COVID and Health Updates

There has been a great deal of news this past month due to the latest COVID-19 wave and the changing behavior of the Omicron variant. This post starts with some general information and updates, school related updates, and other news and links. 

Illinois Newsroom had a listing of vaccination and testing sites in central Illinois, including Champaign County, in a recent article here. Smile Politely had a listing for C-U testing sites as well here. As always you can get more local information at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District website here and regular updates at their facebook page here.

There were press releases asking asymptomatic people not to go to local hospitals for testing, but to use other testing services in the area. From WCIA:

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District recently posted to Facebook, asking people not to use Carle, OSF, Christie or Promise Healthcare for COVID asymptomatic testing.

Health officials said at this moment, people who should go to these healthcare locations for COVID testing are only the ones with symptoms, have a high-risk exposure or are directed there by a healthcare provider.

According to officials, others should use the Market Place Mall testing site, SHIELD-CU sites (the Stephens Family YMCA, CRCE on the U of I campus, or Parkland College in Building E), The Free Rapid Test site at southeast corner of Springfield & Duncan or Campustown Urgent Care at Wright and Green.

Full article with video segment here.

Schools:

The Omicron variant of the COVID pandemic hit Illinois last month. and has put a strain on hospitalizations locally. In the week before Christmas the C-UPHD was warning of a "tsunami" of new infections and that the local hospitals were being overwhelmed. The News-Gazette editors promoted vaccinations and masking to help mitigate the surge in a recent editorial as well.

Around that same time the University announced a week long delay for in-person classes this year. Earlier in December, the UIUC Chancellor Robert Jones' "State of the University" speech highlighted the school's pandemic strategy heading into the new year. From Illinois Newsroom:

Last year, everyone on campus was required to test for the virus twice a week. Now, with vaccines available, Jones said they’re testing students, faculty and staff on a targeted basis.

“If there’s more than a couple of cases in a day or two or three cases in a week, we do what we call targeted surveillance testing where everybody in that facility does have to test every other day. And that, according to our public health officials, combined with our very high level of vaccination, is the best mitigation step to take at the moment,” Jones said.

Around 94 percent of the University of Illinois students and staff are fully vaccinated. That’s compared to 74 percent of people 18 and over statewide.

Full article here. Text of the address here, video link here (jump to link on COVID section of the address here). The News-Gazette also had an overview of the University's mitigation strategy last month here.

The University also announced COVID testing requirements for upcoming athletic events. WCIA had an overview here.

The local school districts announced their COVID testing policies and requirements heading into the new year. WCIA had an overview for Unit 4 and District 116 (Champaign and Urbana) here.

Other COVID and health news updates:

• Prior to the New Year's Eve celebrations, mayors of both Champaign and Urbana warned residents to avoid large gatherings to help prevent overwhelming the hospital system any further.
• Secretary of State drivers services have been impacted. Details from WCIA here.
• The surge in cases has also affected court appearances in Champaign County.
• The governor "and hospital leaders are asking hospitals to postpone non-emergency surgeries" according to WICS.
• WICS had coverage of Illinois implementing new CDC quarantine guidelines.
• WCCU highlighted warnings that there may be more cancelations and staffing issues to come.
• Community Foundation of East Central Illinois provided grant money to several area non-profits. More information and links at Smile Politely.

COVID Updates

There's always news and information about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic coming out every day. It has been a challenge both to keep up with it all and picking a time to highlight that information here. This post provides a recent news roundup and informational links.

As school sports programs are ramping up, there's an increased need to look out for the long term effects and damage COVID may have caused to those children who have had it, even if asymptomatic. From the News-Gazette today:

As school sports have been ramping back up, a local doctor is advising kids who have had COVID-19 recently to get a medical checkup before they return to play.

And by recently, that means having COVID-19 within six weeks of any planned return to sports, according to Dr. Jerrad Zimmerman, a sports-medicine doctor at Carle.

Some kids who had COVID-19 less recently — even many months ago — may also need to be checked out before a return to sports if they have some lingering symptoms, among them fatigue or breathing issues, that may signal a heart risk, he said.

Full article here.

The Daily Illini had an overview of the precautions suggested for the variants now circulating in Illinois and locally contrasted with current local policy:

Many researchers have suggested to double mask and avoid in-person eating, while the county has opened up in-person dining, including limited space at dining halls. The B117 variant, the variant that resulted in the UK’s third lockdown, stands as a threat to the safety of students. 

“There is definitely a disconnect between researchers’ concerns about more infectious variants and public policy, not just in the county but in the nation as a whole,” said Nigel Goldenfeld, professor in Grainger. “The criteria for relaxing tiered mitigation levels are heavily based on hospital occupancy and downward case trends and were developed at a time when there was no awareness of rapidly emerging more transmissible and deadly variants such as B117.”

That full article here.

There are some volunteer opportunities that have been in the news related to the pandemic:

• The CRIS Healthy-Aging Center is looking for volunteers to help with vaccine outreach. Details from WICS here. 
• The Hope Center offers groceries to those in need (more information from WCIA here). To get involved with the Silver Hearts they have volunteer information here. The University has information on its Food Assistance and Well-Being program here.
• Carle Friends program to help people in isolation stay socially connected. Details and links from WAND here.

Other recent local news updates related to COVID:

• The Champaign County Courthouse is going to be welcoming back jurors and jury trials according to News-Gazette coverage today.
• This month saw the expansion of vaccine access in smaller towns and rural areas in Champaign County according to WICS earlier this month.
• Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker toured local facilities here earlier this month. Coverage from Illinois Newsroom here.
• The VA in Danville has been doing outreach to eligible veterans for the vaccine according to WAND.
• CU at Home and public health have been working together to ensure access to the vaccine by homeless members of the community. More that from WCIA here.
• Outreach to local immigrant communities and the New American Center at the campus YMCA was covered by WICS here.

