A 19-year-old McHenry County man is being treated at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington after testing positive for COVID-19, sources said.
The man arrived at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital on Thursday and tested positive for coronavirus, sources told Lake and McHenry County Scanner. The man is being kept in isolation in a negative pressure room.
The McHenry County Health Department confirmed the man is doing well and in good condition. They are attempting to identify and investigate who the man has been in contact with and officials did not release what town in McHenry County he resides in.
“We don’t have much information to share at this time, but we want the public to know that we are taking all necessary precautions with this case,” said MCDH Public Health Administrator Melissa Adamson.
“We encourage all residents to continue using preventative measures to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19, and to begin planning for events that could disrupt their lives, such as school closures or if they become ill,” Adamson added.
On Tuesday, Governor J.B. Pritzker and other officials announced eight new cases of coronavirus in Illinois, including the McHenry County case. The total number of COVID-19 cases is now at 19.
Officials said at the press conference that 17 of the 19 cases are residents of Cook County.
The two cases outside of Cook County are the 19-year-old McHenry County man and a Kane County woman in her 60s, neither of whom had a history of travel to an affected area and have no connection to a known case of COVID-19.
“As we anticipated, the number of cases in Illinois is increasing and now includes the first cases outside of Chicago and Cook County,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
“The State of Illinois continues to take action to reduce spread of COVID-19 in Illinois and we again want to encourage people to start thinking and preparing now in the event they are not able to go to work, if schools are closed, if public transportation is not available, and how else their lives will be disrupted by this outbreak,” Ezike added.
Pritzker reminded the public that people older than 60 and those with pre-existing conditions need to be extra vigilant in staying away from large gatherings.
During the press conference, Pritzker blasted the federal government and said he is “very frustrated” by their lack of response to the coronavirus.
A statewide disaster proclamation was issued Monday in order to obtain additional state and federal resources relating to the outbreak.