Bond County Health Department

City: Greensville
Phone: (618)664-1442
Contact: Sean Eifert
Emergencies Oral and Dental Care only: Yes
Qualifiers/Hours: Patients of all ages accepted

Cass County Health Department

City: Virginia
Phone: (217)452-3057
Contact: Teresa Armstrong
Emergencies Oral and Dental Care only: Yes
Qualifiers/Hours: Patients of all ages accepted  7:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; closed each day 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. for lunch.

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and Your Oral Health

Be sure to make time for healthy activities like exercising, eating well, relaxing, connecting with family and friends on the phone or computer, and maintaining your oral health. These actions keep you and your immune system healthy.

Are dental offices allowed to be open?

Yes.  As of May 11, oral health providers were permitted to resume routine oral and dental care consistent with guidance to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Will I need to be screened for COVID-19 before visiting the dentist?

Dentists are encouraged to do a screening for symptoms by telephone 24 to 48 hours before your appointment.  The screening should be repeated upon your arrival at the office and your temperature checked by a non-contact thermometer.  If you are displaying symptoms or your temperature is over 100.0 F, your appointment should be rescheduled.

Practice Social Distancing

Pursuant to Executive Order, your employer must comply to the greatest extent feasible with social distancing requirements. This means that your employer should:

How to leave COVID-19 behind when you come home

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states COVID-19 is typically transmitted through respiratory droplets. Providing patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic means you and your family are at risk for exposure. The ideas or recommendations below, are compiled from CDC guidance and describe how to limit the risk to your family as you return home at the end of your workday.

As Illinois and the country face the unprecedented public health emergency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals are confronted with an extraordinarily high demand for health care services and must quickly implement actions to address the COVID-19 crisis. When health care providers are forced to operate at increased or full capacity, they must meet the needs of their individual patients and the collective needs of the community.

The Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) mission includes preventing disease and injury, developing population-based strategies to address public health issues, and advocating for equitable health care treatment during a pandemic such as COVID-19. This guidance provides a description of the state’s emergency operation framework, an overview of standards of care during COVID-19, and an ethical framework for administering health care during a pandemic.

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Review it carefully.

This notice gives you information, as required by law, about the duties and practices of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to protect the privacy of your personal health information. Because IDPH provides you COVID-19 testing, IDPH receives and maintains personal health information about you. IDPH may contract with companies, other government agencies, or individuals to help provide these services to you; therefore, contractors also may receive and maintain your personal health information.

The Effective Date of This Notice is April 15, 2020. IDPH is required to follow the terms of this notice until it is replaced. IDPH reserves the right to change the terms of the notice at any time and will provide an updated notice of any such changes.

COVID-19 Cases and Contacts

This guidance is intended to provide hospitals and ambulatory surgical treatment centers (ASTCs) with a general framework for performing COVID-19 testing prior to non-emergent surgeries and procedures (collectively referred to as “procedures”) and is aligned with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American College of Surgeons, American Society of Anesthesiologists, and the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation.

During a pandemic like COVID-19, health care providers are required to make difficult decisions concerning the allocation and rationing of limited health care resources, including staff, supplies, and space. As health care resources become scarce, hospitals and other health care institutions move through the continuum of care from conventional, to contingency, to crisis. This guidance seeks to remind the health care community of their ongoing obligations to render health care in an ethical and non-discriminatory manner, obligations even more critical when providers are operating beyond their capacity. Health care institutions and providers must ensure effective protocols are in place in order to support the delivery of ethical, non-discriminatory decisions, especially those related to the allocation and rationing of limited health care resources.

What should you do about work while you wait for test results?

• Please inform your supervisor at work that you have been tested for COVID-19 and note the date of testing.
• If you are experiencing symptoms: Notify your supervisor and stay home.
• If you are not experiencing symptoms: Request guidance from your supervisor on any potential work and patient care restrictions until you know your test results.
• Avoid using public transportation, rise-sharing, or taxis when commuting.

What should you do to protect yourself while you wait for test results?

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.