In the last month, over 400 individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in Iroquois County. To limit the spread of this virus in our community ICPHD continues to place infected individuals in isolation and their close contacts into quarantine (per 20 ILCS 2305/2). All positive COVID-19 test results are reported to the Iroquois County Public Health Department (ICPHD). Each person who tests positive is called a "case”. Cases are isolated for 10 days from symptom onset or test date, whichever is first. They should not leave their home for any reason except to seek emergency medical care. To be released from isolation after 10 days, cases need to be fever free for 24 hours (without fever reducing medications) and with improvement of COVID-19 symptoms. Once a person completes isolation, they are no longer considered to be infectious/contagious to others. Close contacts are identified based on an interview with the positive case. A close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the case is isolated. Within a classroom setting when universal masking is in place, the close contact definition decreases to three feet when both students are properly masked. "Close contacts" that are not fully vaccinated will be placed in quarantine. Fully vaccinated close contacts are not required to quarantine but should monitor for symptoms. Based on updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ICPHD will implement a 10-day quarantine for unvaccinated persons identified as close contacts to someone with COVID-19. Quarantine can end after Day 10 without testing and if a person does not have symptoms. Individuals should continue to monitor themselves for symptoms for a full 14 days. For close contacts currently under quarantine, if you are symptom free and wish to be released after day 10, please call ICPHD at (815) 432-2483 for a release letter. Due to the current volume of cases and close contacts, we are unable to call each individual currently under quarantine regarding the change to a 10 day quarantine.