State Rep. Yingling tests positive for COVID-19

State Rep. Sam Yingling tested positive for COVID-19, a spokeswoman for his office announced Monday morning.

Yingling tested positive last week, according to the statement, and has been quarantined at his home in Grayslake.

Yingling, 40, experienced significant sinus congestion and drainage, symptoms he thought at first to be related to his allergies, according to the statement. But those symptoms quickly evolved and he experienced a sore throat, cough, chest congestion, headache, fatigue, and body aches, according to the statement.

Yingling, a Democrat, said once he learned he'd tested positive, he notified anyone he'd knowingly been in contact with and encouraged them to get tested.

"We all have a responsibility to slow and stop the spread of the virus by wearing face coverings, staying 6 feet apart, and getting tested if we have symptoms or have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19," Yingling said in the statement. "This is a very real virus that is proliferating in our communities and residents need to remain vigilant by following the protocols outlined by the Illinois Department of Public Heath and the Lake County Health Department."

"This is a highly contagious and opportunistic virus that does not discriminate," he said.

Yingling's legislative district office in Round Lake Beach will remain open remotely as it has been since the beginning of the pandemic.