Park District, Library Take Precautions Against Coronavirus

LEMONT, IL — With the fifth case of the new coronavirus confirmed in Illinois, the Lemont Park District and Lemont Public Library are sharing how they are addressing health concerns.

In an email to residents, the Lemont Park District said it continues to monitor information daily from the CDC and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

"The park district is asking you to do your part to contain the spread of the coronavirus – stay home or keep your child home from park district programs and facilities if there have been signs of the flu or if you are not feeling well," the park district said.

If a member of your family contracts COVID-19, you should contact Christine Aguirre, Safety & Risk Manager, at 630-327-8301 and let her know the person's name, the date COVID-19 was diagnosed, and programs the person is registered for with the park district.

The park district said it also continues to disinfect doorknobs, handrails, grab rails, counters and equipment. It will also place extra sanitizing wipes and sanitizers in its facilities.

"The Lemont Park District is working closely with the Park District Risk Management Agency to determine best practices for controlling the spread of the virus," the park district said.

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The Lemont Public Library has also taken precautions and preventative measures against the spread of COVID-19.

"We will be passing policy and procedures on Pandemic Response, as well as on germ control protocol in general — flu, colds, etc.," Interim Library Director Heather Shlah said. The children's department of the library recently "closed" its play kitchen so children wouldn't run the risk of putting play food in their mouths.

Shlah said there are also hand sanitizing stations in each department, and all other toys are sanitized weekly.

"The public computers and all surfaces are wiped down with sterilizing wipes daily, if not more often than that," Shlah added. "The library is professionally cleaned six days a week."

Shlah added she is also working on a 'Too sick for school? Too sick for the library!' program.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that causes COVID-19 emerged in China in late 2019. Called SARS-Cov-2, it is related to other viruses that have caused serious illnesses in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 and no antiviral treatments.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.