City Hall.  The city will waive late fees and no water shut offs will be conducted at this time. 

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.

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

Authority:
Lee County Health Department
KSB Hospital
City of Dixon
Lee County Emergency Management
Lee County Sheriff
Last modified on May 05, 2020 - 1:38 pm