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IDPH Guidances Relating to the COVID-19 Outbreak
Potential Exposure
What to do if you were potentially exposed to someone with confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
If you think you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, follow the steps below to monitor your health and to avoid spreading the disease to others.
How do I know if I was exposed?
You generally need to be in close contact with a person with COVID-19 to get infected. Close contact includes:
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Pregnant Women and Newborns
Purpose
This guidance provides recommendations for the care of pregnant women and newborns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prehospital Considerations
Pregnant patients who have confirmed COVID-19, who are persons under investigation (PUIs), or who have active symptoms of COVID-19 should notify the obstetric unit prior to arrival so the facility can make appropriate infection control preparations. These preparations include identifying the most appropriate room for labor and delivery, ensuring infection prevention and control supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) are correctly positioned, and informing health care personnel who will be involved in the patient’s care of infection control expectations.
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Private RV Parks and Campground Guidelines
Part of Phase 3 of Restore Illinois Plan
Last updated May 27, 2020
This document is applicable to businesses that meet the following criteria:
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Provider Guidance for Testing
Background
Health care providers are strongly encouraged to test for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), when patients present with any signs or symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or have had a known exposure to a person with COVID-19 infection. Due to the nonspecific clinical presentation of COVID-19 and the potential for co-infection with other pathogens, every symptomatic person should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and testing decisions should be based on the patient’s personal health history. Because many COVID-19 cases have been observed in persons who originally discounted their symptoms due to other existing health conditions, e.g., allergies, prompt and early diagnosis of COVID-19 infection is strongly recommended to prevent further transmission.
Rapid Point-Of-Care Testing for COVID-19 in Community Settings and Schools
Background
This guidance addresses use of rapid point-of-care testing in schools and other community settings either when testing is being administered in school health-based clinics, onsite by trained healthcare workers, or in pharmacies or health care facilities. This guidance is being released in conjunction with the state’s distribution of Abbott BinaxNOW tests to local health departments, schools and other settings. The BinaxNOW test is one of several rapid point-of-care antigen tests that are available and in use right now. This guidance is also applicable to other types of tests as described below.
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Releasing COVID-19 Cases from Isolation and Quarantine
- English
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Cases
Must be isolated for a minimum of 10 days after symptom onset (or specimen collection date if asymptomatic) and can be released when the following criteria are met:
- Case is afebrile (without fever-reducing medication) for at least 24 hours and with improvement of COVID-19 symptoms.
OR
- Case Has 2 Negative COVID-19 PCR tests in a row, with specimens collected and testing done at least 24 hours apart
A test-based strategy is no longer recommended in the majority of cases. Consult with infectious disease physician.
*A limited number of persons with severe illness or who are severely immunosuppressed may produce replication-competent virus beyond 10 days; this may warrant extending duration of isolation and precautions for up to 20 days after symptom onset or first positive test (if no symptoms). Consult with the infectious disease physician.
Restoring Illinois – Protecting Our Communities FAQs
On May 5, Gov. JB Pritzker released Restore Illinois, a five-phased plan to reopen our state, guided by health metrics and with distinct business, education, and recreation activities characterizing each phase. Beginning Friday, June 26, each region in the state entered Phase 4 of the plan. For more information about Restore Illinois and Phase 4, see below.
About the Plan
Who put the plan together?
Governor Pritzker worked closely with medical and public health experts at the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and received feedback from public health and hospital partners as well as local elected officials, mayors, and businesses who have been in regular communication with the administration.
Routine Oral and Dental Care
Revised Interim Guidance: Provision of Routine Oral and Dental Care
On May 11, 2020, Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) guidance to limit oral and dental care to emergency and urgent oral and dental care needs was revised. IDPH recommends oral health providers resume the provision of routine oral and dental care consistent with this guidance for minimizing risk of transmission of COVID-19 in an oral health care setting.
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School Guidance
Considerations for Reopening Schools
As noted by the CDC, schools are an essential part of the infrastructure of communities, as they provide safe, supportive learning environments for students, employ teachers and other staff, and enable parents, guardians, and caregivers to go to work. Schools also provide critical services that help to mitigate health disparities, such as school meal programs, social, physical, behavioral, and mental health services. In order to safely operate schools, CDC has issued mitigation strategies that K-12 school administrators along with state and local public health officials can use to help protect students, teachers, and staff and slow the spread of COVID-19. The following precautions are recommended by public health officials to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of students, teachers, staff, their families, and communities:
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