Coronavirus In Lake Co.: 819 Cases, 17 Deaths

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Health officials are continuing to urge residents to do their part in "flattening the curve" as the number of coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise in Lake County and across the state. As of April 6, 12,262 people across the state have tested positive for COVID-19 and 306 have died from the virus.

• Illinois Coronavirus Update April 6: 12,262 Cases; 307 Deaths

In Lake County, there have been 819 positive cases of coronavirus as of Monday and 17 deaths across the county, health officials said. There have been three new deaths since Sunday and included a man in his 60s, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 90s, health officials said.

Meanwhile, health officials are urging residents to step up their efforts to stay at home, wash their hands and practice safe social distancing as the virus is expected to peak in Illinois in the coming weeks.

"We are not yet at the peak of this outbreak, and we all need to continue our efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19," said Lake County Health Department Executive Director Mark Pfister. "I will continue saying it—the stay home order is a serious matter. It is very important to stay home and if it is absolutely necessary to leave home, limit the number of people from your household who go out for errands, keep your time in public places to a minimum, maintain a 6 foot distance from other people, and wear a cloth face covering so you don’t spread illness to others."

• County-By-County Look At Coronavirus Cases: UPDATE
• Coronavirus In Illinois: How You Can Help

The Lake County Health Department updates its map daily with the current number of coronavirus cases by town in Lake County. Here is a look at the case counts as of Saturday afternoon:

On Monday, the Lake County Health Department opened its Respiratory Illness Clinic for patients with symptoms of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. The clinic is located at the North Chicago Health Center, 2215 14th St. in North Chicago, IL. Appointments are required, and can be scheduled through the Patient Access Center at (847) 377-8800.

Cases have continued to climb since the first case was reported in the state on Jan. 24. That patient lived in the city of Chicago. March 11 marked the first cases reported outside of Chicago and Cook County, according to state health officials. Those patients lived in Kane and McHenry counties.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has been tracking the steady rise of cases:

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Meanwhile, state officials are urging residents to do their part in helping to "flatten the curve." Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions, such as heart, lung disease or diabetes, are most at risk for developing serious health complications or dying from COVID-19.

They are urged to stay home and away from people, according to the Center for Disease Control.

Even those who are young and healthy are at risk of contracting COVID-19 and spreading it to others, including those who are vulnerable to serious illness. In addition, those who are not showing symptoms can still have the virus and pass it on to others, which makes social distancing, the practice of putting at least six feet between you and other people, so important, according to the CDC.

Health officials also urge everyone to:

• Washing their hands often for at least 20 seconds
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Make sure to cover your coughs and sneezes with your hand and wash your hands for at least 20 seconds immediately after.
• Everyone should wear a cloth face cover when they have to go out in public, for example to the grocery store or to pick up other necessities.
• Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
• Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing.
• Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.

The Center for Disease Control provides more updates on how to stay safe and healthy amid the COVID-19 outbreak. So does the Illinois Department of Public Health website.

County Updates

Several counties in the Chicago area have websites, which provide updates on case counts and guidance to area residents. Some of those sites also have a break down ofthe number of COVID-19 cases by town.

Here are links to those websites:

• Illinois Department of Public Health: http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus
• Cook County/City of Chicago: https://www.cookcountypublichealth.org/communicable-diseases/covid-19/
• Suburban Cook County: https://ccdphcd.shinyapps.io/covid19/
• McHenry County: https://www.mchenrycountyil.gov/county-government/departments-a-i/health-department/covid-19-novel-coronavirus
• Lake County: https://www.lakecountyil.gov/4423/Lake-County-COVID-19-Dashboard
• Kane County: http://kanehealth.com/
• DuPage County: https://www.dupagehealth.org/610/DuPage-County-COVID-19-Dashboard
• Will County: https://c19-willcountygis.hub.arcgis.com/