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Coping with COVID: May 2

Homewood COVID-19 cases continue to rise. New cases and deaths drop slightly statewide. Markham testing site hours and procedures clarified. Homewood Public Library will open the book return during limited times for the rest of May. Flossmoor Public Library continues regular virtual programs. 

Homewood Library reopens book return. The library is still closed, but the book return will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursdays through May. All fines will be waived until June 8. Send questions to [email protected].


Flossmoor Public Library virtual programs. The library is running weekly programs during the COVID-19 stay at home orders. These events include Facebook Live Trivia! Monday nights at 7 p.m. and Virtual Storytime with Miss Jenny! Thursdays at noon. Also, Flossmoor residents can get temporary Flossmoor Public Library cards online and begin utilizing the resources immediately. Residents must be at least 13 years old to register. The electronic library card is good for 90 days. Email questions to [email protected]


Markham COVID-19 testing site still open. Some people who hoped to get tested for COVID-19 recently reported the testing site at the motor vehicle emissions facility in Markham (3824 W. 159th Place) was closed when they arrived. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the site is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. while supplies last.  Everyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell) can get tested without a doctor’s orders. 

Some people can get tested with or without symptoms, including healthcare workers, first responders, correctional facility employees, essential business employees (grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, gas stations, public utilities, factories, child care and sanitation workers) and people with compromised immune systems or other chronic medical conditions.

Other things to know about drive-thru test sites:

  • Anyone who will be tested must be in a vehicle and seated at a functioning window.
  • While this is a free service, you will be asked to show 1) photo identification and 2) healthcare employee or first responder ID/badge, if applicable.
  • Due to the demand for this service, here could be significant wait times 
  • Anyone who is experiencing a medical emergency, should call their doctor or emergency department to seek immediate care and instructions.
  • For anyone who is unable to use a community testing site, there are commercial testing sites are also available throughout the state. Sites are listed at https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/testing-sites

COVID-D spread vs. the flu. Early on, comparisons were made between COVID-19 and common influenza viruses in terms of symptoms and spread behavior. As epidemiologists learn more about COVID-19, significant differences are emerging. CNN last week published an animation that illustrates the contrast in how much faster COVID-19 spreads because it is more infectious than most flu viruses. 


Homewood cases continue rise. Possibly because of the increase in testing and the proximity of a free state testing site (see above), Homewood’s confirmed cases increased again Saturday to 173, an increase of 70 percent in the past week. Testing generally has increased across the state. April 24 was the first day more than 10,000 tests were administered. Since then, the state has averaged 14,043 tests per day. 


State numbers retreat from records. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Saturday there were 2,450 new cases and 102 more deaths in the previous 24 hours. Cases were down from a record 3,137 reported Friday. 

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