DCHD announces 18 new COVID cases
Oct 12, 2020 – The Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) announces eighteen newly confirmed cases of COVID-19: two people in their twenties, six people in their thirties, one person in their forties, two people in their fifties, three poeple in their sixties, one person in their seventies, two people in their eighties, and one person in their nineties. All new cases were confirmed positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours and confirmed as residents of Douglas County, IL. DCHD officials are now attempting to contact each close-contact from these new cases so those individuals can be quarantined/symptom monitored to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Douglas County, Illinois.
Douglas County, IL has 398 known confirmed cases and nine COVID-19 deaths.
Douglas County has had 82 newly confirmed cases in the last fourteen days, increases in both hospital admissions and test positively, and our hospital availability (beds) for our region (Region 6) shows only a 30 percent availability as of today’s date. If our cases and metrics continue to show an increase in COVID-19 disease burden with a simultaneous decrease in hospital capacity or three consecutive days greater to equal to eight percent positivity rate, additional restrictions become necessary to control further spread.
If you want area schools to remain open to in-person learning, youth sports to continue practicing and competing, restaurants to retain operations of indoor dining and small businesses to remain open – do what you can to reduce the spread!
* Wash – Wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap, throughout each day.
* Watch – Watch to keep 6ft of physical distance between you and others.
* Wear – Wear a face cover/mask
Don’t be complacent because you believe you had COVID in Jan., Feb,. or March because Douglas County residents have demonstrated that for most, antibodies offer little to no protection after 12 weeks and you can become reinfected.
COVID-19 spreads differently and not like the flu. It is a novel virus and the sooner more people accept that, the safer we will be. The majority of our community spread is from people who don’t look “ill”. This virus carries its higher viral load in two to three days before any symptoms are present. You cannot presume your friend, co-worker, server, cashier, or teammate is not spreading the virus to you simply because you see no signs of illness. When carriers are most contagious two to three days before symptoms and that’s only for those who do develop symptoms. The people spreading the virus most often don’t know they are carrying and spreading it everywhere. COVID-19 doesn’t take a break after work/school and that means you can’t either. If you want our businesses and schools to remain open, do what you can to help prevent the spread- not just when it’s convenient, not just when you remember to…all the time. Help us keep our schools and businesses open by using the three w’s.