Perry County holds at one COVID-19 case; numbers grow elsewhere in southern Illinois
Perry County held steady Friday with one case of coronavirus, as the numbers continue to grow in nearby counties.
The Randolph County Health Department said Friday they now have 51 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, the most in rural southern Illinois.
St. Clair County, near St. Louis, had 254 cases and 17 deaths as of Friday. Monroe County had 52 cases and six deaths, and Jackson County's count rose Friday to 40 cases and four deaths. Randolph County also has had one death, the iconic president of Gilster Mary-Lee Corp., Don Welge.
Thirteen cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Williamson County, 11 in Jefferson County, five in Pulaski, Washington and Franklin counties, four in Union County, three in Massac and Saline counties, two each in Johnson and Gallatin counties and one each in Perry and Alexander counties.
The Perry County patient is a woman in her 30s. According to a news release issued by Health Department R.N. Brittany Numi, it is believed the woman acquired the virus through contact with a known or suspected case.
The woman is in quarantine and is working with the Perry County Health Department, the news release said. Residents with questions should contact the Perry County Health Department at (618) 357-5371.
"We are making progress but, we are far from being out of the woods and we ask that you please continue to follow our recommendations," said Randolph County Health Department Administrator Angela Oathout in her Friday statement.
"Wear a mask in community settings, avoid group gatherings as much as possible, and practice social distancing by using the 6-foot rule, practice good hand hygiene by using soap and water, use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available, avoid non-essential trips and stay home."
For privacy reasons, Randolph health officials are not identifying the patients by gender or age, but they are offering the ZIP codes of where those cases reside: 62233 (Chester); 62277 (Prairie du Rocher); 62278 (Red Bud); 62286 (Sparta); and 62288 (Steeleville).
"I understand that people have to go to the grocery store and to the gas station but (that) should not be a place to socialize and catch up," Oathout said. "Individuals become close contacts of those infected when they interact for a period of 10 minutes or longer and closer than 6 feet."
Public health officials are investigating these cases, speaking with patients about who they may have come in contact with before the diagnosis. Public health officials may place other individuals on home quarantine if they are determined to have had significant exposure.
Such individuals may not be symptomatic, but are quarantined for a period of time which allows symptoms to develop and pass, without posing risk to others.
If you are contacted by public health officials, you are asked to respond promptly, as health officials expect more southern Illinois cases to be confirmed in coming weeks.
The number of cases can be reduced by adhering to the governor's stay at home order, washing hands frequently, disinfecting commonly touched surfaces, and maintaining space from others in public.
COVID-19 shares many symptoms with more common respiratory diseases. If you have a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, call your health care provider for further guidance.
Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH) has established a 24-hour COVID-19 hotline at (844) 988-7800. Clinicians will answer questions, assess each caller and advise on next steps for evaluation or potential testing.