OP_032620

14 | March 26, 2020 | the orland Park Prairie news
OPPrairiedaily.com
FROM THE MOKENA MESSENGER
Medical group offers drive-up
coronavirus testing
Family First Medical Group,
with offices in Mokena and Evergreen
Park, has begun offering
people drive-up testing for the
coronavirus.
Testing begins with a phone
consultation, followed by a video
screening, according to Ryan
Dawson, marketing director for
Family First.
Should a physical test be recommended,
patients are scheduled
for a drive-up appointment,
where they are first given a flu
swab, the results of which take
8-10 minutes, Dawson said.
If that flu swab comes back
negative, then patients are administered
a COVID-19 swab,
which takes roughly 48 hours for
results to come back, Dawson
said. COVID-19 is the disease
caused by the coronavirus.
Patients enrolled in Family
First’s in-network health insurance
plans typically have their
costs covered through their insurance
policies; however, those
outside of the network also can
be tested by paying out of pocket.
Family First also works with
Women’s Healthcare of Illinois.
The group’s founder, Dr. David
Beckmann, understood the need
for quick testing while maintaining
the safety of patients who
have to come into the group’s offices,
according to Dawson, and
so began the drive-up testing on
Monday, March 16.
Those interested in setting up a
phone consultation should begin
by calling Family First at (708)
572-7575, or Women’s Healthcare
of Illinois at (708) 425-
1907.
For more information, visit
www.yourffmg.com and www.
whcillinois.com.
Reporting by T.J. Kremer III, Editor.
For more, visit MokenaMessenger
Daily.com.
FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT
Four patients test positive for
COVID-19 at Silver Cross
Four patients at Silver Cross
Hospital have tested positive
for COVID-19, according to an
email sent by President/CEO
Ruth Colby on March 23.
In the same email received
Monday, March 23, Silver Cross
noted it has tested 138 patients
to date, with 51 of those coming
back negative. It is awaiting the
results of 83 others, 29 of whom
are inpatient.
Silver Cross had its first patient
test positive for COVID-19
March 18.
The email sent on March 19
also states that Silver Cross received
a shipment of N95 and
paper masks. N-95 masks can be
reused throughout a shift.
The hospital also announced
that as of March 18 it is not allowing
visitors in any area of
the hospital, which includes inpatient,
outpatient and the emergency
department. The public
will not be allowed to wait in the
hospital lobby. For more information
about the visitor policy,
visit silvercross.org.
Limited exceptions are to be
made for single visitors over the
age of 18 to pediatric, end-oflife
and critically ill patients, to
be determined on a case-by-case
basis, according to the email. Patients
in the Mother Baby Unit
may have one visitor, as well.
While in Labor and Delivery, patients
may have one partner and
one doula if needed.
Also as of March 18, the hospital
started screening all people
who enter the hospital at all four
locations: the emergency department,
main lobby entrance, Pavilion
A/B and the cancer center.
Reporting by Sean Hastings, Editor.
For more, visit NewLenoxPatriot
Daily.com.
FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION
Tinley police chief warns
residents at-home coronavirus
testing ‘does not exist’
Some recent Facebook postings
surrounding coronavirus
concerns have warned the public
that scammers are going door-todoor,
claiming they are authorized
to administer at-home tests.
Tinley Park Police Chief Matthew
Walsh said the police station
has not received any calls
related to it but that it is still
important to let residents know
“this does not exist.”
“Do not let people in [your]
house to be tested for this virus
because it does not exist,” Walsh
said. “There’s not enough kits
available, and there’s nobody
that’s doing that.”
Assistant Village Manager Pat
Carr said in an email to The Junction
that he also has not heard of
anything like this in the area, but
the Village of Tinley Park is not
testing anyone. He added that
testings are to go through an individual’s
health care provider.
Reporting by Jacquelyn Schlabach,
Editor. For more, visit TinleyJunc
tionDaily.com.
FROM THE LOCKPORT LEGEND
D92 parents self-quarantines
after possible exposure to the
coronavirus
Though there is no positive
test, a parent at Lockport’s Ludwig
School may have been exposed
to the coronavirus at work,
according to a letter from District
92 Superintendent Tim Arnold.
The community letter stated
that Arnold spoke to the parent at
10 p.m. the evening of March 17
to verify the status.
The Ludwig parent was exposed
to a student at the school
where the parent teaches, and the
student’s father owns a business
that has an employee who has
been tested, but no results are
available yet.
According to Arnold, the
school district is monitoring the
student and their family. There
are no positive test results at this
time
The Ludwig parent has been
self-quarantining and acting out
of an abundance of caution. No
family members have been on
school grounds since March 13.
Reporting by Abhinanda Datta, Editor.
For more, visit LockportLegend
Daily.com.
Orland Township closes all
buildings to public, following
its public events shutdown
Bill Jones, Editor
Orland Township already
postponed events and activities,
but now it is closing its buildings
to the public, too, amid
growing concerns about the
spread of COVID-19.
Orland Township announced
Thursday, March 19, it was taking
the step “for the safety of the
Township community and staff.”
The closure took effect Friday,
March 20, and includes
closures of the Orland Township
Administration and Orland
Township Highway Department
buildings “until further notice.”
But residents may contact the
Highway Department from 7
a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday at
(708) 403-5148, though recycling
items are not welcome at
this time.
An immunization clinic originally
scheduled for April 4 has
been cancelled, and Wellness
village
From Page 13
cautious about how this power
is used.
“My concern there is simply,
‘OK, what is the structure of
the ordinance to make sure that
it only applies when there is a
properly declared set of emergencies?’”
He said he worked with the
Village manager to ensure that
all parts of the idea matched the
language of the enabling ordinance.
Dodge said he also asked
the rest of the board to look at
what will happen if the Village
has a “massive drop” in revenue
as a result of the pandemic.
“What are our contingency
plans and simulations if we
have to deal with a drop in
revenue?” he asked. “What are
Wednesday appointments are no
longer being scheduled.
The Township Food Pantry
is to remain operational 9 a.m.-
4 p.m. Monday-Friday, but has
changed to drive-thru service,
for which residents are asked
to stay in their vehicles. Forms
and groceries will be brought to
them by Township staff. Identification
and proof of residency
are required.
Residents ages 60 and older
who are self-quarantining and
need basic supplies or medication
pickup can arrange delivery
by calling (708) 403-4222 from
9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Senior Transportation services
also remain available from 8:15
a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday,
though remain for medical appointments
only.
For information or to schedule
appointments, call (708)
403-4222 from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday.
we going to do? Are we going
to reduce capital expenditures
and operating expenditures? I
just wanted us to start thinking
down the road, that when
the economic crisis that is happening
real-time right now, that
will have a really big impact on
Orland Park — far faster than
other governments.”
Dodge said the “sky is not
falling,” but he thinks the board
needs to start thinking and planning
for what happens after the
world gets past the immediacy
of the health problem COV-
ID-19 has caused.
While several board members
were present — Mayor Keith
Pekau, and Trustees Michael
Milani and William Healy —
the rest called in by phone. The
meeting was broadcast over
Facebook Live and posted to the
Village’s YouTube page.