Southern Seven Health Department executive director shares update
Southern Seven Health Department executive director Rhonda Andrews-Ray shared the following coronavirus/COVID-19 situational update on Friday, April 3:
To the Residents of the Southern 7 Counties,
This has been a busy week for the Southern Seven Health Department.
On April 1st the first positive COVID-19 patient was diagnosed in the southern seven county region.
This patient is a female in her 60’s from Massac County. Currently, the investigation into the case is being conducted.
Beginning next week, Southern Seven Health Department will implement new measures to keep our residents and staff safe from COVID-19.
Beginning on April 6th, our WIC clinic sites will be open one day a week and coupons will be disbursed via curbside.
Offices will be open as follows; Alexander on Tuesday, Hardin on Wednesday, Johnson on Thursday, Massac on Tuesday, Pulaski on Thursday, and Union on Tuesday.
Our Public Health Clinics will also be open one day per week.
Offices will be open as follows; Alexander on Wednesday, Hardin/Pope on Wednesday, Johnson on Friday, Massac on Friday, Pulaski on Wednesday, and Union on Friday.
Head Start sites will remain closed. Meals will continue to be prepared a week at a time and handed out to the Head Start children and any child who needs them.
Our most immediate message to our communities is: STAY PREPARED!
COVID-19 is still spreading quickly throughout the U.S. and state of Illinois!
To date there are 7,695 cases of COVID-19 in Illinois in 61 counties. There have been 157 deaths from COVID-19 in Illinois.
As of today, the CDC is reporting a total of 213,144 cases in the United States with 4,513 deaths.
In Illinois, the number of cases can be reduced by adhering to public health guidance on social distancing which includes staying at home.
Other guidance includes; 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, you need to call your health care provider for further guidance.
There have been four COVID-19 hotlines established for residents of the Southern 7 region. These are:
Massac Memorial Hospital, 1-618-638-1344, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. line.
Southern Illinois Healthcar, 1-844-988-7800, 24-hour line.
St. Francis Medical Center, 1-573-331-4200, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. line.
Baptist Health, 1-888-227-8478, 24-hour line.
For more information, visit cdc.gov/coronavirus or idph.illinois.gov.
You can also call the IDPH Hotline with questions at 1-800-889-3931.
We have established a page on our website (southern7.org/coronavirus) where you can find information. You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram for updates.