ADAMS COUNTY, Ill. (WGEM) — Illinois Department of Public Health and Governor J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday that a resident of Adams County has tested positive at the IDPH Laboratory for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The resident is a male in his 30s recovering at home after travel exposure. State and local public health officials have started a contact investigation to understand what contacts the individual had prior to the diagnosis.
“Our staff is working to quickly identify, interview and learn the risk for people who may have been in close contact with the first COVID-19 case in Adams County,” said Adams county Health Department Public Health Administrator Jerrod Welch. “Our highest priority is the health and safety of all who live, work and recreate in Adams County, and we will continue to use every available resource to prepare our communities for additional cases of COVID-19.”
Blessing Hospital’s CEO Maureen Kahn told WGEM News on Wednesday night that 20 people had been tested in the region, four of which tested negative. At that time, she said they were still waiting on the other 16 test results and expected those Thursday or Friday.
Kahn added that it takes about six days to get the tests back from a private lab.
Kahn says all tests go to a private lab, unless the patient had traveled from a flagged country, in which case the test would go to the state lab for faster results.