McLean County has its first case of the coronavirus.
A man in his 70s with no history of travel or exposure has tested positive for COVID-19, the McLean County Health Department said Thursday.
“We have been preparing for this situation,” health department administrator Jessica McKnight said in a statement. “I have confidence in the ability of our staff and local health care partners to respond to this situation. We are working with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to protect our community and limit the further spread of the virus."
The man is in good condition and being treated in isolation at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center in Normal.
"As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout our country and our state, we are prepared to provide care while maintaining a safe facility for our team members and visitors. We continue to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and work closely with local and state health agencies to best serve our communities while helping to stem the spread of COVID-19," Advocate said in a statement Thursday.
Health department staff are identifying anyone that has come in contact with the man.
“We will reach out to all those known contacts to advise them on appropriate precautions they should take for their own care, and what they can do to prevent possible disease spread in the community,” said Melissa Graven, communicable disease supervisor at the health department.
More cases of COVID-19 are expected as testing increases.
As health officials have been saying the emergence of COVID-19 cases is inevitable, McKnight said the public must continue to heed the advice of health experts.
"We don't want the public to panic in these situations, but we do want them to be concerned, be aware, continue to be monitoring things like the CDC, the Illinois Department of Public Health, their websites for updates," McKnight said.
McKnight said approximately 25 people have been tested for COVID-19 in McLean County as of Thursday morning. She said since some private labs are doing some of the testing, that data might not be up to date.
There are 422 cases of coronavirus in 22 counties statewide. Four people have died.
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