Illinois officials announce COVID-19 case in Whiteside County, order closing of restaurants - KWQC-TV6

Illinois (KWQC) - The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 29 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) across Illinois, including in Whiteside County, on Sunday, bringing the total to 93.

(KWQC)

Officials with Whiteside County held a press conference Sunday afternoon regarding their first case. They say the patient is an adult in their 40s and has been isolated. The patient is recovering at home.

Officials say both the patient and his or her close contacts are being monitored by the Whiteside County Health Department.

The case is considered presumptive positive until it is confirmed by the CDC.

Officials say they had been expecting an Illinois resident in the area would become infected and are well equipped to care for COVID-19 patients in our area.

They say unless it is an emergency, they advise people who think they may have COVID-19 or have had close contact with someone diagnosed or under evaluation for possible exposure to stay home and call their healthcare provider for further direction.

Officials stressed that people should not go to the emergency room, a walk-in clinic or your doctor's office. Call ahead and follow your healthcare provider's instructions.

You can watch the press conference here:

Whiteside is one of five additional counties now reporting cases. Others include Champaign, Clinton, Sangamon and Winnebago counties.

Illinois health officials say other locations with cases include Chicago and Cook, Cumberland, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, St. Clair, and Woodford counties.

“We are seeing the number of COVID-19 cases increase exponentially and in more locations across Illinois,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “At this point, it is best to assume that the coronavirus is circulating in your community and you should take the same precautions when interacting with other people that you would when interacting with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. This may seem like an extreme step, but this is how we reduce the number of new cases and prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed.”

Currently, IDPH is reporting 93 cases in 13 counties in Illinois. Officials say cases have occurred in all age ranges, and the number of cases that do not have a clear connection to travel or a known COVID-19 case is increasing.

They say social distancing measures, such as working from home when possible, limiting the amount of time spent in the community and trying to avoid public transportation as much as possible, will help reduce the number of people who become sick at any given time and the possibility of exhausting health care resources.

The IDPH made the announcement as Governor J.B. Pritzker gave an update on efforts to stop the spread of the virus in the state,

The governor ordered all bars and restaurants to close to the public as of close of business Monday night through March 30.

He says he is working with owners and food delivery services to see if they can keep their kitchens open safely so they can continue delivery. Officials are allowing drive-thru services and curbside pickup.

A representative from the Illinois Restaurant Association says they were informed about the shutdown of restaurants by Gov. Pritzker on Sunday afternoon following a spike in COVID-19 deaths in Italy.

You can watch his Facebook livestream right here.

For information about how you, your school, workplace, and community can prepare, please visit Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities.

For general questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.

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Illinois officials announce COVID-19 case in Whiteside County, order closing of restaurants - KWQC-TV6
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