Illinois COVID-19 Update

March 25, 2020

At today’s press briefing, the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) announced  330 new COVID-19 cases, for a total of 1,865 cases in 35 counties statewide. Three new deaths were reported—a Kane County man in his 90s, a Cook County man in his 60s, and a Will County woman in her 50s—for a total of 19 deaths. The age of cases ranges from younger than one year of age to 99 years of age.

IDPH Director Ngozi Ezike, M.D. reminded people to continue to stay at home, wash their hands and cover their cough and sneeze. She also reiterated that people who have COVID-19 symptoms should first contact their physician for guidance. Dr. Ezike said that people with mild symptoms are advised to fight the illness at home so that those who are gravely ill can be treated in a hospital setting.

The Office of the Medical Examiner of Cook County notified hospitals that any COVID-19 deaths should be immediately reported to the office by calling 312-666-0200.

At the request of IHA, IDPH established an email portal: dph.hospitaladmin@illinois.gov  to receive COVID-19 questions, comments, and ideas from the hospital community and IHA.  A team of staff assigned from the IDPH director’s office will review the emails, with a goal of responding within 24 hours.

Yesterday, IHA sent members an update memo on key supply, production and donation issues related to personal protective equipment (PPE).

In partnership with Chicago Dept. of Transportation, Divvy is launching a 30-day program to give critical healthcare workers free bike share memberships. Starting today and through April 30, eligible healthcare workers can sign up through their employer to access unlimited 45-minute trips on Divvy bikes for 30 days. Hospital administrators and/or human resources departments should reach out to herobikes@Lyft.com to start the process. 

This afternoon, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that the United Center will be repurposed to serve as a COVID-19 Emergency Relief Hub. The arena and outside campus will be transformed into a logistics hub where we will be assisting front line food distribution, first responder staging and the collection of critically needed medical supplies.

See IHA’s COVID-19 webpage for a variety of resources in a central location.