Lake Forest Mayor Declares State Of Emergency Due To Coronavirus

LAKE FOREST, IL — Mayor George Pandaleon declared a local state of emergency Saturday in response to the spread of the new coronavirus. The declaration gives the mayor the authority to suspend provisions of city workers' union contracts and puts Lake Forest in a better position to receive reimbursements from the federal government for costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, according to city staff.

As of Monday afternoon, there were 819 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Lake County, and 17 deaths in the county were attributed to the virus, according to the Lake County Health Department. Waukegan has the largest number of cases with between 144 and 150 cases, while Lake Forest, with 50 to 54 cases, has the county's highest rate of detected cases per capita, according to health department data.

"Unfortunately, Lake Forest remains a hot spot, with the highest infection rate in Lake County, we still have a lot of work to do but I know we Lake Foresters will be up to the task," Pandaleon said last week in a video message to the community announcing the extension of the statewide stay-at-home order through April 30.

According to his April 4 declaration, Pandaleon intends to use emergency powers only to adjust parts of collective bargaining agreements, manage city personnel and equipment, and to generally enforce guidelines issued by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, Gov. JB Pritzker and state and local health departments.

"We must trust that every action we take to comply with this order will save lives. The health and safety of our residents is our utmost concern," the mayor said. "We will continue to take measures to protect our children, families, active adults and those who may be more vulnerable to this disease."

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The mayor's declaration notes Alex Azar, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, declared a national public health emergency on Jan. 27, Gov. JB Pritzker declared all Illinois counties as disaster areas on March 9, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to have reached pandemic status on March 11 and President Donald Trump issued a declaration of national emergency on March 13 and a major disaster declaration for Illinois on March 26.

Patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19 seeking treatment at Lake Forest Hospital should first contact doctors for telephonic and remote visits, according to hospital officials. For information about treatment for suspected coronavirus cases at the hospital, the hospital has created a hotline at: 312-47-COVID, or 312-472-6843.

When asked how many beds the hospital has, the size of its intensive care unit, how close to capacity it is and what steps Northwestern Medicine, which operates the hospital, has taken to increase capacity, media relations manager Jill Edgeworth declined to provide any numbers, which she said in a statement were "rapidly evolving."

According to data from Definitive Healthcare updated on March 17, which Edgeworth did not confirm nor deny, Lake Forest Hospital has 114 staffed beds and 12 intensive care unit beds. Its normal bed utilization is 62 percent and it has the potential to increase bed capacity by 84 percent.

"We have a coordinated clinical response plan in place in the event this pandemic causes a patient surge to Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital. We are monitoring this health crisis closely and adjusting our staffing as needed. The health and safety of our employees, physicians, and patients is our highest priority."

Likewise, the Lake County Health Department, which is collecting data from local hospitals, has declined to provide any data about how many beds hospitals in the county have. Spokesperson Lee Filas said fluctuating numbers make it "impossible" to provide accurate information to the public.

Earlier:
Hundreds Of Lake Foresters Likely Have Coronavirus, Mayor Warns
Safety Concerns Lead To Lake Forest Hospital No-Visitor Policy
Health Department Releases Map Of Lake County Coronavirus Cases