Grundy Reporter

As of Nov. 28, Grundy County has recorded 17 deaths among 2,694 confirmed COVID-19 cases

The Illinois Dept. of Public Health identified two individuals who died as males in their 70s. All previous deaths for Grundy County consisted of individuals ages 60 and above. As the winter months approach, COVID-19 infection rates have been skyrocketing on a national level, leaving many state legislatures grappling with how to proceed.  

Grundy County Health Administrator Michelle Pruim provided more information at the Grundy County Board meeting, outlining the priorities in the coming weeks.

“In the health department, our efforts remain focused on education, seeking compliance with guidelines and the new executive order contact tracing, which is just a bigger animal than we can contain right now,” Pruim said. 

For the most accurate information and guidance on dealing with the pandemic, Pruim referred to the educational resources available online, specifically through the health department’s website. 

“We're trying to get the truth out there so that people know what to do, so that when it's 11 o'clock at night and we're not here to answer our phone, they have a resource," she said. "Our website is more robust now and we're just trying to put things out there for folks.”  

Regarding vaccinations, Pruim and the health department are more concerned about ensuring there are sufficient resources for distributing the vaccine when it becomes available.  

“At the beginning, I spoke about a shortage of health care resources and health care professionals. And now is the time we need them more than ever to be helping to administer the vaccine,” she said.

With medical professionals and their equipment already stretched thin, many medical centers face significant challenges to both combat current cases and provide vaccinations. For these efforts, the county is reaching out to the community at large.

“We have a volunteer program, a medical reserve corps," Pruim said. "We're always looking for volunteers to be part of that, but maybe now more than ever to assist with some vaccination.”