The Lake County Health Officer Dr. Vavilala was interviewed on WJOB station on Tuesday (8/4) to discuss schools re-opening in Lake County Indiana.

Please click "read more ..." link for the broadcast.

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Schools are an important part of the infrastructure of communities and play a critical role in supporting the whole child, not just their academic achievement.

This CDC guidance is intended to aid school administrators as they consider how to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of students, teachers, other school staff, their families, and communities and prepare for educating students this fall.

Please click "read more ..." link for more information.

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In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure that proper measures vital to the mitigation of the pandemic remain in place, the Lake County Health Department drafted a set of recommendations for the safe schools re-opening.

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The State recommended procedure for parents before sending your child to school.

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As the Lake County Health Department, pursuant to the authority granted by Indiana Codes 16-20-1 et seq. and 16-41-9 et seq., in the interest of protecting those within the jurisdiction of the Lake County Health Department, and reducing the spread of communicable disease, specifically the novel Coronavirus (which causes COVID-19), the Lake County Health Department is issuing a Public Health Order, with support of the Lake County Board of Health. The following should take effect throughout Lake County, Indiana, beginning July 20th, 2020 until further recommendation from the Health Department.

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The CDC now recommends that people wear cloth face coverings in public, even if you don’t feel sick. This may help reduce transmission from people who are asymptomatic (people who don’t feel sick but still have an infection). More information: 

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html
• Proper Mask Wearing Technique

There is no FDA approved antibody test available in the United States. When an antibody test is approved, we will work with the Indiana State Department of Health to make it available in Lake County.

Use disinfectant wipes to clean surfaces, and if wipes are not available, diluted bleach.

Clothes should be washed daily with soap and water, but if you are unable to wash clothes daily, they should be placed in a laundry bag and tied and left in a separate bathroom used by the person with symptoms.

A bleach solution can be prepared by mixing 1/3 cup of bleach per one gallon of water or four teaspoons bleach per quart of water.

It's important for everyone to follow a schedule, even at home, in order to maintain some structure. Try to avoid excessive screen time. It’s OK to watch or read the news to stay updated on the current situation, but avoid watching it all day because doing so can cause undue stress and anxiety.

Call family and friends often and FaceTime or Skype if possible. Stay active by exercising regularly and maintain a healthy sleep schedule. Make sure to enrich your schedule with activities you enjoy or projects you might be passionate about, and clearly communicate with those you share a residence with during an extended period of isolation/quarantine. If you have a psychiatrist or therapist, please contact them for further instructions.

Lake County receives its national stock pile of emergency supplies, which is distributed to local nursing homes, home health agencies, dialysis centers, police officers and non-hospital employee physicians.

Everyone’s requirements are different, and we determine how to prioritize based on various levels of immediate need and the availability of our supplies. Lake County hospitals receive their own supplies directly from the Indiana State Department of Health in a separate process.

Nurses are fielding and making 400-plus phone calls daily — either by answering COVID-19 questions from the public or calling out to track active and potential cases.

The nurses are also tracking all positive cases and their recent contacts to advise quarantine precautions.

The emergency preparedness team is attending risk management meetings and making sure that emergency supplies reach the departments in need of them.

The county’s food safety department is still inspecting operating drive-thru restaurants and eateries with takeout to keep the food safety. The health department is working in conjunction with the infectious disease divisions of the hospitals, she said.

Yes, the LCHD is doing contract tracing for high risk close contacts of confirmed cases.

The LCHD is accessible by phone weekdays from 8:30am to 4:30pm. The building is closed to the public. We receive a large number of calls daily and are doing our best to answer them. If you’re unable to reach us quickly, please be patient.

People with pre-existing conditions should make sure to take their prescribed medications regularly, receive medications by mail and avoid the pharmacy in-person when possible. They should stay active in the house, exercise or be active outdoors if the weather permits. Vavilala said it's OK to postpone regular checkups if the person doesn’t have any active health concerns

Exercise health safety precautions: Wash your hands frequently; avoid touching the face with unwashed hands; and try to maintain a safe distance of 6 feet from co-workers if possible to avoid droplet transmission.

