Effingham County Health Department Announces One COVID Related Death, 94 New Positive Cases

Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)-The Effingham County Health Department sadly announces the COVID-related death of an individual in their 60s, they were unvaccinated. This death brings the number of confirmed COVID related deaths in this county to one-hundred-and-eleven (111). 

The Department also announces ninety-four (94) new positive cases of Coronavirus Disease (COVID 19) reported since Monday; when added to the numbers released that day (67), they bring this week’s total so far to one-hundred-and-sixty-one (161). 

Positive case demographics are as follows:  

The Illinois Region 6, 7-day rolling test positivity increased to 9% through December 20, with Effingham County at 8.5% for the same period. ICU availability in our region is down to 10%, half the 20%  warning level.

Our advice for reducing the risk of COVID does not change; the best way to prevent the spread of this virus is vaccination, getting a booster shot, and wearing a mask indoors and in crowds. This is especially important during the Christmas holidays; local health care providers are stretched and capacity is limited to deal  with this Christmas surge. 

As a reminder if you test positive for COVID-19: 

Isolate yourself: Stay home and away from others for 10 days from when your symptoms first appeared AND after going 24 hours without a fever. Stay in a separate room away from other people and animals if you can. 

Identify close contacts: Make a list of your most recent close contacts. 

Recommendations for close contacts are to quarantine, get tested, and wear a mask after an exposure to COVID-19 and will vary depending on vaccination status and history of prior COVID-19 diagnosis within the past 90 days. Below is a summary of the current guidance: 

• People who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated should quarantine and get tested immediately after being identified as a close contact. If the test is negative, they should get tested  again 5–7 days after last exposure and continue to quarantine. If symptoms develop during quarantine, they should isolate and get tested immediately. 
• People who are fully vaccinated should get tested 5-7 days after coming into close contact with someone with COVID-19 and wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days or until they test  negative. If symptoms develop, they should isolate and get tested immediately. 
• People who have had COVID-19 within the past 90 days and recovered should wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days after exposure, monitor for symptoms, and consult with a  healthcare professional for testing recommendations if they develop new symptoms. 

In addition, contacts should check their temperature twice daily and watch for COVID-19 symptoms, such as cough or shortness of breath. Stay in touch with your doctor and if your symptoms worsen or become severe, you should seek immediate medical care. Severe symptoms include trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, or blue-ish lips or face. 

If you test positive for COVID-19 or were identified as in close contact with someone who did, you’ll get a call or text from IL COVID HELP. The Contact Tracing Phone number (1-312-777-1999) is the same across the State of Illinois. The system is programmed to match the phone number of an incoming call to a specific case record so the caller can be routed to the assigned Contact Tracer and the IDPH Surge Center. 

During the call, they will: 

• Ask you to confirm information about yourself and information about your close contacts if you are infected, answer your questions and help alleviate any concerns 
• Help determine your isolation or quarantine guidelines 
• Offer you additional support and resources to keep you home safely and put you in touch with community partners who can assist you 
• They will never ask for your social security number, payment of any kind, bank or credit card information, or your immigration status 

Go to https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19/data/contact-tracing for more information. For general questions about COVID‐19, call the IDPH COVID‐19 Hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email DPH.SICK@illinois.gov. Note the Hotline does not make decisions about who should be tested for COVID‐19.