Full Notification

Wayne County Health Department Joint Release

Date:  May 05, 2020

From:  Clark Griffith, Public Health Administrator
            Dr. Jed Jones, Wayne County Health Department Medical Advisor
            Dr. Andy Britt, Wayne County Health Department Medical Advisor
 
Significant spread of COVID-19 in rural areas will bring with it the same challenges that metropolitan areas have and continue to face. Rural areas have older populations with higher instances of underlying health conditions placing them at greater risk and to potentially suffer worse health outcomes should they become infected with COVID-19.  Our local health systems have limited capacities to deal with a substantial surge of patients needing acute or intensive care services.

Current models indicate rural areas which are not densely populated will have a lag in the amount of time it takes COVID-19 virus to spread. Most epidemiology models predict that initial peaks in less-densely populated areas may still be weeks away, therefore not relaxing social distancing prematurely is critical.

While local Public Health and Emergency Management officials prepare and plan for worst case scenario’s, we are finding it difficult under the current political landscape to impress upon sections of the population that we are not out of danger and that widespread community transmission could still occur.  Once we experience widespread transmission, it will likely result in a medical surge forcing mass care and fatality management issues which may not be sustainable.

The Wayne County Health Department is working diligently with the State of Illinois and local healthcare providers, long term care facilities and first responders to distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect those on the frontlines of response.  The Health Department is also responsible for contact tracing of positive COVID-19 cases and providing guidance to long term care and assisted living facilities.  Employees at the Wayne County Health Department have been working tirelessly to protect frontline workers and prevent disease transmission in our community.  These individuals should be commended for their hard work and commitment to the community they serve.

We encourage the citizens of Wayne County to be very cautious in their decisions to re-open businesses and to relax social distancing measures prematurely.  We are very concerned about congregate settings in restaurants, churches and community events due to the highly contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus given the density of our at risk population. Therefore, we do not recommend gatherings of this nature at this time.  A positive COVID 19 case in a congregate setting could result in many high risk contacts requiring isolation and quarantine mandates.

As a public health agency, we are required formulate and implement measures to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Wayne County. It is this mandate in concert with Illinois State Department of Public Health that will guide our recommendations. Currently, we are fielding calls from the general public by the minute and we are addressing each issue as it presents itself.  All concerns and complaints will be considered based on level of risk and I will confer with the Wayne County States Attorney on legal matters relating to the State of Illinois Executive Order.

If you are a non-essential business that is considering reestablishing services please contact the Wayne County Health Department for guidance at 618 842-5166 during normal business hours or send your questions to [email protected] after hours and we will respond as soon as possible