Kane officials OK public health emergency after county's first virus death
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct that the clerk's main office is in Geneva.
The Kane County Board on Tuesday voted to have a standing declaration of a public health emergency in place after the county's first COVID-19 death.
Coroner Rob Russell informed fellow county officials that a 97-year-old man from Aurora died just two days after being diagnosed. The man's death, which also was the first death in Aurora, brings the total number of confirmed cases of the virus to four in Illinois' second-largest city.
Kane County was one of the first areas outside of Chicago and Cook County with residents testing positive for COVID-19. As of Tuesday, the official number of confirmed cases in Kane County stood at 24. Statewide, that number surpassed 1,500, including 16 deaths.
Chris Lauzen, the county board chairman, along with county public health officials, put a state of local public health emergency in place on March 18, shortly after the first local confirmed cases. But without a resolution supported by the full county board, that declaration was set to expire Wednesday by state law.
Late Tuesday afternoon, nine county board members joined Lauzen in person to put a declaration of a local public health emergency in place for as long as the crisis exists. The board members seated themselves at microphones placed at least six feet apart by county staff members before the meeting. An additional 13 board members joined the meeting by phone to cast votes in support of the resolution.
Having the resolution in place allows county health officials and emergency workers more access to state and federal funds. It also waives some of the time-consuming legal procedures normally required to enter into contracts, employ temporary workers and otherwise spend tax dollars.
Other Kane County departments have also stepped up their isolation procedures. The Kane County Clerk's office in Aurora is closed until further notice. The clerk's main office in Geneva will only operate by appointment. Ordering copies of vital records can be done online or by mail. However, state law requires people wishing to get married or have a civil union to complete an application in person.
Lauzen told his fellow county officials to prepare for at least two more months of focus on battling the virus. He said anyone who doubts the severity of the situation should pay attention to what's happening in Italy, where nearly 7,000 people have died — including 743 on Tuesday.
“These are truly medieval levels of loss and suffering,” Lauzen said.
But, even with all that loss, Lauzen said the functions of government will continue to serve the public. He cited ongoing garbage collection, clean running water and even snow plowing as evidence that people are persevering.
“We've been tested before and prevailed,” Lauzen said. “One hundred years ago, people were permanently afflicted for a lifetime with the crippling virus of polio. Preliminary reports indicate the vast majority of people who test positive for (COVID-19) recover and experience relatively mild symptoms closer to the flu and colds rather than the dreaded poliovirus.”
Lauzen encouraged residents to wash their hands rather than wring their hands.