As COVID overwhelms health departments, some scale back on contact tracing
CARBONDALE — After Jamie White tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 28, she didn’t receive any information on what to do for a full week. “When I tried to reach the health department, I was told they’re no longer doing contact tracing and was given a phone number to call,” said White, who lives in […]
Low vaccinations and high transmission make contact tracing in Vermilion County difficult during the holidays
DANVILLE — When Doug Toole, the director of the Vermilion County Health Department, and the department’s contact tracers get back to their desks in the morning, there are piles of calls to make. Those piles represent positive cases of COVID-19. Contact tracing is an important part of stopping the spread of COVID-19, according to Toole. […]
COVID-19 Contact Tracers Still Connecting Infected People With Support, A Year & Thousands Of Anxious Calls Later
ROCKFORD — Julie Hovland has talked to more people infected with COVID-19 than just about anyone. She’s been a contact tracer for the Winnebago County Health Department for nearly a full year. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s528/audio/2021/07/0728tracef.mp3 Listen to this story here. A former substitute teacher forced indoors by early lockdowns, she was glued to her TV watching daily […]
Ask The Newsroom: COVID-19 Vaccines, Contact Tracing And Data, COVID-19 Prevention
The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions to help Illinois residents navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want to be answered? Ask here. Below you’ll find answers to questions about COVID-19 vaccines, schools and their response to the pandemic, as well as business and government aid. Please note: This information is accurate as […]
Ask The Newsroom: Schooling, Businesses, Government Aid
The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions to help Illinois residents navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want answered? Ask here. Below you’ll find answers to questions about schools and their COVID-19 response, business and government aid during the pandemic. Please note the information is accurate as of February 17, 2021. Schooling Q: […]
Ask The Newsroom: Electricity Moratorium, Non-Compliancy, Contact Tracing And More
The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions from listeners to navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want answered? Ask here. Please note, the information is accurate as of Feb. 1, 2021. In today’s edition of “Ask the Newsroom,” we sought answers regarding… Electricity Nonpayment Q: Can my electricity be turned off due to nonpayment? […]
How This School Nurse Handles Work During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for Midwestern school districts as they balance their students’ education and safety. At the forefront are…
With Cases Surging, Colleges Turn To Students For Help
As Thanksgiving break approaches, many schools are seeing spikes in coronavirus cases. Some campuses are using students to work the phones as contact tracers.
GOP Pushes Back On Pritzker’s Mitigation Efforts
Republicans in the Illinois House and Senate pushed back Wednesday against Gov. JB Pritzker’s efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, arguing that…
Pritzker Talks Vaccine, Contact Tracing, And University Spread
The statewide COVID-19 test positivity rate hit its lowest point since July 26 on Wednesday as the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,337…
News Around Illinois – June 10, 2020
A Dialogue On Race Begins With Police In Bloomington-Normal NORMAL – On Saturday, a diverse group of around 60 people gathered in the parking lot of CrossFit Bloomington-Normal to have a conversation about race. Called “The Community Unification Project,” the event was organized by CrossFit owner Chad Hobbs in coordination with the Normal Police Department […]
Champaign County Loosens COVID-19 Testing Criteria
Criteria for COVID-19 testing in Champaign County have expanded to include anyone experiencing symptoms consistent with the disease. Awais Vaid, epidemiologist at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, says previously, the county had limited testing to people with symptoms who met other criteria set by the state’s department of public health and the U.S. Centers for […]