McLean County health officials announced two new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, while two others have recovered from the coronavirus.
McLean County Health Department communications specialist Dion McNeal said the new confirmed cases, one male and one female, both in their 50s, are in home isolation.
According to the McLean County Health Department, 80 of the county’s confirmed 94 COVID-19 cases have recovered. One patient remains hospitalized and 10 others are isolating at home. Three patients have died.
The health department said about 2,100 McLean County residents have been tested for the coronavirus.
The state of Illinois announced an additional 2,219 COVID-19 cases and 144 deaths on Tuesday. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state has reached 48,102 cases and 2,125 deaths.
The U.S. became the first country to reach the 1 million mark in confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.
It remains unclear when Illinois will lift its social distancing guidelines as Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration appeals a judge’s ruling that the governor can’t extend his emergency order beyond the initial April 30 deadline, at least for the plantiff (a Republican state representative).
McLean County Health Department Director Jessica McKnight said health experts are aware that a prolonged economic shutdown to stop the coronavirus could create other long-term physical and mental health hardships, but she said containing the coronavirus has to be "job one."
“We are have leaders who are making difficult decisions and I know they are not making them lightly,” McKnight said. “In public health, what we are focused on is controlling the spread of this disease.”
McKnight said it will take a comprehensive approach to address those health needs after COVID-19 is gone.
“I know it’s going to take more than just us when this is over,” McKnight said. “We are all going to have to chip in together and work together to get through this because it will be difficult."
McKnight added it's too soon to say how significant those health consequences will be.
WGLT will update this story.
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