NEWS & EVENTS
WILL COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT & COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
Public Announcements
Did you find a dead bird on your property?
If you find a dead bird on your property, call our Environmental Health Division’s West Nile Surveillance Hotline at 815-740-7631 to determine if the bird can be sent for testing.
Second Confirmed Case of Measles in Will County
The Will County Health Department has confirmed an additional positive case of measles in Will County. The Will County Health Department’s Communicable Disease staff is working to collect additional details to identify and notify people that may have been exposed to measles, provide education, and recommend appropriate measures. Additionally, the WCHD is in close contact with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) as the active investigation continues.
Will County Health Department Announces Positive Case Of Measles In Will County
The Will County Health Department’s Communicable Disease staff is working to collect additional details to identify and notify people that may have been exposed to measles, provide education, and recommend appropriate measures. Additionally, the Will County Health Department is in close contact with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) as the investigation continues. Case investigation has determined this case is related to the ongoing situation in the City of Chicago.
Learn about the WCHD’s Medical Reserve Corps
The Will County Health Department’s Medical Reserve Corps is actively recruiting new members. View the video above to learn more about the Medical Reserve Corps.
West Nile Virus Detected in Will County
The Will County Health Department’s Environmental Health division announced that mosquitoes collected in Joliet have tested positive for West Nile virus. (Link to Story).
Keep Cool During Extreme Heat
With an upcoming stretch of high temperatures expected in Illinois, the Will County Emergency Management Agency is advising residents of measures they can take during severe heat conditions to stay safe and healthy. These measures include being mindful of heat-related illnesses and being aware of the availability of local cooling centers.
TB Testing Now available at WCHD Branch Offices
The Will County Health Department and Will County’s Sunny Hill Tuberculosis Clinic have announced a new collaboration to expand Tuberculosis (TB) testing availability to Will County residents. The expanded testing services are now available at the Will County Health Department’s branch offices in Monee and Bolingbrook, along with the existing Joliet location at the Will County Health Department’s main office.
Have You Tested Your Well Water?
Even if you’ve never gotten sick from your well water, it is your responsibility to properly maintain your well and regularly test it to ensure you have safe drinking water. See the Fact Sheet on well testing from the IDPH.
Our Environmental Health Lab can test for bacteria and nitrate well also testing chlorine, fluoride and hardness.
Learn more about our EH Lab here.
Community Health Center earns The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval
The Will County Community Health Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Primary Care Medical Home, Ambulatory Health Care and Behavioral Health Care Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards
Community Health Center Celebrates New Behavioral Health Suite Grand Opening
The Will County Health Department and Community Health Center kicked off national Behavioral Health Awareness Month by hosting a grand opening event for a new behavioral health suite at the Will County Community Health Center (WCCHC) in Joliet on May 1.
Become a Health Hero with the Medical Reserve Corps!
You can become a Community Health Hero by joining the Will County Health Department’s Medical Reserve Corps. View the video above to learn more.
What to do After a Flood
Has your home experienced flooding recently? The Illinois Department of Public Health's "After the Flood" brochure helps flood victims protect themselves against diseases and other hazards in the days and weeks following a flood.
![IDPH Announces that Will County is Now at Warning Level for Coronavirus Awareness](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/New-Building-Plain-scaled.jpg)
IDPH Announces that Will County is Now at Warning Level for Coronavirus Awareness
WCHD CONTACT TRACERS SPEAKING WITH THOSE POSSIBLY EXPOSED As of Friday, August 14th, Will County was one of 14 Illinois counties placed on the IDPH’s (Illinois Department of Public Health) weekly list of counties considered to be at a “warning level” (also known as...
![Illinois Department of Public Health Launches Travel Map to Provide Guidance on Travel Risk](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/idph-logo.png)
Illinois Department of Public Health Launches Travel Map to Provide Guidance on Travel Risk
Map shows U.S. states and country case rates to help inform travelers SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today launched its new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) travel map to help inform residents of potential risks associated with traveling...
![ComEd Offering Bill Assistance for Those Battling Pandemic Hardships](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ComEd-Cover-10-3.png)
ComEd Offering Bill Assistance for Those Battling Pandemic Hardships
ComEd is offering additional assistance to help with your energy bill. Call 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661) or visit ComEd.com/BillAssistance
![Wearing a Mask is Like Using a Car Seat: It Only Works if You Use it Properly](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mask-gov-3.png)
Wearing a Mask is Like Using a Car Seat: It Only Works if You Use it Properly
Like a car seat, a mask only works if you wear it. ENGLISH AND SPANISH VIDEOS [video width="1920" height="1080"...
![Will and Grundy Counties, 12 Others, at Warning Level for Coronavirus Disease](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Coronavirus-world.png)
Will and Grundy Counties, 12 Others, at Warning Level for Coronavirus Disease
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 14 counties in Illinois are considered to be at a warning level for novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A county enters a warning level when two or more COVID-19 risk indicators that...
![How to get your Child to Wear a Mask](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mask-Child.jpg)
How to get your Child to Wear a Mask
Many schools have implemented face coverings in their back-to-school policies. To prevent the spread of coronavirus, masks should be a habit for your family too. But it can be a challenge getting some kids to wear a mask for any amount of time, and an especially tough...
![Will and Grundy Counties, 12 Others, at Warning Level for Coronavirus Disease](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Coronavirus-world.png)
Obesity is Most Common Underlying COVID Condition
Among over 3,000 U.S. counties, the median percent of adults over 18 who had one of five selected underlying conditions (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity) associated with higher risk of severe...
