COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Situational Update from Southern Seven Health Department’s Executive Director – April 17, 2020
To the Residents of the Southern 7 Counties,
As of April 16, 2020, Southern Seven Health Department is reporting 15 positive COVID-19 cases in the Southern Seven region. Please be advised that Southern Seven Health Department Public Health and WIC clinics are open one day a week and Head Start remains closed until further notice.
Many of you have asked about testing for COVID-19 within the Southern Seven counties. To date a total of 254 confirmed negative tests have been reported to Southern Seven. Currently, both the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and private laboratories are testing for COVID-19 in all of our southern seven counties. The county breakdown on NEGATIVE results is as follows:
| Alexander | Hardin | Johnson | Massac | Pope | Pulaski | Union |
| 16 | 15 | 32 | 43 | 11 | 23 | 114 |
| Southern Seven Health Department does not approve persons for testing. This is all done through IDPH as it pertains to the state lab. Neither IDPH, nor Southern Seven Health Department approves COVID-19 testing at commercial, hospital, or academic laboratories. Testing through these labs can be approved by the individual’s physician.
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| Our most immediate message to our communities is: STAY INFORMED! Find out what is happening in Illinois and in the Southern Seven Region. Southern Seven Health Department has a very active Facebook page. “Like” this page and you will find updates coming out several times a day. Every afternoon at 2:30 Governor Pritzker give a press release with Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. This press conference can be found on the Illinois Department of Public Health’s website or on WSIL TV 3. COVID-19 is still spreading quickly spreading throughout the US and state of Illinois! As of April 16, 2020 there are 25,733 cases of COVID-19 in Illinois, 1,072 deaths in 90 counties. Only 6 days ago Illinois count was 16,422 cases, 528 deaths in 81 counties. As of April 16, the CDC is reporting a total of 632,548 COVID-19 cases and 31,071 deaths in the United States. This number has increased from 395,111 cases and 12,754 deaths just 6 days ago. You can see from the data that COVID-19 is spreading rapidly! At this time, you MUST assume that COVID-19 is circulating within your community. Do not be surprised when a positive case is diagnosed. Stay at home unless absolutely necessary. When you must go out, please wear a face mask and gloves.
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