A Missouri woman who recently tested positive for coronavirus took an Amtrak train from Chicago to St. Louis after returning from a study abroad trip to Italy, officials confirmed in a statement Sunday evening. Susan Carlson reports.
Loyola Academy announced it canceled classes again for Tuesday after officials at the private high school in north suburban Wilmette learned that a student and the student's family had contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus.
This includes team or club meetings, as school officials say they are not permitted to meet on or off school campus on Monday or Tuesday.
"At this time, no one in our community has been diagnosed with or has symptoms of COVID-19," the school said in a statement Monday. "We've been in contact with the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDH) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) throughout the day and will continue to do so."
School administrators canceled classes Monday after learning about the contact Sunday evening, the school said in a message posted on its website.
"On the evening of Sunday, March 8, we were made aware that a current Loyola Academy student and the student’s family had contact with an individual that public health officials report has tested positive for COVID-19," the message reads. "Health officials are awaiting final confirmation from the CDC. This individual has not been on Loyola’s campus at any time. The Loyola student was in class through Friday, March 6. The Loyola student and the student’s family are now under a 14-day quarantine and are not manifesting symptoms of COVID-19."
Loyola will implement its E-Learning Schedule on Tuesday (an A Day), the statement read Tuesday. Students and parents are advised to "review Loyola's E-Learning Schedule and check for assignments in the onCampus Assignment Center."
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It was not immediately clear to which case the school was referring. Illinois health officials announced Sunday that a seventh person in the state had been diagnosed with coronavirus, marking what they believed to be the first community-transmitted case in Chicago.
School officials at Vaughn Occupational High School issued a statement Monday saying that a CPS incident over the weekend remained isolated, and “Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) officials tested Vaughn students and staff who have presented symptoms of COVID-19. Thankfully, as of now, there are no positive results.”
Governor J.B. Pritzker confirmed at a news conference Monday four other coronavirus cases in Chicago, bringing the total up to 11 cases in the state of Illinois and thus declaring a "Disaster Proclamation."
Last month, Illinois became the first state to conduct its own tests for the coronavirus, allowing for quicker results. The state also opened this week two additional testing labs in central and southern Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said earlier this month.
The Illinois Department of Public Health launched a statewide hotline for the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, "to answer any questions from the public or to report a suspected case," Pritzker said. That number is 1 (800) 889-3931.
