UPDATED 5:40 p.m. | McLean County now has eight people with confirmed positive tests for the coronavirus, the health department said Monday.
McLean County Health Department Administrator Jessica McKnight said the latest patient is a woman in her 60s. Health Department Communicable Disease Supervisor Melissa Graven said the patient remains hospitalized in good condition.
The department has been unable to confirm whether she traveled internationally or had any known contact with anyone who had contracted COVID-19.
That means one additional case has been confirmed since the McLean County Health Department's last public update on Saturday.
As of Monday, there were 1,285 confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide, including 12 deaths. One of the deaths happened in McLean County. Authorities have not released her name.
Graven said the county is still in the early stages where the number of COVD-19 cases will likely increase sharply.
“I am hoping we can see that slow down or taper off through the interventions we are encouraging our community to take in terms of social distancing and staying home, so that we can keep this at a pace that our systems can handle,” Graven said.
There are 36 pending COVID-19 test results, MCHD said Monday. More than 90 tests have been performed, according to MCHD.
Graven added testing supplies, including swabs, are dwindling.
“It is a concern that we may not have enough testing supplies to be able to test the number of people who are displaying symptoms of COVID-like illness,” she said.
The health department is calling on non-essential medical providers and businesses including nail salons and tattoo parlors to donate their personal protective equipment or PPEs to hospitals during the COVID-19 response.
Gov. JB Pritzker announced Monday the state has forged a partnership with the manufacturing and biotech industries to produce more medical supplies. Pritzker said the state has also purchased 2.5 million N95 masks; 1 million surgical masks; 11,000 gloves and 10,000 personal protection kits for medical facilities in Illinois.
He’s also called on the federal government to active the Defense Production Act to increase production of medical supplies.
Coronavirus in McLean County
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