Coronavirus (COVID-19) Newsletter — February 5, 2021

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Lake County Health Department Coronavirus (COVID-19) Newsletter

February 5, 2021

Lake County Returns to Phase 4

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Phase 4 All Regions

Effective Wednesday, Feb. 3, North Suburban Region 9, which includes Lake and McHenry Counties, has met the criteria set by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to move from Tier 1 mitigations to Phase 4 under the State’s Restore Illinois Plan 

Phase 4 Guidelines now in effect for Region 9 include the following: 

Bars and Restaurants 

  • Indoor dining and drinking now permitted for parties of up to 10 people. 
  • Seated areas should be arranged so that tables allow for 6 feet between parties; impermeable barriers may be installed between booths which are less than 6 feet apart. 

Retail and Service Counters 

  • Capacity limit of no more than 50% occupancy. 

Personal Care 

  • Capacity limit of no more than 50% occupancy. 

Indoor/Outdoor Recreation 

  • Reopening select indoor recreation facilities (e.g., bowling alleys, skating rinks); indoor playgrounds and trampoline parks should remain closed. 
  • Indoor recreation to operate at lesser of 50 customers or 50% of facility capacity. 

Museums 

  • Capacity limit of no more than 25% occupancy. 
  • Guided tours should be limited to 50 or fewer people per group. 

Meetings and Social Events 

  • Limit to the lesser of 50 people or 50% of room capacity. 
  • Multiple groups may meet in the same facility if they are socially distanced and in separate rooms. 

Read the entire press release here. 

Vaccine Update

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COVID-19 Phase Graphic

Opt-In on AllVax to Gain Access to More Vaccine Providers

If you’ve registered on the Lake County Health Department’s AllVax Portal, you now have the option to share your information with other healthcare providers in Lake County, including hospitals and pharmacies, who will be providing the vaccine. By checking the appropriate box to opt in, you gain more access to more locations providing vaccines in Lake County as vaccine supply increases. 

How to opt-in: Login to your AllVax account, click the pencil icon under “Edit Info”, and then check the box that says “yes” under the words “Lake County Health Department can share my information with other healthcare providers to facilitate my vaccination process.” By checking the box, your information will only be sent to our partner vaccine providers for the purpose of scheduling a vaccine appointment. 

Vaccine Distribution 

Vaccines throughout the state and country are in short supply. Once the Lake County Health Department receives the vaccines from the Federal allocation, they are then distributed throughout the community to our vaccine partner providers. As more vaccines are shipped, more vaccine appointments will open. We appreciate the patience the community has shown us while working to move our community toward a healthier future.  

COVID-19 Vaccine Scams 

We understand that many are anxious to receive the vaccine. With vaccines in short supply, it is important to look out for and avoid COVID-19 scams. The COVID-19 vaccine is free for all who choose to receive it. Here are some signs of potential scams: 

  • You are asked to pay out of pocket for the vaccine. 
  • You are asked to pay to get on a waiting list or to get early access. 
  • You see or hear advertisements for the vaccine through email, call, text, or social media claiming to have access to the vaccine.  
  • You are asked for your social security number, bank account, or credit card number. 

Please report suspected cases of fraud to the Federal Trade Commission. 

Updated Quarantine Guidance

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Quarantine_Image

On December 2, 2020, the CDC issued new options for shortened quarantine for people who have no symptoms. The CDC made clear that a 14-day quarantine is still best practice and affirmed that local health departmentsshould evaluate if these options are right for the areas they serve. At the time of this, Lake County was seeing a surge in new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. After careful consideration the Lake County Health Department did not adopt the new options. Instead, we decided to reassess the situation after the holidays.

The Lake County Health Department has reviewed these alternatives, COVID-19 trends, and socioeconomic and mental health impact to our community. We continue to recommend that close contacts to a COVID-19 case ideally, complete a 14-day quarantine period. However, effective February 8, 2021, a shortened 10-day quarantine period is acceptable if the person exposed to COVID-19 has NOT developed symptoms.  

If a person with no symptoms wishes to get a COVID-19 test, a RT-PCR test should be given at least 5–7 days after the date they were exposed to COVID-19. Even with a negative test, the person must still complete the minimum 10-day quarantine period. 

In both options, a person in quarantine must monitor symptoms daily and continue wearing a mask through Day 14. If symptoms develop, the person in quarantine should get a COVID-19 test as soon as possible. If the test is positive, a person should isolate at home for 10 days from the date symptoms start. If symptoms persist despite a negative test, please contact your medical provider.

The Lake County Health Department continues to recommend only 14-day quarantine periods in high-risk, congregate settings. This includes settings such as long-term care facilities, correctional and detention facilities, group homes, student housing, daycares, and other settings where social distancing may be difficult.Shorter quarantine options are less effective at preventing COVID-19 transmission in these settings. Even a small increased risk of transmission could result in many new infections. 

COVID-19 Testing in Lake County

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COVID-19 Testing

While vaccinations continue to roll out in Illinois, it’s important to remember that COVID-19 testing is still readily available for those who may have been exposed.

The State’s mobile testing unit will be in Lake County this month: 

Saturday, February 13, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. 
Antioch/Lake Villa Township Center
1625 Deep Lake Rd.,Lake Villa 

drive-thru testing site is also located in downtown Waukegan at 102 W. Water Street, where tests are administered seven days a week from 8am until 4pm. Walk-up appointments are also available at this location.  

Residents may now schedule an appointment for their COVID-19 test by visiting Illinois Department of Public Health’s MyChart website:  https://rebrand.ly/idph. Members of the public can sign in or sign up to create IDPH MyChart account. Once logged in, select ‘Visits’ and then ‘Schedule an Appointment’. 

Testing is free and open to all regardless of symptoms. A phone number and name are required in order to receive testing results. Photo identification and proof of insurance are helpful, but not required. High demand for testing may result in long wait times. Testing locations may close early due to inclement weather or if daily testing supplies are exhausted. Additional COVID-19 testing locations and information can be found at the IDPH website.

For the COVID-19 testing site nearest you, please visit: https://www.dph.illinois.gov/testing.

Upcoming Events

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The Asociacion Comunitaria Latina (ACL) and African American Community Partnership Group Lake County (AACPG) will be hosting culturally tailored town halls about the COVID-19 Vaccine:

The COVID-19 Vaccine and the Black Community
Thursday, February 11, 6 PM
AACPG Facebook Live
RSVP on Facebook

A Conversation about the COVID-19 Vaccine and Helping the LatinX Community Register
Wednesday, February 17, 5:30 PM
Zoom 
RSVP on Zoom

Lake County Update

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Lake County COVID-19 Cases

As of February 05, 2021, 52,740 Lake County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, including 876 deaths.

Our Coronavirus Data Hub provides data and resources for our county, including cases and deaths, tests performed, demographic data, and an interactive map and charts. 

View the Lake County, IL Coronavirus Data Hub 

We are currently updating the way we obtain data from the State's system. As a result, our data visualizations are not currently up to date. We expect this to be resolved next week. We apologize for the inconvenience. 

Follow the 3 Ws

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Who to Contact if You Have Questions

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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

COVID-19 Resources

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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. 

 

Communication 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 fact sheets, flyers, posters, and videos.

View communication resources

Useful Links

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