Friday, May 29, 2020 Volume 1, Issue 13
(630) 682-7400 www.dupagehealth.org
DuPage County Board COVID 19 Weekly Newsletter
Health Department Providing Guidance to
Essential Businesses During COVID-19


As the DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) works to slow the spread of COVID-19, essential businesses —restaurants offering carryout and delivery, grocery stores, and companies that manufacture and process foods — are concerned with keeping their workers and products safe.

During normal operations, these businesses are familiar with DCHD’s Environmental Health Services (EHS) unit, which is responsible for permitting and regulating over 4,000 food service facilities operating in DuPage County. EHS Specialists (also known as sanitarians) work with local businesses to ensure the foods we eat, beverages we drink, and the buildings are safe and healthy.

“Slowing the spread of COVID-19 while keeping essential businesses operating is a major concern,” said Michael DeSmedt, Assistant Director of Environmental Health Services. “We quickly shifted our focus and developed the Business Resource Team (BRT) to provide owners and operators the guidance they required.”

BRT team members have provided over 250 consultations with DuPage County business leaders on the topics of:
  • Protecting employees and clients from spreading disease during the pandemic;
  • Ensuring proper cleaning and disinfection with EPA-approved products;
  • Providing the current best practices on safe operations; and
  • Specific information and resources a business may need to operate safely.

Each business receives a toolkit with detailed information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Illinois Department of Public Health and DCHD that includes a potential exposure to COVID-19 fact sheet, an isolation and quarantine release chart, symptom monitoring log, social distancing posters and notification letter to employees.


Health Department and
Wheaton College
Provide Housing For Frontline Workers During COVID-19

Our community partner, Wheaton College has been providing living space in their dormitories as alternative housing for first responders and medical professionals who require isolation due possible exposure to COVID-19.

DCHD staff have been graciously helping those in isolation by delivering hot meals and picking up trash.

Recently, a medical professional received notice that she tested negative for COVID-19 and was overflowing with thanks and joy.

She said: Words can’t explain the happiness when I received the best news today, that I tested negative! Thank you, and I appreciate the kindness shown to me and all the help from the DuPage County Health Department, Wheaton College and especially those who brought food and took the trash every day. There are angels on Earth!

PPE Donation
to Support Healthcare Community

Thank you to Congressman Sean Casten and the Pakistani Physicians Society, for their donation of PPE to the Health Department yesterday. DuPage County is experiencing a shortage of these critical supplies. The Health Department will distribute donated PPE to the healthcare community.

The Pakistani Physician Society is a nonprofit organization with over 500 members. In addition to raising funds to purchase PPE for donation, they have established a COVID-19 Helpline to answer medical questions and concerns related to COVID-19 illness. The helpline is available to the general public in Illinois 7 days/week. The hours are 6-9pm on weekdays and 12-5 pm on weekends. The helpline number is 630-444-7411. This helpline is being staffed by Registered Nurses and Board Certified Physicians.
IMPORTANT HEALTHCARE UPDATES

Don't Wait. Your Health Matters.

During the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home order, emergency room and doctor’s visits have seen a significant decrease. The concern is that individuals are avoiding preventative healthcare out of fear—which could otherwise save their lives. Therefore, it is important to remind our communities that it is both safe and important to seek medical care when they are unwell. To support this communication, the DuPage County Health Department, in collaboration with DuPage hospitals and healthcare providers, have launched a Your Health Matters PSA. The video has been shared on our social media accounts and by local community partners. Please help us disseminate this message by sharing on your social media platforms and other communication channels. 


View the Spanish version of the video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=etBe7-99BNc

Call, Don’t Cancel
Childhood Vaccinations and Well Visits are Important

Parents are understandably nervous about taking their children and teens to their doctors’ offices right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, as a result, childhood vaccination rates are dropping dangerously according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • Many healthcare providers’ offices are taking special precautions such as ensuring well children are kept separate from sick children.
  • Many providers are limiting the number of people who can accompany a child to their appointment and are taking temperatures of all family members before allowing them into the building.
  • Before rescheduling any upcoming childhood vaccination or well visit appointments, call your child’s healthcare provider to find out if the appointment can remain as scheduled and what precautions they are taking to keep everyone safe from COVID-19.
  • Not all provider offices are equipped to separate sick and well children. If that is the case for your child’s provider, ask whether there are plans in place to catch children up on vaccines at a later date, before the school year begins.
  • Set a reminder on your calendar to check back in with your child’s healthcare provider in one month to see whether their plans to vaccinate have changed. If stay-at-home orders are still in place, you can always move the reminder on your calendar to the next month.
  • The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program offers free vaccines to families who cannot afford to pay for their children’s vaccines (up to 19 years of age). There may be other costs associated with the vaccination visit such as an administrative fee or co-pay; however, VFC vaccines cannot be denied to an eligible child if the family cannot afford the fee. Use the Illinois VFC Provider Search found at: vfc.illinois.gov/search

Vaccinations are still critical during this pandemic.

  • It may seem as if outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases are unlikely with current stay-at-home guidance in many states. However, as these restrictions are lifted, people will once again visit stores, gather at parties, and return to schools and daycares.

  • 2019 taught us that outbreaks of diseases such as measles, chickenpox and mumps are only held at bay by vaccines.

Help us ensure this pandemic is not followed by an increase in cases of vaccine-preventable diseases or a preventable outbreak.
RESOURCES FOR THOSE IN NEED
If you currently receive SNAP benefits, you are automatically eligible for P-EBT benefits and do not need to apply. Your P-EBT benefits will be automatically loaded into your Illinois LINK EBT account along with your regular SNAP benefits.

If you do not currently receive SNAP benefits and need to apply for the P-EBT program or to learn more, click here .

What's New

DuPage County Health Department has recently added new information to their website:



Guidance is changing rapidly, please check the www.dupagehealth.org/COVID19 website frequently. 

Illinois COVID-19
Hotline and Email Address

If you have questions about Coronavirus - Call the Illinois Coronavirus Disease
(COVID-19) Hotline:

1 (800) 889-3931 or, send an email to: dph.sick@illinois.gov

Both are available anytime, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Friday, May 29, 2020 Volume 1, Issue 13
(630) 682-7400 www.dupagehealth.org