A Woodford County man in his 70s is the first positive COVID-19 case in Central Illinois.
The man recently checked into an area UnityPoint clinic, and positive test results came back Friday. He is currently in isolation at home.
Hillary Aggertt is the Woodford County Health Department Administrator. She said while the overall COVID-19 risk is still low, officials are trying to determine who came into contact with the man recently.
"We do understand that individuals in our community are at the point where they do want to know if they had potential exposure," Aggertt said. "And like I mentioned before, we are trying to do our contact tracing to find out who might be at medium or high risk for this individual."
Monica Hendrickson is the Peoria City/County Health Department administrator. She and other officials at a press conference convened Saturday afternoon at the Methodist Atrium emphasized the importance of reducing exposure to the virus.
"I think all of us understand that the cases are in our community," she said. "Being self-aware and taking on that stance of social distancing and isolating, especially when we're symptomatic is very important to control the number of cases. We want to decrease having too many cases in a short amount of time. Again, flattening the curve, as the term is."
It's unclear if the man traveled abroad to a country with a COVID-19 outbreak recently, or if this is a case of "community spread."
Area hospitals announced visitor restrictions on Friday as a precautionary measure. Those restrictions were further clamped down Saturday.
All hospital visitors are now discouraged at OSF Saint Francis, UnityPoint Methodist, Proctor, and Pekin Hospital. One visitor per patient at OSF will be admitted only if their presence is deemed essential, such as during end-of-life care or a childbirth.
All people displaying signs of illness like coughing or chills are being told to stay away from area hospitals. Officials recommend calling a primary care provider to describe symptoms and seek advice on the next steps before driving to a hospital or clinic.
Dr. Samer Sader, executive medical director of acute care services for UnityPoint Health in Central Illinois, said while the Peoria area is lucky to have two major healthcare systems, resources are still limited.
"Call your provider. Don't rush to the hospital. Don't rush to the emergency department," he said. "We need you to take care of yourself at home, protect your family, and by doing those things, washing your hands, reducing the number of infections. Don't spread any type of infection that you currently have, whether it be influenza or the COVID. That will help us save our resources for the people who need it the most."
State Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) said the region is well-prepared to handle this kind of crisis, but said it will require sacrifices like working from home or self-isolating.
Spain also asked people and organizations willing to help out amid widespread school and business closures to coordinate with the 211 telephone service. He said his legislative office will also serve as a "clearinghouse" to coordinate resources for school districts and community organizations that need assistance.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Saturday there are now 64 confirmed cases of the respiratory virus in Illinois. Until Saturday, the cases were concentrated in the northeastern corner of the state. But today, one woman tested positive in Cumberland County, and two people tested positive in St. Clair County, near St. Louis.
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