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Illinois identifies 25 patients with Coronavirus

The World Health Organization (WHO) declares COVID-19 a “Pandemic”

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today is announcing six additional individuals have tested positive at the IDPH laboratory for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“More cases in more places in Illinois means we are seeing growing transmission of the virus in the community,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.  “Today the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic.  We will see additional cases in Illinois and I urge people to take steps now to reduce the impact this will have on their daily lives.”

Public health officials are still investigating the travel history of these individuals and any potential contact with a known COVID-19 case.  Public health officials will identify and contact people who are considered close contacts of these cases.

At this time, we can release the following information regarding the new cases:

Chicago:

• 80s male
• 70s male
• 70s male
• 50s female
• 40s male

Lake County:

• 50s male

For information about how you, your school, workplace, and community can prepare, please visit Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities.  For general questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email [email protected].

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

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