Egyptian Health Department was notified on Friday, July 10, 2020 of three Southeastern Illinois residents who have tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19). The individuals include:
- a Saline County female in her 20’s, at home and in isolation
- a Saline County female in her 60’s, at home and in isolation
- a White County female in her 20’s, at home and in isolation
These are the fifteenth and sixteenth lab-confirmed positives of COVID-19 in Saline County and the ninth lab-confirmed positive of COVID-19. The Illinois Department of Public Health, their healthcare providers, and the individuals have all been notified and are monitoring the situation.
Public health officials are conducting an investigation of these cases by speaking with individuals who are deemed potential close contacts. As is protocol, public health officials may place other individuals on home quarantine if they are determined to have had significant exposure. Such individuals may not by 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, please respond promptly.
Close contacts may include individuals:
- Living in the same household as a sick person with COVID-19
- Caring for a sick person with COVID-19
- Being within 6 feet of a sick person with COVID-19 for about 15 minutes, OR
- Being in direct contact with secretions from a sick person with COVID-19 (e.g., being coughed on, kissing, sharing utensils, etc.).
The number of cases can be reduced by adhering to public health guidance on social distancing, wearing a face covering, washing hands frequently, disinfecting commonly touched surfaces, and staying home when you are ill.
COVID-19 shares many symptoms with more common respiratory diseases. If you have a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for further guidance.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois has risen over the past week. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), on July 10, 2020, the confirmed total of COVID-19 in the State is 151,767 individuals.
The public is asked to follow and share trusted sources of information on COVID-19. The spread of incorrect information during disease outbreaks can lead people to take actions which may not be beneficial to their health or the health of others. Follow the CDC, IDPH, Illinois Coronavirus website, EHD websites and social media accounts for such trusted information. Public health officials will not be releasing more specific details about this individual due to privacy issues.
