Health Department Coronavirus Update 0505

Lake County, Ill. — The Lake County Health Department is reporting 107 additional cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 10 new deaths in Lake County since Friday. This brings the total number of Lake County COVID-19 cases to 4,399 including 155 deaths (as of May 5, 2020, 1:30 p.m.).

The 10 new deaths are all among residents with underlying health conditions, a risk factor for severe illness from COVID-19, and include:

• One woman in her 60s
• Two women in their 70s
• One man in his 80s
• Four women and one man in their 90s
• One woman age 100+

The demographics of the 18 deaths reported on Monday, May 4, 2020, were omitted from the daily press release in error. Those deaths include:

• One man in his 30s with underlying health conditions
• One man in his 40s with underlying health conditions
• One man in his 50s
• One man in his 60s
• One man in his 70s
• Three men and three women in their 70s with underlying health conditions
• Three men and three women in their 80s with underlying health conditions
• One man in his 90s with underlying health conditions

The Health Department is investigating 36 long-term care facilities in the county that have two or more positive cases. These 36 facilities have a combined total of 687 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 102 deaths.

In cooperation with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the Lake County Health Department has been working with businesses to assure essential Lake County employees are working in safe conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"A special area of concern for the Health Department is temporary workers who may not have benefits such as paid sick leave or who are transported to work sites in buses or vans,” said Lake County Health Department Executive Director Mark Pfister. "We have been actively reaching out to staffing agencies to encourage practices such as pre-work health checks, making sure workers are able to social distance, and urging employers to provide face masks for these vital essential workers."

A state-operated Community Based Testing Site continues to operate in Waukegan. The site is open every day from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., or until 500 tests are completed each day. The testing site is located at 2161 Northwestern Avenue. Testing is free. For full details of the Waukegan Community-Based Testing Site, please visit: https://www.lakecountyil.gov/4435/COVID-19-Testing. A Lake County Testing Site Locator is available on the Coronavirus Data Hub, www.lakecountyil.gov/COVID19data.

New Cases (since last update)	New Deaths (since last update)	Total Cases	Total Deaths
107	10	4,399	155

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:   

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued Executive Order 2020-32 effective Friday, May 1 through May 29, 2020. This new order allows Illinoisans to leave their home for essential activities but otherwise requires them to stay at home or their place of residence to prevent spread of COVID-19. Individuals are required to wear a face covering in public places when they are unable to maintain a six-foot social distance, such as in stores. For more information, please visit https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/stay-at-home-faqs.

Please visit Lake County's Coronavirus Page for more information, including:

• How to protect yourself
• What to do if you are sick   
• Testing availability
• Interactive data hub
• Sign up for the Health Department’s COVID-19 newsletter
• How to get help
• How to help others    

Please visit Lake County Health Department Modification Page for information on Health Department Service Modifications.

For a list of government closures, visit Lake County's Closure Page.

If you have general questions, please email COVID19@lakecountyil.gov. Public health officials will answer the top questions weekly. Please note, the Health Department will not provide personal medical advice through this email address.

Additional resources   

Anyone needing assistance finding food, shelter, rent or utility assistance, or other essential services, CALL 211 or TEXT your zip code to 898211 to speak with someone who can help 24/7. To receive general COVID-19 information via text message, text “COVID19” to 211211. For more information, visit www.211lakecounty.org.

Illinois has launched Call4Calm, a free emotional support text line for Illinois residents experiencing stress and mental health issues related to COVID-19. To speak with a mental health professional, text “TALK” or “HABLAR” (for Spanish) to 552020.

For general state and national information, please call the Illinois State Hotline at 1-800-899-3931, or visit the Illinois Department of Public Health website at dph.illinois.gov, or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at coronavirus.gov. 

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