Concern for restrictions grows in Clinton County after hundreds exposed to coronavirus
Hundreds of people who attended recent events in Clinton County have been exposed to the coronavirus, the health department said Friday.
Officials believe the virus is widespread in all parts of the county now. And they are worried it could lead to restrictions again after bars, restaurants and other businesses reopened three weeks ago, Clinton County Health Department Administrator Sean Eifert stated in a news release about the situation.
The news release from the health department did not include the date or location of the events but stated that health department staff is working to track down the people who were exposed. Eifert could not immediately be reached for further comment.
The health department said only that the exposure to the virus happened at “several recent large group events” where people were observed not following experts’ recommendations to prevent the virus from spreading, such as wearing face coverings and keeping a distance of at least 6 feet between themselves.
There have also been “numerous social events” that exceeded the state’s 50-person limit, according to the health department.
The Clinton County Health Department has recorded new coronavirus cases for eight consecutive days. From July 9 to July 16, a total of 22 people have tested positive for the COVID-19 respiratory disease, which is caused by the coronavirus, according to the health department’s daily reports.
“No one is aware of the volume of Clinton County residents who have now been exposed to COVID-19 positive persons,” Eifert stated in the release.
What would trigger coronavirus restrictions?
Illinois officials on Wednesday announced new criteria for when regions of the state will need to tighten restrictions, a response to recent outbreaks of the virus across Illinois and in other states.
Illinois will be watching the rate of new diagnoses and the amount of hospital resources to identify “early but significant increases” in transmission, according to the Department of Public Health.
The restrictions that could be used to address a “resurgence” of the virus are focused on specific industries like bars and restaurants, according to Illinois’ plan.
Clinton County is part of the newly-announced metro-east region that includes St. Clair and Madison counties.
As of July 13 in the metro-east, an average of 6.6% of the coronavirus tests performed in the past week were positive. The percentage of positives has been increasing each day from July 9 to July 13, according to the Department of Public Health.
If it continues increasing for seven out of 10 days, along with a decrease in hospital resources, the state will work with the municipalities in the region to decide how to implement restrictions.
Restrictions could also be triggered if the percentage of positive test results reaches 8% or more for three consecutive days.
Several counties in the metro-east region have seen spikes in cases this month.
From July 9 to July 16, the region recorded 846 new cases. About half were St. Clair County residents. Officials in St. Clair County believe some of the new cases are tied to Fourth of July gatherings.
The public can track the health statistics that will determine whether the metro-east will see restrictions again at dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics.
The Clinton County Health Department is asking people who were exposed to the virus to isolate themselves for 14 days. Fourteen days is how long experts believe it takes for illness to develop after exposure to the virus.
Anyone displaying symptoms, including fever, cough or extreme fatigue, should contact the health department and their primary care physician, according to the Clinton County news release.
In southwestern Illinois, a total of 5,021 people tested positive for COVID-19 as of July 16. Of those, 3,359 people recovered and 255 people died.
The recoveries figure provided by local health departments is the number of people who finished isolating for 14 days.
BND reporter Kavahn Mansouri contributed to this report.
This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 1:00 PM.
