Starting this year, several communities in Central Illinois will begin mandatory lead testing for children. On Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced that several zip codes in Champaign, Coles, Douglas, Macon, Piatt, Sangamon, and Vermilion Counties are considered high-risk areas for lead exposure. This means that kids living in these areas have to
National data shows that beds are disappearing while the need for senior care is growing. This problem will only multiply because of the rapid projected growth of U.S. residents ages 65 and older — from 56 million in 2020 to 81 million by 2040.
URBANA – Health officials reported late Tuesday that the omicron COVID-19 variant has been confirmed in a case in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Public Health and the Chicago Department of Public Health said the case was confirmed in a Chicago resident. That patient had been in contact with a person from another state who
SPRINGFIELD – COVID-19 cases are rising once again in Illinois — and most of the U.S. — with the more contagious delta variant now making up the vast majority of new coronavirus cases, according to federal and state data. In Illinois as of mid-August, the delta variant makes up more than 90% of new COVID-19
SPRINGFIELD – As racial disparities in maternal and child health outcomes persist in the U.S., a new statewide initiative aims to promote equity in maternal health and improve outcomes for all women and children. The latest report from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) found that about 75 women in Illinois die from pregnancy-related
SPRINGFIELD – Each year, 75 Illinois women die while pregnant or within 12 months of pregnancy, according to a report released Thursday by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). The report is based on data from maternal deaths that occurred in 2016 and 2017, and were reviewed by the state’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee.
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 https://will.illinois.edu/nfs/217Today3-30-21.mp3 Today’s headlines: U.S. Senator Dick Durbin says he hopes Democrats and Republicans can come to an accord which avoids the elimination of the filibuster. Public colleges and universities in Illinois are asking the Governor and Illinois Department of Public Health to force college students to get coronavirus vaccines or not attend classes
DECATUR – Half all Illinois counties are now considered at a warning level for the coronavirus, according to the state’s public health department. Macon County, in central Illinois, is among them. In the county of just over 100,000 people, 52 residents have died from the virus, and there are now more than a thousand active
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign Unit 4 elementary school students will have the option to return to some in-person instruction at the end of this month. Unit 4 officials unveiled plans this week to bring students back into classrooms for shortened school days. The first day of in-person instruction is scheduled for Oct. 27. Parents can still
SPRINGFIELD – Opioid overdoses are on the rise in Illinois, according to state health officials. The year 2019 saw a 22% increase in opioid-related emergency room visits compared to the prior year — and a 3% increase in overdose deaths, from 2,167 in 2018 to 2,233 in 2019. Preliminary data for the first half of
RANTOUL – At least eight migrant workers who were infected with COVID-19 waited several days before isolating because the company they worked for, Bayer, declined to pay for expedited tests, Champaign County health officials said. The company’s rejection came after its occupational health team had agreed to pay about $5,000 in quick testing for about
Illinois Reports 1,832 COVID-19 Cases And 27 Deaths SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 1,832 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 27 deaths. The number of confirmed cases on Thursday come from the state conducting 51,612 tests in the previous 24 hours. The state now has reported 213,721 cases and 7,833 fatalities.
CHICAGO – As the number of COVID-19 cases trends upwards in Illinois, state officials want to see better enforcement of mask-wearing and other public health guidance. The average daily number of new COVID-19 cases in the state is up 31% compared to two weeks ago. The seven-day positivity rate stands at 4.1% Dr. Ngozi Ezike,
CHAMPAIGN – Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have been analyzing COVID-19 data to help the state — and campus — make decisions throughout the pandemic. Nigel Goldenfeld, professor of physics, and Sergei Maslov, professor of bioengineering and physics, spoke at a live-streamed COVID-19 briefing Thursday. Goldenfeld said that at the start of
As schools across Illinois finalize their plans to reopen this fall, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is urging students, teachers and school staff members to wear masks at all times and stay at least six feet apart. The C-UPHD recently released guidelines and recommendations for schools and families as they prepare to begin the next