Dickinson Hall In Lake Forest Closes To Limit Coronavirus Spread

LAKE FOREST, IL — The Dickinson Hall senior center has been closed for the rest of the month, with all offsite programming also cancelled to reduce the risk of spreading the new coronavirus pandemic among the area's most vulnerable populations, leaders of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff announced Thursday.

Dickinson Hall, at 100 E. Old Mill Road, serves local residents aged 50, offering a variety of events and programs, some involving large numbers of participants, according to a news release from Lake Forest city staff.

"We are concerned about all of our residents, and it is especially important to be prudent in safeguarding the older population who use Dickinson Hall," Lake Forest Mayor George Pandaleon said in the release. " The Dickinson Hall staff will be on site during this activity suspension. A decision to re-open programming will be based on what is learned over the next few weeks."

Lake Bluff Village President Kathy O'Hara emphasized the communities' public health, welfare and safety were here paramount concerns.

"I am pleased that the Village [of Lake Bluff] and the City [of Lake Forest] are working together during this difficult situation," O'Hara said in the release. "Our decision was an easy one to make given the risk factors. We expect all of our residents will take proper precautions to help protect the health of themselves and their families."

According to Lake Forest City Manager Jason Wicha, Dickinson Hall will still be used as a polling place for Tuesday's primary election. Ahead of Election Day, Lake County Clerk Robin O'Connor is supplying additional sanitizing wipes to all voting sites and recommended voters bring their own pens and avoid peak voting times.

The first Lake County resident to test positive for the novel coronavirus was announced Wednesday by health officials. Another patient, who is not a resident of the county, was admitted to an undisclosed Lake County hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, according to the health department.

"Our priority is the health and safety of all who live, work, and play in Lake County," said Lisa Kritz, director of prevention for the Lake County Health Department, announcing her department is investigating the travel history and recent contacts of the county's first case of the virus. "We continue to use every available resource to prepare our communities for additional cases of COVID-19."

Coronavirus In Illinois: March 12 Update Don't miss updates about precautions in Lake Forest, Lake Bluff and the Chicago area as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold, as well as COVID-19 — the disease caused by a virus called "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" or SARS-CoV-2 first identified last year in the city of Wuhan, China. It is related to previous outbreaks of SARS and and MERS, or Middle East respiratory syndrome.

Symptoms of the virus include fever, coughing and shortness of breath and appear anywhere from two days to two weeks after exposure. There is not yet any available antiviral treatment or vaccine against the novel coronavirus, which was officially declared a "pandemic" by the World Health Organization Wednesday. Unlike influenza, no one's immune system has antibodies against it. As a result, infectious disease experts believe its mortality rate is "much higher" than the seasonal flu, although how much higher in the United States is yet to be determined.

Senior citizens and people with pre-existing health conditions or weakened immune systems are most at risk of developing a severe case of COVID-19. Public health officials hope to reduce the risk of overloading the health care system and endangering more lives by keeping the rate of new infections as low as possible.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends frequent handwashing, regularly disinfecting commonly used spaces, avoiding touching the eyes, nose, and mouth, and staying home when sick to limit the community spread of the virus. A hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol is recommended if hand-washing with soap and water is not available.

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More information is available online from the Lake County Department of Public Health, Illinois Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Illinois Novel Coronavirus Hotline is 800-889-3931, and can be called at any time. Emails can be sent to: dph.sick@illinois.gov.