PEORIA, Ill. — Peoria County now has a confirmed case of COVID-19, bringing the the total to two cases in the tri-county area.
Monica Hendrickson with the Peoria City/County Health Department said the tri county area includes Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford.
“It also brings our total to five negative test results and 25 pending test results,” Hendrickson said.
Moving forward, confirmed tests, negative tests, pending tests, and deaths from the tri-county region will be given daily as updates.
More positive cases of the virus will arise, and Hendrickson said this is the time as a community to practice social distancing and self quarantine.
The Peoria City/County Health Department will be closing the building and limiting services beginning Tuesday, March 17.
“We will be reassessing this on April 1, to determine if this closure needs to continue or to extend it for a further period of time,” Hendrickson said. “Much of this is because the health department is a key responsibility in the investigation and emergency response for our community in regards to the COVID-19 event.”
The newest case of COVID-19 was announced Monday, and is the first case in Peoria County. The Peoria City/County Health Department has decided to no longer release the age of gender of the patients who test positive for the virus.
“And that’s aligning with the Illinois Department of Public Health’s guidance to local health departments,” Hendrickson said.
Elections on Tuesday are still a go, and Hendrickson said the Election Commission has been working on making polling locations safe and clean.
“Recognizing things such as closing polling places that were at high risk populations, as well as trying to maintain as many supplies as possible. Starting more stringent cleaning guidelines for their polling places,” Hendrickson said. “In addition, they are even asking their electoral judges who might be high risk to actually not necessarily participate this time.”
The Peoria City/County Health Department will be giving daily updates at 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, unless otherwise directed.
