Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Information

Latest IDPH News

• Extended Stay at Home Executive Order 10
• FAQs about the Stay at Home Order

Posted: April 6, 2020 Public Health Officials Announce 1,006 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 1,006 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 33 additional deaths.

Posted:  April 5, 2020 Public Health Officials Announce 899 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 899 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 31 additional deaths.

Illinois COVID-19 Hotline and Email Address

If you have questions about Coronavirus, call the Illinois Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Hotline
Phone number: 1(800) 889-3931 or,
Email:  DPH.SICK@ILLINOIS.GOV 
Anytime, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

COVID-19 Resources for Early Childhood
Who Should I call About COVID-19 (PDF)

DuPage COVID-19 Call Center 

If you are in DuPage County and have questions or concerns about COVID-19, contact the Health Department COVID-19 Call Center at (630) 221-7030.

Hours: Monday through Saturday 8 AM– 8 PM, Sunday 10 AM – 6 PM

Frequently Asked Questions  What should I do if I was potentially exposed to someone with confirmed coronavirus disease?

What should I do if I have symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) and have not been around anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19?

What should I do if I have confirmed or suspected coronavirus disease?

To view more questions and answers, visit the Illinois COVID-19 Response page.

Coronavirus Rumor Control 

The purpose of this FEMA page is to help the public distinguish between rumors and facts regarding the response to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Rumors can easily circulate within communities during a crisis. Do your part to the stop the spread of disinformation by doing 3 easy things; don’t believe the rumors, don’t pass them along and go to trusted sources of information to get the facts about the federal (COVID-19) response.

Additional Guidance from CDC Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19

Additional Resources are Available for:

What is a Coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, that include the common cold to more serious diseases such as pneumonia. Some can cause illness in people, and others that circulate among animals including camels, cats, and bats. Animal coronaviruses rarely spread to people.

This new coronavirus was originally thought to be spreading from animal-to-person, but a large number of patients have not had exposure to animal markets, which means the virus is spreading person-to-person.

Human coronaviruses are common throughout the world and commonly cause mild to moderate illness in people worldwide. However, the emergence of new coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS, have caused more severe respiratory (breathing) illness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is posting updates on its website that include summaries outlining case numbers and a map and list of affected states and countries.

DCHD is working with IDPH and CDC

DCHD is in regular communication with and following guidance provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the CDC on the changing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation.

DCHD’s Communicable Disease and Epidemiology (CDE) staff routinely monitor and investigate disease transmission and response, which is the case with this new virus. 

If you have recently returned from a high-risk country, or know someone who may have the novel coronavirus AND you have symptoms (such as fever, cough, runny nose, or difficulty breathing), please call your healthcare provider so they can make arrangements for you to be assessed.

Travel Guidance 

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. CDC currently recommends avoiding all nonessential travel. For more information on international and domestic travel as well as travel health notices, visit the CDC COVID-19 Travel page.  

IDPH Response

The Illinois Department of Public Health, local health departments, and public health partners throughout Illinois, and federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are responding to an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus called COVID-19 that was first identified in December 2019 during an outbreak in Wuhan, China. COVID-19 has spread throughout the world, including the United States, since it was detected and was declared a public health emergency for the U.S. on January 31, 2020 to aid the nation’s healthcare community in responding to the threat. The World Health Organization announced March 11, 2020 that the spread of coronavirus qualifies as a global pandemic.

In addition, Gov. JB Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation March 9, 2020 regarding COVID-19 that gives the state access to federal and state resources to combat the spread of this newly emerged virus.

For the latest information from IDPH, please visit: IDPH Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) page 

DCHD Resources

DuPage County healthcare professionals with concerns about exposure or specific symptoms are encouraged to call the DCHD Communicable Disease and Epidemiology (CDE) program at (630) 221-7553 (8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) or (630) 682-7400 after hours.  

As recommended by IDPH and CDC, healthcare providers should continue to ask patients with respiratory symptoms and fever about any travel to high-risk countries or any known contact with a person with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

Additionally, for anyone feeling emotional distress or in need of emotional support, the DCHD Crisis Hotline (630) 627-1700 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

For DCHD’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) fact sheet for schools and child care centers, please visit: Medical Alerts and Fact Sheets page.

If you are interested in having a Health Department staff member provide an informational webinar about COVID-19 to your group, please fill out the Presentation Request Form.