Press Releases
Year
Champaign County Air Quality at Very Unhealthy Levels
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2023
Contact
Julie Pryde, Administrator
(217) 531-5369 /
Tanya Giannotti, Public Relations
(217) 531-2925 /
Champaign County Air Quality at Very Unhealthy Levels
Air quality across the Midwest is affected by smoke from wildfires in Canada filtering south.
CHAMPAIGN, IL - Air quality conditions are expected to be in the “Very Unhealthy” and “Unhealthy” categories for Champaign County through Wednesday, June 28. Smoke from Canadian wildfires has swept across the Midwest, prompting air quality alerts from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), wildfire smoke poses a significant threat due to its inclusion of miniscule particulate matter known as PM2.5, which represents the smallest form of pollutants. When breathed in, these particles can penetrate deep into lung tissue and enter the bloodstream, leading to potential health risks.
Champaign County’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is currently at 231, meaning all individuals should take precautions and the risk of health effects is increased for everyone. Champaign County residents are advised to:
- Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
- Keep outdoor activities short.
- Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.
People with heart or lung disease, older adults, teenagers, and children are more susceptible to adverse health effects and should avoid outdoor physical activity.
More information regarding air quality and current AQI levels can be found at: https://www.airnow.gov/
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COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Officially Ends May 11
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2023
Contact
Julie Pryde, Administrator
(217) 531-5369 /
Tanya Giannotti, Public Relations
(217) 531-2925 /
COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Officially Ends May 11
Many to see changes in COVID-19 healthcare costs, insurance coverage, and benefits.
CHAMPAIGN, IL – On May 11, 2023, the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) will officially end, marking a significant milestone in the fight against the pandemic. The declaration of the PHE was initially made on January 31, 2020 to mobilize and coordinate a nationwide response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The state of Illinois followed on March 9, 2020. Since then, Illinois residents could collect additional SNAP benefits, more than 1.4 million children received pandemic EBT (nutrition) support, and Medicaid benefits expanded so residents could access telehealth and additional resources[1].
Before the PHE ends, people are encouraged to order free COVID-19 tests from the government (four tests per residential address) and get up to date on vaccinations. Individuals can check if they are up to date by visiting https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html and can find where to receive vaccines by visiting vaccines.gov for pharmacy locations or by visiting https://www.c-uphd.org/covid-vaccinations.html. Individuals with healthcare facilities should call their provider’s office for more information or to set up an appointment. Free at-home COVID tests can be ordered at https://special.usps.com/testkits or by calling 1-800-232-0233.
Beginning May 11, coverage for COVID-19 testing will change. The requirement for private insurance companies to cover COVID-19 tests without cost sharing, both over-the-counter (OTC) and laboratory tests, will end and individuals should reach out to their insurance provider for details. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program will continue no-cost testing for uninsured persons, though there may be a reduction in testing locations after the PHE ends. Individuals can find a no-cost testing location by visiting.
https://testinglocator.cdc.gov/Search.
From OSF spokesperson Tim Ditman, “The end of the Public Health Emergency declaration means that most waivers enacted during the pandemic which allowed flexibilities in providing and billing for services also end. The main exception is telehealth services for Medicare enrollees. Those waivers have been extended until the end of calendar year 2024, so services and billing for telehealth services for Medicare enrollees will not change. We will be making necessary adjustments in other areas. Find more information at osfhealthcare.org.”
SHIELD Illinois testing at the University of Illinois’ Campus Recreation Center East (CRCE) will close on May 26, with the option to relocate to another location until June 30. Additional information will be provided if announced.
Additionally, the CDC has stated there will be reduced reporting of negative laboratory tests for SARSCoV-2. The change will impact the percent positivity metric used for transmission level reporting. Transmission levels have been used in healthcare settings to determine prevention measures and mitigation strategies. Champaign-Urbana Public Health will continue to report transmission levels for as long as the data is available. The CDC is currently determining how to address healthcare guidance without the use of transmission levels.
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District would like to remind residents of steps they can take after the PHE ends to protect themselves and the community:
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. The FDA has recently authorized the bivalent booster for all doses starting at six months of age, as well as a second bivalent booster for individuals aged 65 and older who have had their primary vaccination series and are at least four months out from a previous bivalent booster shot.
- Immunocompromised individuals may receive a single additional dose of a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine at least two months following a dose of a bivalent vaccine. Additional doses may be administered at the discretion of, and at intervals determined by, their healthcare provider. Those who might qualify should reach out to their medical provider for further discussion.
- The monovalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the United States.
- Alternatives to mRNA vaccines (Novavax or Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen) remain available for individuals who cannot or will not receive an mRNA vaccine.[1]
- If a person tests positive for COVID-19 after May 11, they should not delay treatment.
- Staying home when sick, frequent hand washing, mask-wearing, and social distancing are still the most effective ways to keep COVID-19 transmission low.
Administrator Julie Pryde says, “The public health emergency declaration is ending, but COVID is still out there making people sick and taking lives. Please stay current on vaccinations. If you develop symptoms of COVID, local healthcare providers can test for COVID, influenza, and RSV at the same visit.
Determining which virus you have can help get treatment early when it is most effective.”
More information regarding the end of the COVID-19 PHE can be found at: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/02/09/fact-sheet-covid-19-public-health-emergency-transitionroadmap.html
1 “CDC Simplifies COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations, Allows Older Adults and Immunocompromised Adults to Get Second Dose of the Updated Vaccine.” CDC Newsroom, April 19, 2023. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/s0419-covid-vaccines.html.
2 “CDC Simplifies COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations, Allows Older Adults and Immunocompromised Adults to Get Second Dose of the Updated Vaccine.” CDC Newsroom, April 19, 2023. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/s0419-covid-vaccines.html.
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Champaign County EMA and Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Urge People to Prepare for Severe Weather
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2023
Contact
John Dwyer, Coordinator / CCEMA
(217) 384-3826 /
Tanya Giannotti, Public Relations
(217) 531-2925 /
Champaign County EMA and Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Urge People to Prepare for Severe Weather
Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Illinois is March 6-10
Champaign, IL – The Champaign County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA) and the ChampaignUrbana Public Health District (CUPHD) urge everyone to prepare for severe weather. March 6-10, 2023 is Severe Weather Preparedness week in Illinois. Champaign County just had multiple severe weather events last week to include severe thunderstorm warning, multiple tornado warnings, and high wind warnings.
We cannot stop severe thunderstorms, lightning, or tornadoes from developing or happening, but there are things that everyone can do to minimize the impacts of severe weather on our lives and our families. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the following daily topics will be on social outlets:
Monday: Have a Plan
Tuesday: Tornadoes
Wednesday: Lightning
Thursday: Wind and Hail
Friday: Flooding
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the NWS developed a Severe Weather Preparedness Guide which provides information about tornadoes, severe storms, lightning, and flooding along with recommended actions to take before, during, and after each of these weather events. It is available on the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov. The NWS, Lincoln also has a Severe Weather Safety web page at: https://www.weather.gov/ilx/ for numerous tornado, severe storm, flooding and lightning safety graphics.
Preparedness tips and information are also available through the Ready Illinois Facebook Page
(www.facebook.com/ReadyIllinois) and Twitter Page (twitter.com/ReadyIllinois). For local information, go to Champaign County EMA (https://www.facebook.com/ChampaignEMA) and Twitter Page (twitter.com/ChampCoEMA).
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