![BE A HERO: Remember to Fill Out the 2020 Census !! (Learn More from this Video: In English and Spanish)](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Census-English-cover.png)
BE A HERO: Remember to Fill Out the 2020 Census !! (Learn More from this Video: In English and Spanish)
REMEMBER THE CENSUS!! https://my2020census.gov/ Help our community be represented and fill out the #2020Census. It’s quick, easy — and totally confidential. #MakeILCount Ayuda a nuestra comunidad a estar representada y completa el #Censo2020. Es rápido, fácil y...
![Gov. Pritzker Announces Efforts to Protect Illinois Communities and Frontline Workers in Response to Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Governor-Logo.png)
Gov. Pritzker Announces Efforts to Protect Illinois Communities and Frontline Workers in Response to Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic
Announces New IDPH Rules to Provide Local Law Enforcement More Flexibility and a Measured Process to Enforce Public Health Guidance Signs SB471 to Provide Additional Protections for Frontline Workers, Expand Paid Disability Leave CHICAGO – Building on...
![Wearing a Mask is Like Using a Car Seat: It Only Works if You Use it Properly](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mask-gov-3.png)
YOUR MASK: It Only Works if You Wear It. View these Videos (English and Spanish)
Every day we do things that keep us safe, like buckling a seat belt or putting on a bike helmet. But if we forget, or don’t do them (even once), we put ourselves and others at risk. A mask is no different. It only works if you wear it. So always wear a mask when...
![Illinois Department of Public Health Issues Reminder About the Importance of Vaccinations During COVID-19](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Logo-1.png)
Illinois Department of Public Health Issues Reminder About the Importance of Vaccinations During COVID-19
August is National Immunization Awareness Month CALL 815-740-8143 for Will County Health Department Immunizations Appointment SPRINGFIELD – Although school will look different this year because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), whether it’s remote learning, in...
![Wearing a Mask is Like Using a Car Seat: It Only Works if You Use it Properly](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mask-gov-3.png)
Gov. Pritzker Launches Mask Awareness Campaign: ‘It Only Works If You Wear It’
Public Health Campaign Uses Real-Time Data to Allocate Resources to Communities with Greatest Risk; Illinois Mask Mandate Went into Effect May 1 Monday, August 3, 2020 - Governor, Office of the Springfield, Ill. — Governor JB Pritzker launched a new $5 million...
![Higher Positivity Rates and Out-of-State Gathering Both Serve as Important Reminders about Continuing to Follow Guidelines During Pandemic](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Coronavirus-world.png)
Higher Positivity Rates and Out-of-State Gathering Both Serve as Important Reminders about Continuing to Follow Guidelines During Pandemic
The Will County Health Department (WCHD) wishes to remind the public that the Coronavirus pandemic is far from over, and that precautions that are advised must be heeded to and taken seriously. Illinois is seeing an uptick in Coronavirus cases since July 4th, and the...
![Illinois Department of Agriculture Issues Statement on the Mailing of Unsolicited Seeds](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IDA-logo.jpg)
Illinois Department of Agriculture Issues Statement on the Mailing of Unsolicited Seeds
“We are currently working with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to address reports of unsolicited shipments of seeds from foreign countries. Anyone who receives unordered seeds in the mail should contact the Illinois Department of Agriculture...
![Illinois Department of Public Health Issues Reminder About the Importance of Vaccinations During COVID-19](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Logo-1.png)
Will County Health Department Contact Tracer Team Continues to Grow
COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease that is transmitted from person-to-person, mainly through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. The spread is much more likely if you have been within six feet of an infected person...
![Contact tracing for COVID-19 Now into Higher Gear at Will County Health Department](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/WCHD-Horizontal-WEB-Logo.png)
Contact tracing for COVID-19 Now into Higher Gear at Will County Health Department
WILL COUNTY – The Will County Health Department will be ramping up its contact tracing program for COVID-19 on Monday, July 20, utilizing a “best practice” for tracking communicable diseases. As part of Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan, health departments must...
![CDC Calls on Americans to Wear Masks to Prevent COVID-19 Spread](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Coronavirus-world.png)
CDC Calls on Americans to Wear Masks to Prevent COVID-19 Spread
JAMA editorial reviews latest science, while case study shows masks prevented COVID spread Americans are increasingly adopting the use of cloth face masks to slow the spread of COVID-19, and the latest science may convince even more to do so. In an editorial...
![Jewel-Osco Voluntarily Recalls Bagged Signature Farms Garden Salad Due to Possible Cyclospora Contamination; Confirmed Cases in Will Co](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Baggged-salads-2.png)
Jewel-Osco Voluntarily Recalls Bagged Signature Farms Garden Salad Due to Possible Cyclospora Contamination; Confirmed Cases in Will Co
June 29, 2020 - The Kane County Health Department is advising that, in cooperation with the Fresh Express recall of bagged salads potentially linked to an outbreak of Cyclospora infections in the Midwest, Jewel-Osco is voluntarily recalling bagged Signature Farms...
![Illinois Department of Public Health Provides Phase 4 Guidance for Swimming Facilities](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pool-2.jpg)
Illinois Department of Public Health Provides Phase 4 Guidance for Swimming Facilities
SPRINGFIELD – Under Phase 4 of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Restore Illinois plan, swimming facilities licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) can open at a maximum of 50% of capacity. This includes swimming pools, water parks, splashpads,...
![Illinois Department of Public Health Expands Newborn Screening](https://willcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/baby-healthy.jpg)
Illinois Department of Public Health Expands Newborn Screening
Spinal Muscular Atrophy added as the 49th disorder SPRINGFIELD – Beginning Monday, the Illinois Department of Public Health will test every baby born in Illinois for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). SMA is a group of hereditary diseases that progressively...