A close contact is a person who was either within 6 feet of a person confirmed to have COVID-19 for about 10 minutes or more, or had close physical contact with a confirmed case. Close physical contact includes hugging, touching, sharing household items like eating utensils, or being around a sick person coughing.

Isolation is for a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. Isolation means staying home and separating from others in the household by staying in a separate bedroom and using a separate bathroom, if possible. Isolation is discontinued after 72 hours without symptoms and at least 7 days since the onset of symptoms.

Self-quarantine is for a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case. Self-quarantine means staying home for 14 days and monitoring for symptoms. Check your temperature twice a day and stay away from others in the home who are vulnerable. If there are no symptoms after 14 days, self-quarantine is over.  Information on symptoms of COVID-19 can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

Social distancing means avoiding close contact with others in order to reduce risk of spreading COVID-19. This includes trying to maintain a distance of 6 feet from others, avoiding social gatherings, avoiding nonessential travel, and practicing hygiene like frequent hand washing and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.

The LCHD Health Officer and staff are working in coordination with the Indiana State Department of Health and infectious disease specialists in local hospitals to closely follow and implement CDC recommendations for the protection of the local community. We are also readying our emergency preparedness team and coordinating with various government and non government agencies.

     *   Nurses and support staff are calling all people who are confirmed COVID-19 positive in order to advise self-quarantine and isolation precautions. Nurses are also contacting their high risk close contacts. Positive individuals are advised to inform all of their close contacts of their risk and advise self-quarantine. Due to the high number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Lake County, our nurses are no longer able to contact all close contacts, but are still contacting those close contacts who are high risk. For more information about who is high risk, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-at-higher-risk.html

     *   The food safety division inspectors are inspecting take-out and drive-through restaurants to ensure adherence to all food safety guidelines. Inspectors also respond to complaints regarding any sit-down restaurants that still operate. Those restaurants will be closed down as sit-down service is in violation of the Governor’s order.

     *   The environmental safety division inspectors are investigating non-essential businesses still operating in Lake County. If it is a clear violation of the Governor’s order, then they can be shut down. As the Governor’s order is updated often and open to interpretation regarding essential businesses, we will work with our legal department for clarification and our legal department will follow up.

     *   Our emergency preparedness directors work in close contact with the District 1 emergency preparedness team, hospitals, and all local emergency teams. POD (point of distribution) sites are located in various parts of Lake County in case of medication or vaccination distribution or other emergency needs. At this time, there is no COVID-19 vaccination.

     *   Vital records (birth and death certificates) are currently processed by mail.

     *   The LCHD receives a supply of PPE (personal protective equipment) from the National Stockpile via the Indiana State Department of Health and distributes it to necessary departments and individuals according to the guidelines. Hospitals, local nursing homes, dialysis centers, home health agencies, police, and physicians who are not employed by a hospital can request PPE including masks, gowns, face shields, and gloves. PPE will be distributed depending on LCHD availability.

The spread of the COVID-19 virus must be taken seriously by all members of the community due to its aggressive nature and severe medical consequences. It is vital that each and every one of us follow the advice of health care professionals, health departments and medical institutions. Even if someone only experiences mild symptoms, they may infect high-risk individuals, such as the elderly or immunocompromised persons, whose conditions could become fatal.

We are all responsible for protecting our personal health as well as the health of our fellow community members and should do everything possible to reduce the spread of this infection.

Older adults and people with underlying medical conditions like lung or heart disease or diabetes are at higher risk of developing more serious complications from COVID-19 and should seek care as soon as symptoms arrive, Vavilala said.

Go to the ER if you have difficulty breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or disorientation, and/or bluish lips or face, and call your primary care physician if you exhibit other concerning symptoms, she added.

Please call the ER ahead of your arrival to receive the correct instructions to ensure your medical safety as well as that of the hospital staff.

Positive results will be available from testing sites in Merrillville and Gary in approximately 72 hours via phone call. Everyone will receive results in 5-6 working days.

If you are a healthcare worker, first responder, or essential worker, you may be tested at sites like St. Timothy Church in Gary (through 4/17). Further testing sites for these people will be announced on this page. Medical facilities offering testing will change over time. Check the following websites: 

• Franciscan Alliance
• Community Healthcare Systems
• Midwest Express Clinic

Or talk to your doctor to find out more information about where and how you can get tested.