The Vermilion County Health Department says the number of people who have tested negative in the county for the COVID-19 coronavirus has surpassed 1500. Melissa Rome, Emergency Planning and Preparedness Coordinator for the Health Department, says the number is rising because more people are getting tested….
{‘’Any essential worker – whether you are a nurse, or a grocery line worker, or a garbage pick-up person, delivery person – they can get tested whether they are symptomatic or asymptomatic. Any essential workers – anybody that’s working in a congregate setting can get tested,’’ said Rome. ‘’For everybody else, they can get tested if they are symptomatic or if they have been exposed, or if they have an underlying health condition.’’
In addition to the over 1500 people who have tested negative for coronavirus in Vermilion County, the Health Department says 32 people have tested positive since the testing began in March.
Rome outlined the locations in Vermilion County where the tests are being administered…..
{‘’You can get tested at Aunt Martha’s (Health Care Center). It’s by appointment only on Thursdays and Fridays. OSF – they also want you to call and make an appointment, and Carle as well.}
Meanwhile, Vermilion County Health Department Administrator Doug Toole says his office is still reviewing plans for eventually getting restaurants and other businesses in the county operating normally again….
{‘’It’s hard to come up with one plan that’s going to manage a chain restaurant versus one that’s going to handle a locally-owned ice cream shop. So we hate to have one set of rules that covers everyone,’’ said Toole on WDAN Radio’s Newsmakers program Monday. ‘’It’s going to be a lot of reviewing with plans, and a lot of talking to managers about how they want to do things. But there’s a lot of creativity, and I’m sure every manager or owner is taking a look at their facility and saying: ‘How can we re-open and be safe for our employees and be appealing to the customers as well?’’’
Some businesses have been completely closed since the start of the pandemic in March while others have kept kitchen areas open offering curb-side pickup. Inside dining in Illinois restaurants is still not open, even though it is allowed – with guidelines for social distancing – in Indiana restaurants.
