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Note: An earlier edition of this newsletter had a typo in the section, 'Visitations at Long-Term Care Facilities.' It is corrected below. We apologize for the error.
Today, Lake County entered Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan. There are five new industry categories and updated recommendations from Phase 3. The State of Illinois has made a number of toolkits for businesses that include signage, social media graphics, and additional resources. You can download a summary of Phase 4 changes or view the industry resources here.
Learn more at the State of Illinois website and the Illinois Department of Public Health's Restore Illinois FAQs.
If you have other specific questions or comments about how Phase 4 affects your business or employees, please contact the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity's Business Hotline, available Monday through Friday:
If a contact tracer reaches out to you, return the call right away. Active contact tracing relies on your timely response. By responding to a contact tracer right away, you limit the risk of exposure to others in your community.
Learn more about Contact Tracing in Lake County
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 A new CDC report suggests that pregnant women may be at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Read the report here: https://bit.ly/MMWR62520.
Pregnant women can take steps to stay healthy and reduce their risk of getting COVID-19:
- Do not skip your prenatal care appointments.
- Limit your interactions with other people as much as possible.
- Take precautions to prevent getting COVID-19 when you do interact with others.
- Make sure that you have at least a 30-day supply of your medicines.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about how to stay healthy and take care of yourself during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- If you don’t have a healthcare provider, contact your nearest community health center or health department.
- Call your healthcare provider if you have any questions related to your health.
- Seek care immediately if you have a medical emergency.
- You may feel increased stress during this pandemic. Fear and anxiety can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions
Violence against women tends to increase during any type of emergency. This can lead to injuries and serious physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health problems. During COVID-19, the likelihood that women in abusive relationships and their children will be exposed to violence is increased. Women have less access to services and contact with family and friends who provide support.
If you or someone you know needs help, call 211 or contact A Safe Place 24-hour hotline at 1-800-600-SAFE. A Safe Place provides services to men, women, children, the elderly, LGBT community members, and teens. They are ready to take your call.
Learn more about COVID-19 and domestic violence
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 The number of cases of COVID-19 in the United States is rising quickly. This is concerning, but not unexpected given the increase in testing and rapid spread of disease. We must continue to be careful in the summer months and beyond. To learn more about how the CDC tracks cases in the United States visit the Cases in the U.S. page.
If your loved ones are in a long-term care facility (LTCF) you may now be able to visit them. LTCFs can now allow outdoor visitation when the following conditions from the Illinois Department of Public Health are met:
- Visits are limited to two visitors at a time per resident.
- The number of residents and visitors at a time depends on the size of the outdoor space.
- A minimum of 6 feet will be kept between the resident and all visitors.
- Visitors must schedule appointments to visit a resident.
- The LTCF will prescreen any visitor via phone with the CDC symptom checklist not more than 24 hours in advance. The facility will also screen visitors on arrival with the CDC symptom checklist and temperature check.
- Residents with COVID-19 are not allowed to participate in outdoor visits.
- Residents receiving visitors should also be screened prior to the visitor’s arrival.
- Visitors are limited to outdoor areas only. However, they can take place under a canopy or tent without walls.
- The visitor should not enter the building at any time during their visit.
- During the visit, both the resident and the visitor should be wearing a face covering.
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If you have symptoms do not visit the facility. The facility may set the time limits of each visit and should have staff supervise to ensure the use of face coverings and social distancing. To learn more, read the Outdoor Visitation Guidance for Long-Term Care Facilities on the Illinois Department of Public Health’s webpage. |
Racism is a public health issue that we all have a responsibility in mending. Join our Child & Adolescent Behavioral Services team as they discuss ways to talk to your child about race.
Watch the video
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Lake County COVID-19 Cases
As of June 26, 2020, 9,561 Lake County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, including 382 deaths.
Working Alongside Our Partners to Address Health Disparities
 When accounting for the differences in age between populations, for every one white non-Hispanic person who has contracted COVID-19 in Lake County, four African American non-Hispanic and 10 Hispanic people have contracted the disease.
We continue to work closely with our community partners on immediate interventions to help our hardest-hit communities, and to develop long-term strategies that will address the root causes of these disparities. Read the press release in English or Spanish.
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UPDATED! Coronavirus Data Hub
 Have you checked out our Coronavirus Data Hub recently? It now includes new information like the Lake County Recovery Rate and underlying health conditions with age breakdowns. The Data Hub is updated regularly and contains lots of great insights into how COVID-19 affects our communities.
Pride Month – Tomorrow is National HIV Testing Day
While Pride Month may look different this year, you can still celebrate from a distance. Maintain social distancing during your celebrations. Participate in one of the Pride Drives occurring throughout Illinois. The 2020 Waukegan Pride Drive is June 30 and allows for a safe celebration.
Tomorrow is National HIV Testing Day. Share with your friends and loved ones what knowing your HIV status means to you. Your words can empower others to get tested for HIV, know their status, and their prevention and treatment options. Learn more about HIV self-tests.
Virtual Town Hall
On Tuesday, June 23, Lake County held a live COVID-19 Virtual Town Hall. Hosted by Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart, panelists discussed the current COVID-19 situation.
 If you missed the Town Hall, you can watch the recording in English and Spanish.
Do you have questions? The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has established a COVID-19 hotline and email address to answer questions from the public:
For additional information from the IDPH, visit: http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus
Community Guidance and Resources
Protect yourself and your community. Our Information for Specific Groups page is now Community Guidance and Resources. This page is more user-friendly and has information to help residents stay safe and informed.
 NEW! The IDPH and Illinois State Board of Education have created guidance on Starting the 2020-21 School Year.
COVID-19 Conference Calls
We continue to provide COVID-19 updates to our community through conference calls, now held every other Thursday for the following groups:
- Businesses and Employers (11 a.m.)
- Faith-based Organizations (12 p.m.)
- Municipal Leaders (2 p.m.)
Join us for our next COVID-19 Conference Call on July 2. You can listen to past calls and submit questions here. on our Community Guidance and Resource page.
Communications Resources
We need your help to keep our communities healthy and safe. The Lake County Health Department, Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer free resources including toolkits, fact sheets, flyers, posters, and videos.
NEW! Check out our Open Does Not Mean Over Messaging Toolkit.
View communication resources
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