Illinois Department of Public Health

Three McLean County ZIP codes are among the 180 added to the state’s list of areas considered at high risk for childhood lead exposure, including 61761 in Normal.

The McLean County Health Department is waiting for a court ruling on whether it can keep a federal grant for disease surveillance. The Trump administration has canceled grants to local health departments across the country.

Using lead-based paint has been outlawed for decades, but many homes in the state — and in McLean County — were built prior to that, contributing to Illinois being a leading state in lead exposure nationwide.

The violations stem from a series of incidents at Bloomington Rehab last year, including failure to treat patient wounds appropriately and at least one preventable fall.

The unfunded mandate is an important endeavor for public health in the wake of high-profile lead water contamination seen in places like Flint, Michigan, Galesburg and Chicago, but completing the task will require the political willpower of municipalities to figure out how to fund the work.

Heyworth (61745), LeRoy (61752), Lexington (61753) and Towanda (61776) have all been added to the high risk list. Twenty ZIP codes in McLean County now have the high-risk designation, including 61701 that covers much of Bloomington.

The CDC reports a nearly 30 percent uptick in COVID-related Illinois ER visits during the first week in June.

Heather Simpson was the keynote speaker this week at the Illinois Department of Public Health’s infectious disease conference at Illinois State University.

The Illinois Department of Public Health this month launched a revamped version of its Illinois Hospital Report Card and Community Map website. The user-friendly Report Card tracks hospitals across 150 data points.

Illinois has received billions in federal relief money during the COVID-19 pandemic. But there will be no new rounds of aid from Washington after federal and state COVID emergency orders expire on May 11.