Coronavirus In IL: State Of Emergency Declared In McHenry County

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks declared a state of emergency Wednesday for McHenry County in response to the county's first presumptive case of coronavirus, which activates the emergency operations plans of the McHenry County Department of Health and McHenry County Emergency Management Agency and requests state and federal funding and resources to combat a potential outbreak, according to a news release from government officials.

This declaration comes less than 24 hours after county health officials confirmed a teen tested positive at the Illinois Department of Public Health laboratory for coronavirus. According to the MCDH, the teen has no history of traveling to an affected area and isn't connected to anyone with a known case of COVID-19.

The teen is in isolation and doing well, health officials said, adding that they are identifying and investigating all who've been in contact with him.

Related: Coronavirus In Illinois: What You Need To Know For March 11

According to the government news release, Franks made the declaration upon the joint recommendation of county public health administrator Melissa Adamson and EMA director David Christensen.

"Declaring a state of emergency is not a decision to be made lightly," Franks said, in the news release. "However, with a McHenry County resident now presumptively diagnosed with coronavirus, I have the responsibility to ensure that we can bring all available local, state and federal resources to bear to blunt the impact and bring this to as quick of a conclusion as possible."

Marengo added that the declaration shouldn't cause panic or alarm and emphasized Gov. J.B. Pritzker's call for levelheadedness and calm while "staying abreast of new developments and taking common-sense precautions."

As for the county's first case, Adamson said they don't have much information currently, but are taking all necessary precautions with the case.

"We encourage all residents to continue using preventative measures to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19 and to begin planning for events that could disrupt their lives, such as school closures or if they become ill," Adamson said in the news release.

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County health officials said they will continue to partner with state and regional health departments to monitor all possible new cases as this situation continues to evolve. Residents should continue to use precautions (see below) in their daily routine to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus, and they should begin developing a plan should they become ill.

Quick tips for:

• Everyone: Use the same daily health precautions you would for flu including washing your hands frequently, for a minimum of 20 seconds, using soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, covering your cough and sneeze, and staying home when sick.
• Health care: Screen patients and visitors for symptoms of respiratory illness such as fever, cough, and difficulty breathing; wear proper personal protective gear such as gowns and masks when needed, and have employees stay home when sick.
• Day cares, schools, universities: Review emergency plans, absenteeism policies, and cleaning procedures; identify strategies for alternative learning mechanisms such as on-line programs; and consider postponing or cancelling student exchange programs.
• Businesses: Review emergency and continuity of operation plans, revisit sick leave policies, and assess schedule flexibility.
• Community and faith organizations: Review emergency plans and communicate with community members if events and services are changed, postponed, or cancelled.Get the latest

More information and updates via mcdh.info or call the IDPH hotline at 1-800-889-3931.

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Meanwhile, Illinois' case count jumped from 7 cases to 19 cases since Friday as the illness spread outside Cook County.

More cases of coronavirus in Illinois include the first outside of Cook County, Pritzker said Tuesday, including a Kane County woman in her 60s. Like the McHenry County teen, the Kane County woman has no history of recent travel or contact with any other coronavirus patients, and does not work in healthcare, Pritzker said.

As another eight cases brought Illinois' coronavirus case count to 19, Illinois officials say there is growing evidence of community transmission — in other words, coronavirus spreading among those who haven't traveled to high-risk areas but contracted it at home.

On Tuesday afternoon, The City of Crystal Lake said they're actively monitoring the activities associated with the spread of coronavirus.

"The McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) is the lead agency for infectious disease in McHenry County and the City is coordinating its efforts with their guidance along with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and IL Dept. of Public Health (IDPH)," the City wrote in a Facebook post. "The City has been monitoring the situation and has been in contact with MCDH, IDPH, State of Illinois, and federal agencies, to be informed of the most recent information available."

The City also provided a list of local, national and worldwide health sources for residents to gather information from.

"The City has operational plans in place to ensure the delivery of essential City services should an outbreak occur in our community."

Coronavirus Could Affect St. Patrick's Day Events, Voting

Also on Tuesday, officials in McHenry County announced the relocation of polling places from Valley Hi Nursing Home and three other senior care facilities as a precaution to protect their residents from coronavirus.

According to the news release from McHenry County, officials decided to "act proactively to move polling places for the Tuesday, March 17 primary from the county-owned Valley Hi and the three private facilities to alternate locations" even while they believe the risk to the County remains low.

“It’s out of an abundance of caution for a high-risk population, and following the recommendations of the IDPH and the CDC, Valley Hi requested that the polling location be moved at this time,” Valley Hi Administrator Tom Annarella said, in the news release.

Polling places will be relocated as follows:

• Valley Hi Nursing Home, 2406 Hartland Road, Woodstock (precinct Hartland 1), will be relocated across the street to the McHenry County Division of Transportation, 16111 Nelson Road, Woodstock.
• The Fountains at Crystal Lake, 965 Brighton Circle, Crystal Lake (precinct Nunda 14), will be relocated to Calvary Assembly of God, 5906 S. Route 31, Crystal Lake.
• Eastgate Manor, 101 Eastgate Drive, Algonquin (precincts Algonquin 14 and 56), will be relocated to St. Margaret Mary Ministry Center, 113 S. Hubbard St., Algonquin.
• Heritage Woods of McHenry, 4609 W. Crystal Lake Road, McHenry, (precincts McHenry 7, 23 and 26), will be relocated to Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 404 N. Green St., McHenry.