SPRINGFIELD – With the rise of COVID-19 cases in Effingham County, State Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) is urging the Illinois Department of Public Health to step up efforts to protect long-term care facilities in the County.
“Nearly 75 percent of the COVID-19 deaths in the Southern and Central regions come from long-term care facilities,” Wilhour said. Protecting the elderly populations in these facilities is where our primary focus should be. “We need targeted testing at long term care facilities and we need quicker turnaround on the tests. I have made a request to the Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngorzi Ezike and Governor Pritzker urging their temporary assistance to better protect our long-term care facilities in Effingham County.”
Wilhour said he would like to see biweekly and symptomatic testing for employees and at a minimum, weekly and symptomatic testing for all residents.
“I have requested that mobile testing units be temporarily dispatched to help with testing at our long-term care facilities to increase the turnaround time to keep our elderly population safe,” Wilhour said. “So far, we have been fortunate that our long-term care facilities have not been hit hard with the rise of cases, but if we are not proactive in addressing these potential problems we might not be so lucky in the near future.”
In addition to this request, Wilhour is urging area residents to follow the health department and CDC guidance.
“I am also asking our elderly population and folks with risk factors to stay home for the next couple weeks as the virus moves through our population,” Wilhour said. “If those who are staying home need assistance with shopping, errands or any other needs during this time, please contact our Effingham office at (217)994-9348 or [email protected].”
