MACON COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) - Leaders with the Macon County Health Department asked the public to take steps to mitigate COVID-19 after the county recently reached warning status for virus stats. 

As of Sept. 24, Macon County Health Department Public Health Administrator Brandi Binkley said the county had a COVID-19 positivity rate of 6.6%. The positivity rate for the Illinois region Macon County is in (Region 6) was even higher on Sept. 26 at 7.4%.

Binkley said the state of Illinois might take new mitigation steps against Region 6, including, but not limited to: reduced indoor dining capacity and suspended bar service in bars and restaurants, additional limits on social gatherings and room capacity, remote work implementation for employers and reduced indoor capacity in retail and recreational establishments.

She said there is too much at risk right now to slow down steps in the fight against the virus. People are asked to think of others and consider those who may have compromised immune systems or other health conditions. She said the actions people take will make a difference and gave the message "it's all about WE, not ME." 

"We all want to go back to the life we knew pre-COVID, but we have further to go. Don’t give up now, there is too much at stake health-wise and socio-economically," Binkley said. "Even if you and your family have not personally been impacted by COVID-19, many people have. Please take this seriously if not for yourself than for those around you. So far, 46 people with COVID-19 in Macon County have lost their lives. These are people with families, friends, jobs, retirement plans, hobbies, and more and we all need to do everything we can to prevent more people from losing their lives in this horrible pandemic."

In Binkley's words, the public is asked to take the following steps: 

  • Wear your face covering PROPERLY and at all appropriate times. It should be covering your mouth AND nose. Wash it frequently and adequately, remove it appropriately, and do not touch the outside of it.
  • Social distance whenever possible. Masking is not a substitute for social distancing. Even if you are masked, please continue to social distance, including when you are with people you know.
  • Wash your hands frequently and adequately.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently-touched surfaces adequately.
  • Stay home if you are sick. If you are tested, stay home while waiting for results. If you receive a positive test or find out that you are a close contact, do not wait for the health department to contact you.
  • Immediately begin isolating or quarantining as appropriate.
  • Implement screening processes to prevent symptomatic individuals from entering workplaces, faith-based organizations, events and spreading illness to other 
  • Participate in contact tracing if you are contacted by the health department. Save our phone number in your phone (217-423-6988) for calls coming directly from our building. Please note that calls made with our statewide contact tracing program do show as an out of area code number.
  • Adhere to isolation or quarantine guidance when you receive it. You cannot test out of quarantine.
  • Do not hold or attend large gatherings.
  • Follow all public health guidelines so that we can stay in Phase 4. It appears that our region will be experiencing mitigation measures from the state very soon. The faster we all take action, the greater chance we can prevent this next step or get back into Phase 4 as quickly as possible.

Binkley said people who see an establishment failing to comply with health requirements should call (217)423-6988 ext. 1134 or send an email complaint in writing to livewell@maconchd.org. The health department will then investigate and complete any required follow-up. 

The letter said the county's goal is to "gain compliance through education and support" in order to make the Macon County community "the safest, healthiest place possible." 

The full letter is attached to this story as a PDF document.Â