Illinois health officials confirm case of coronavirus in Clinton County
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A case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Clinton County, Illinois public health officials said Sunday.
It is one of 29 new cases of COVID-19 in the state, bringing the total to 93 cases in 13 counties, the Illinois Department of Public Health said in a press release.
The Clinton County case is the third in southwestern Illinois. Two St. Clair County women also have tested positive, officials announced Saturday.
The Clinton County Health Department said on its Facebook page that its case involves a woman in her 60s who does not live in the county but is staying there.
“She is currently on voluntary quarantine at the home and is extremely cooperative,” the department said. “All of her close contacts have been identified, isolated, and are being monitored by the Clinton County Health Department staff.”
The woman had not been on an international trip, the department said.
No other details about the case were released. The Clinton County Health Department’s post advised residents to follow all precautions issued by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and by state and county health officials.
“Clinton County residents are resilient, compassionate about their community members, and level-headed,” the county health department’s Facebook post said. “This will pass, but it is imperative as a community to take the necessary steps to limit the reach of COVID-19 and other viral illnesses.”
On Saturday, St. Clair County officials announced that two women - one in her 60s and the other in her 70s - had tested positive for coronavirus. They were the first cases reported in the metro-east.
Details about their medical conditions were not released, but officials said they were being quarantined in their homes. They had been traveling in Europe and Asia. Officials did not say whether they were traveling together.
Also Saturday, County Board Chairman Mark Kern issued an emergency declaration for the county.
Public health and other officials are recommending that people take precautions to help limit the spread of the virus such as working from home and avoiding large groups.
Kern and four other regional leaders from St. Louis, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Madison County on Sunday announced a ban on social gatherings and events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks.
And Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Sunday ordered all bars and restaurants in the state to close from Tuesday until March 30 as a precaution.
The 13 counties in Illinois with coronavirus cases are St. Clair, Clinton, Champaign, Sangamon, Whiteside, Winnebago , Cook, Cumberland, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Woodford counties.
“We are seeing the number of COVID-19 cases increase exponentially and in more locations across Illinois,” Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said in a release. “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.”
This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 8:34 PM with the headline "Illinois health officials confirm case of coronavirus in Clinton County."