General Updates:

The latest Champaign County COVID data is available from the C-UPHD website here.

The latest updates on vaccinations is available from their website here. The News-Gazettes data updates on vaccination included a helpful chart on 1st and 2nd doses locally by Ben Zigterman:

Full article and more data here.

There are also regular updates with the C-UPHD Administrator Julie Pryde on Urbana Public Television (UPTV6 YouTube Channel here). The most recent interview with Elizabeth Hess is available here from February 22nd.

The Daily Illini also had a recent overview of local contact tracing for anyone interested in how that system works here.

WCIA had an overview of all of the extra work and overtime that has had to be put in at the C-UPHD here.

COVID News Roundup 1/26

There has been a mountain of news and updates since our last COVID update post a week ago. That Cheat Sheet post highlighted that officials were announcing sustained reductions in cases, hospitalizations and thus reduced mitigations. Soon after that, Region 6, including Champaign County, returned to Phase 4 guidance without additional mitigation. From the News-Gazette:

Region 6 has moved out of the state’s Tier 1 COVID-19 mitigation restrictions to the less restrictive Phase 4.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced the change Thursday morning for the 21-county region that includes Champaign, Douglas, Ford, Piatt and Vermilion counties.

The change was based on improving COVID-19 metrics for the region, including a test-positivity rate of 6.5 percent for three consecutive days, plus staffed intensive care unit bed capacity of 20 percent or more for three consecutive days and no sustained increase in COVID-19 patients in the hospital for seven out of 10 days.

That full article here. The previous Cheat Sheet post had a description and links for the recovery Phases and mitigation Tiers to get back on track after outbreaks. For additional local data and vaccine information check out the C-UPHD coronavirus data page and vaccination dashboard. The return to Phase 4 has meant less restrictions on everything from indoor dining to libraries to sports. Here are just some of the stories on loosening restrictions in the area:

• Youth Sports opening back up from the News-Gazette. There was also an earlier article prior to the decision explaining the metrics and the why.
• Impacts of Phase 4 on campus from the Daily Illini.
• The University Chancellor is pleading with students to adhere to the remaining safety guidance after some concerns were raised by long lines. Coverage by WCIA here. The student infection rate is still far lower than the general community at this time with the News-Gazette reporting its "seven-day positivity rate held at 0.3 percent."
• Champaign Park District and Urbana Park District resuming some indoor activities, reported by Smile Politely.
• Public libraries in Champaign and Urbana have limited openings as reported by the News-Gazette.

There were also some updates on vaccinations (C-UPHD vaccination dashboard):

• Some students and teachers at Unit 4 are able to start signing up for vaccinations according to the News-Gazette today. WCIA had more coverage here.
• WICS had an article on the overwhelming demand in Champaign County and surrounding areas.
• Illinois Newsroom had coverage about building trust with agricultural workers and migrant communities with outreach on the vaccine.
• The Pantagraph had coverage on vaccine delays and nursing homes.
• WICS also had updates on a new Illinois State portal on COVID vaccination information.
• The Daily Illini took a look at the possible student vaccination timeline.
• The Daily Illini also had an overview of the local vaccination push in Champaign County.

Unfortunately as we race to get as many people as possible vaccinated and get this pandemic under control, the new more contagious variant threatens to do more damage. WAND had coverage about more confirmed cases of the virus variant spreading in Illinois. The News-Gazette today laid out specific concerns with the University and the new variant possibly coming here.

Other COVID-19 related updates:

• There is now a memorial established by the Unitarian Universalist church for those lost to the pandemic locally. Reporting from WICS. 
• The IFT teachers union has announced a COVID tracker on its website according to WICS.
• The University of Illinois Board of Trustees says it is still waiting on FDA approval for expanding its testing to more people according to the News-Gazette.
• WCIA had coverage on continued visitor restrictions at local hospitals.
• WCIA and WAND had coverage on the University's "Party Patrol" to help ensure adherence to pandemic guidance.
• The University's "Mom's Weekend" in-person activities were canceled, also from WICS.
• The Daily Illini had an overview of local COVID trends while students were gone.
• There was coverage on how COVID is still impacting "Restaurant Week" events locally in the Daily Illini and WCIA.

It was a busy week for local pandemic news. By the time you read this, there will likely be more news and updates!

Law Enforcement Supporting Special Olympics

Local law enforcement will be supporting efforts to raise money for the Illinois Special Olympics next week. From the News-Gazette today:

Fundraising lunch to benefit Special Olympics set July 26 at Texas Roadhouse
Police officers from all over Champaign County are inviting people to eat lunch at Texas Roadhouse on July 26 to benefit Special Olympics Illinois.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., officers will serve a pulled-pork sandwich, corn, fresh-baked bread with honey-cinnamon butter and a non-alcoholic beverage. Diners are asked to leave a donation for their meal, which is valued at $10.

Diners also have a chance to win a free dinner for two at Texas Roadhouse by posting a photo from their location on social media using the hashtag "#IGotServed."

Donations benefit the more than 22,500 athletes with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics Illinois. The Law Enforcement Torch Run is the single largest year-round fundraising vehicle benefiting the group.

Additional activity and event details here.

Champaign and County Police Week Events

A listing of local events with the City of Champaign and Champaign County police from yesterday's News-Gazette:

More information at the City of Champaign Police Department facebook event page here. The Champaign County Sheriff's Office website and social media links don't appear to have any information yet, but that link is pretty straightforward when there is.